SpaceX may soon gain more authority over recreational access in South Texas. Two state senate bills introduced earlier this month would grant officials in the proposed Starbase city the power to determine when nearby Boca Chica Beach should be closed on weekdays for rocket launches.
Additionally, a third bill, introduced on Wednesday, would extend SpaceX’s authority even further, making it a criminal offense for individuals on the beach to ignore evacuation orders issued by the company.
These legislative efforts are tied to an upcoming election that will likely solidify SpaceX’s control over the area. On May 3, residents will vote on whether to formally establish Starbase as a Texas city—a proposal Elon Musk first introduced in 2021.
Given that the majority of people living near the rocket site are SpaceX employees (following the departure of former Boca Chica Village residents, many of whom sold their properties to the company), the outcome of the election is widely expected to favor the proposal.
Republican state senator Adam Hinojosa’s first bill, SB 2188, would grant Starbase city officials—assuming the city is officially incorporated—the authority to close Boca Chica Beach for weekday rocket testing and launches.
A nearly identical bill, HB 4660, was introduced in the state house by Republican representative Janie Lopez. Currently, these closures are managed by Cameron County officials, who would retain control over beach access on Friday afternoons and weekends.
Meanwhile, Hinojosa’s second bill, SB 2230, seeks to impose criminal penalties for noncompliance with SpaceX’s evacuation directives. Under the bill, individuals who refuse to leave the beach during a designated evacuation period would face a Class B misdemeanor charge.
Hinojosa defended the measure, arguing that it would give the commercial spaceport “real teeth” to “compel people to do the right thing.” Notably, Hinojosa’s campaign website emphasizes his belief that “we don’t need more government in business — we need more business in government.”
The FAA’s Environmental Assessment indicates that SpaceX has shifted much of its testing to a location that does not require the closure of State Highway 4.
SpaceXHowever, the company has still shut down the road for extended periods. In April 2023, a SpaceX flight test led to a closure lasting more than 24 hours, while another launch in June shut down the highway for nearly eight hours.
SpaceX is permitted to close State Highway 4 for up to 500 hours annually for routine operations, with an additional 300 hours allocated for incidents such as rocket malfunctions.
At the same time, environmental groups continue to challenge SpaceX’s impact on the region. In 2023, the Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, and other organizations sued the FAA, alleging that the agency fast-tracked SpaceX’s permitting process without conducting a thorough environmental review.
Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency fined SpaceX for allegedly discharging pollutants into wetlands near the Rio Grande River.
Craig Nazor, conservation chair for the Sierra Club’s Lone Star chapter, voiced concerns about SB 2188 during a state senate hearing on Wednesday, warning that it would “put beach closures directly in the hands of SpaceX.”
He also criticized SB 2230, arguing that it could penalize individuals who are unaware of an impending launch. “It could potentially make a criminal out of someone who’s out there and lost track of exactly what may be going on at the launch pad,” he cautioned.
