House lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday expanding the state's study of its rules for docks and other structures in inland waters.
If the Senate approves the bill too, it would build on an existing study committee formed last year. That group has focused on rules for temporary and seasonal docks.
This bill would broaden the committee's scope, to the rules across all departments for any structure in a non-tidal area.
The design and location of docks can affect natural areas and how people use them.
It comes as the state Department of Environmental Services works to re-write its own rules for dock construction. That's part of a complete overhaul of the state wetlands code, years in the making.
The agency’s last public input session on its latest draft of the new rules was set for this week in Lancaster. It's been rescheduled to March 15 due to weather.
DES officials say they'll have to update their final wetlands code with whatever the dock commission recommends.