,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fgaj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #e1 #bjbj,mr4   
,crist 7for himself and ,mr4 ,bilirakis7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was referred to the ,committee on       
,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a 
,,bill  ,to modify certain requirements 
of the ,corps of ,engineers relating to 
periodic nourishment of private beaches1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,clarifying ,easement ,requirements for 
,existing ,projects ,act4  #b4 ,easement
 ,requirements for ,existing ,projects  
7a7 ,for purposes of sections #ajc7;d7  
of the ,water ,resources ,development   
,act of #aihf 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #bbac7;d77 
and an ,act of ,july #bh1 #aief 7#cc    
,u4,s4,c4 #dbf;e7d771 the ,secretary    
shall consider a privately owned shore  
to be subject to public use if such     
shore is subject to public use from the 
low-water line landward to the line of  
permanent vegetation or to the place    

where there is marked change in material
 or physiographic form1 excepting and   
excluding any dune areas to which access
 is prohibited by local or ,state law4  
7b7 ,notwithstanding that sections      
#ajc7;d7 of the ,water ,resources       
,development ,act of #aihf 7#cc         
,u4,s4,c4 #bbac7;d77 and an ,act of     
,july #bh1 #aief 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4         
#dbf;e7d771 condition ,federal financial
 participation in projects benefiting   
privately owned beaches on public use of
 such beaches1 the ,secretary shall not 
require a non-,federal interest to      
acquire additional rights after the date
 of enactment of this ,act to permit    
public use of any privately owned beach1
 and ,federal financial participation in
 beach nourishment1 if1 prior to the    
date of enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary periodically nourished such  
beach as part of an authorized and      
constructed coastal storm risk          
management project without requiring the
 non-,federal interest to fund all costs

 associated with nourishing any part or 
parcel of such beach that was not       
subject to public use in accordance with
 the standard described in subsection   
7a74  7c7 ,in the case of any privately 
owned beach described in subsection 7b71
 the ,secretary shall permit the        
non-,federal interest1 in lieu of       
acquiring permanent easements over such 
beach1 to obtain rights-of-entry to such
 beach from each private landowner prior
 to any scheduled activity for periodic 
nourishment1 operation and maintenance1 
or emergency repair and restoration that
 requires use of private property4  7d7 
,in the case of any privately owned     
beach described in subsections 7a7 or   
7b71 the ,secretary is authorized to    
permit the non-,federal interest to     
release permanent easements or other    
rights1 including the right of public   
access1 acquired from private owners    
prior to the date of enactment of this  
,act if the ,secretary determines that  
release of such easements is advisable  

to foster equal treatment of similarly  
situated private landowners4  7e7       
,nothing in this section affects        
easements or other property interests   
required by the ,secretary to provide   
perpendicular public access to the beach
 for any coastal storm risk management  
project4