This section lets certain prosecutors and the attorney general seek court orders to remove or stop encroachments on public beaches, and it sets limits and penalties for some house-removal actions.
Sec. 61.018. ENFORCEMENT. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), any county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney, or the attorney general at the request of the commissioner, shall file in a district court of Travis County, or in the county in which the property is located, a suit to obtain either a temporary or permanent court order or injunction, either prohibitory or mandatory, to remove or prevent any improvement, maintenance, obstruction, barrier, or other encroachment on a public beach, or to prohibit any unlawful restraint on the public's right of access to and use of a public beach or other activity that violates this chapter. (a-1) A county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney or the attorney general may not file a suit under Subsection (a) to obtain a temporary or permanent court order or injunction, either prohibitory or mandatory, to remove a house from a public beach if: (1) the line of vegetation establishing the boundary of the public beach moved as a result of a meteorological event that occurred before January 1, 2009; (2) the house was located landward of the natural line of vegetation before the meteorological event; (3) a portion of the house continues to be located landward of the line of vegetation; and (4) the house is located on a peninsula in a county with a population of more than 315,000 and less than 351,000 that borders the Gulf of Mexico. (a-2) The owner of a house described by Subsection (a-1) may repair or rebuild the house if the house was damaged or destroyed by the meteorological event. (a-3) Notwithstanding Subsection (a-1), a county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney or the attorney general may file a suit under Subsection (a) to obtain a temporary or permanent court order or injunction, either prohibitory or mandatory, to remove a house described by Subsection (a-1) from a public beach if the house was damaged or destroyed by the meteorological event and the owner of the house fails to repair or rebuild the house before September 1, 2013. (b) In the same suit, the attorney general, the commissioner, county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney may recover penalties and the costs of removing any improvement, obstruction, barrier, or other encroachment if it is removed by public authorities pursuant to an order of the court or a removal order issued by the commissioner as provided by Section 61.0183. (c) A person who violates this chapter or a removal order issued by the commissioner as provided by Section 61.0183 is liable for a civil penalty of not less than $50 nor more than $2,000. Each day the violation occurs or continues is a separate violation. (d) Any county attorney, or the attorney general at the request of the commissioner, may bring a suit for a declaratory judgment to try any issue affecting the public's right of access to or use of the public beach. Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2479, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 295, Sec. 10, eff. June 7, 1991; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 245, Sec. 3, eff. June 18, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1256 (H.B. 2819), Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1417 (H.B. 770), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2010. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1163 (H.B. 2702), Sec. 106, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 644 (H.B. 4559), Sec. 203, eff. September 1, 2023.