117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 66 

AN ACT 

To require the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal 

Blooms and Hypoxia to develop a plan for reducing, 

mitigating, and controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘South Florida Clean 

3 Coastal Waters Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. SOUTH FLORIDA HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND 

5 HYPOXIA ASSESSMENT AND ACTION PLAN. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Harmful Algal Bloom and 

7 Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (Public Law 

8 105–383; 33 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.) is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating sections 605 through 609 

10 as sections 606 through 610, respectively; and 

11 (2) by inserting after section 604 the following: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 605. SOUTH FLORIDA HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND 

13 HYPOXIA. 

14 ‘‘(a) SOUTH FLORIDA.—In this section, the term 

15 ‘South Florida’ means— 

16 ‘‘(1) all lands and waters within the administra17 tive boundaries of the South Florida Water Manage18 ment District; 

19 ‘‘(2) regional coastal waters, including Biscayne 

20 Bay, the Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida Bay, In21 dian River Lagoon, and St. Lucie River Estuary; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(3) the Florida Reef Tract. 

24 ‘‘(b) INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT.— 

25 ‘‘(1) INTERIM INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT.—Not 

26 later than 540 days after the date of enactment of 
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1 the South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 

2 2021, the Task Force, in accordance with the au3 thority under section 603, shall complete and submit 

4 to Congress and the President an interim integrated 

5 assessment. 

6 ‘‘(2) FINALIZED INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT.— 

7 Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 

8 of the South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 

9 2021, the Task Force shall finalize, and submit to 

10 Congress and the President, the interim integrated 

11 assessment required by paragraph (1). 

12 ‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF INTEGRATED ASSESS13 MENT.—The integrated assessment required by 

14 paragraphs (1) and (2) shall examine the causes, 

15 consequences, and potential approaches to reduce 

16 harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, 

17 and the status of, and gaps within, current harmful 

18 algal bloom and hypoxia research, monitoring, man19 agement, prevention, response, and control activities 

20 that directly affect the region by— 

21 ‘‘(A) Federal agencies; 

22 ‘‘(B) State agencies; 

23 ‘‘(C) regional research consortia; 

24 ‘‘(D) academia; 

25 ‘‘(E) private industry; 
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1 ‘‘(F) nongovernmental organizations; and 

2 ‘‘(G) Indian tribes (as defined in section 4 

3 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 

4 Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)). 

5 ‘‘(c) ACTION PLAN.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years and 

7 180 days after the date of the enactment of the 

8 South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2021, 

9 the Task Force shall develop and submit to Con10 gress a plan, based on the integrated assessment 

11 under subsection (b), for reducing, mitigating, and 

12 controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in 

13 South Florida. 

14 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The plan submitted under 

15 paragraph (1) shall— 

16 ‘‘(A) address the monitoring needs identi17 fied in the integrated assessment under sub18 section (b); 

19 ‘‘(B) develop a timeline and budgetary re20 quirements for deployment of future assets; 

21 ‘‘(C) identify requirements for the develop22 ment and verification of South Florida harmful 

23 algal bloom and hypoxia models, including— 

24 ‘‘(i) all assumptions built into the 

25 models; and 
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1 ‘‘(ii) data quality methods used to en2 sure the best available data are utilized; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(D) propose a plan to implement a re5 mote monitoring network and early warning 

6 system for alerting local communities in the re7 gion to harmful algal bloom risks that may im8 pact human health. 

9 ‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing the action 

10 plan, the Task Force shall— 

11 ‘‘(A) consult with the State of Florida, and 

12 affected local and tribal governments; 

13 ‘‘(B) consult with representatives from re14 gional academic, agricultural, industry, and 

15 other stakeholder groups; 

16 ‘‘(C) ensure that the plan complements 

17 and does not duplicate activities conducted by 

18 other Federal or State agencies, including the 

19 South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task 

20 Force; 

21 ‘‘(D) identify critical research for reducing, 

22 mitigating, and controlling harmful algal bloom 

23 events and their effects; 

24 ‘‘(E) evaluate cost-effective, incentive25 based partnership approaches; 
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1 ‘‘(F) ensure that the plan is technically 

2 sound and cost-effective; 

3 ‘‘(G) utilize existing research, assessments, 

4 reports, and program activities; 

5 ‘‘(H) publish a summary of the proposed 

6 plan in the Federal Register at least 180 days 

7 prior to submitting the completed plan to Con8 gress; and 

9 ‘‘(I) after submitting the completed plan to 

10 Congress, provide biennial progress reports on 

11 the activities toward achieving the objectives of 

12 the plan.’’. 

13 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT AND CORRECTION.—The 

14 table of contents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Author15 ization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383) is amended by 

16 striking the items relating to title VI and inserting the 

17 following new items: 

‘‘TITLE VI—HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA 

‘‘Sec. 601. Short title. 

‘‘Sec. 602. Findings. 

‘‘Sec. 603. Assessments. 

‘‘Sec. 603A. National Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program. 

‘‘Sec. 603B. Comprehensive research plan and action strategy. 

‘‘Sec. 604. Northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. 

‘‘Sec. 605. South Florida harmful algal blooms and hypoxia. 

‘‘Sec. 606. Great Lakes hypoxia and harmful algal blooms. 

‘‘Sec. 607. Protection of States’ rights. 

‘‘Sec. 608. Effect on other Federal authority. 
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‘‘Sec. 609. Definitions. 

‘‘Sec. 610. Authorization of appropriations.’’. 

Passed the Senate March 8 (legislative day, March 

7), 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 66 

AN ACT 

To require the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmfor other purposes. algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, and for reducing, mitigating, and controlling harmful ful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia to develop a plan