The Joe Faust Living Shoreline Act allows the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to issue permits for the dredging of materials to construct residential living shorelines, which utilize natural restoration techniques for shoreline stabilization. The act defines "living shoreline" and emphasizes the importance of using sand and sediment from a residential property owner's riparian area, as it is deemed the most compatible source material for successful restoration. The permit fee for dredging will be set at half the standard fee for dredge permits from state-owned submerged lands, promoting the use of living shorelines over traditional vertical seawalls and bulkheads.

The act specifically applies to properties adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, including Mobile Bay and connected waterways, and is designed to enhance coastal infrastructure resilience while serving public purposes such as reducing erosion and improving wildlife habitats. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is also authorized to adopt rules for the implementation of this act, which will take effect on October 1, 2024. The provisions of this act are supplemental and do not repeal any existing laws that do not conflict with it.