IB 

Union Calendar No. 18 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 212 

[Report No. 114–26] 

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the assessment and 

management of the risk of cyanotoxins in drinking water, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 8, 2015 

Mr. LATTA (for himself, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. QUIGLEY, and Ms. 

KAPTUR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

FEBRUARY 24, 2015 

Additional sponsors: Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. JOYCE, and Mr. 

MCKINLEY

FEBRUARY 24, 2015 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 8, 2015] 

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A BILL 

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the 

assessment and management of the risk of cyanotoxins 

in drinking water, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Drinking Water Protec5 tion Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT. 

7 (a) AMENDMENT.—At the end of part E of the Safe 

8 Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) add the fol9 lowing new section: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 1459. ALGAL TOXIN RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGE11 MENT. 

12 ‘‘(a) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 

13 ‘‘(1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 90 days 

14 after the date of enactment of this section, the Admin15 istrator shall develop and submit to Congress a stra16 tegic plan for assessing and managing risks associ17 ated with algal toxins in drinking water provided by 

18 public water systems. The strategic plan shall include 

19 steps and timelines to— 

20 ‘‘(A) evaluate the risk to human health from 

21 drinking water provided by public water systems 

22 contaminated with algal toxins; 

23 ‘‘(B) establish, publish, and update a com24 prehensive list of algal toxins which the Admin25 istrator determines may have an adverse effect 

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1 on human health when present in drinking 

2 water provided by public water systems, taking 

3 into account likely exposure levels; 

4 ‘‘(C) summarize— 

5 ‘‘(i) the known adverse human health 

6 effects of algal toxins included on the list 

7 published under subparagraph (B) when 

8 present in drinking water provided by pub9 lic water systems; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) factors that cause toxin-producing 

11 cyanobacteria and algae to proliferate and 

12 express toxins; 

13 ‘‘(D) with respect to algal toxins included 

14 on the list published under subparagraph (B), 

15 determine whether to— 

16 ‘‘(i) publish health advisories pursuant 

17 to section 1412(b)(1)(F) for such algal tox18 ins in drinking water provided by public 

19 water systems; 

20 ‘‘(ii) establish guidance regarding fea21 sible analytical methods to quantify the 

22 presence of algal toxins; and 

23 ‘‘(iii) establish guidance regarding the 

24 frequency of monitoring necessary to deter25 mine if such algal toxins are present in 

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1 drinking water provided by public water 

2 systems; 

3 ‘‘(E) recommend feasible treatment options, 

4 including procedures, equipment, and source 

5 water protection practices, to mitigate any ad6 verse public health effects of algal toxins included 

7 on the list published under subparagraph (B); 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(F) enter into cooperative agreements with, 

10 and provide technical assistance to, affected 

11 States and public water systems, as identified by 

12 the Administrator, for the purpose of managing 

13 risks associated with algal toxins included on the 

14 list published under subparagraph (B). 

15 ‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Administrator shall, as ap16 propriate, update and submit to Congress the stra17 tegic plan developed under paragraph (1). 

18 ‘‘(b) INFORMATION COORDINATION.—In carrying out 

19 this section the Administrator shall— 

20 ‘‘(1) identify gaps in the Agency’s understanding 

21 of algal toxins, including— 

22 ‘‘(A) the human health effects of algal toxins 

23 included on the list published under subsection 

24 (a)(1)(B); and 

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1 ‘‘(B) methods and means of testing and 

2 monitoring for the presence of harmful algal tox3 ins in source water of, or drinking water pro4 vided by, public water systems; 

5 ‘‘(2) as appropriate, consult with— 

6 ‘‘(A) other Federal agencies that— 

7 ‘‘(i) examine or analyze cyanobacteria 

8 or algal toxins; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) address public health concerns re10 lated to harmful algal blooms; 

11 ‘‘(B) States; 

12 ‘‘(C) operators of public water systems; 

13 ‘‘(D) multinational agencies; 

14 ‘‘(E) foreign governments; 

15 ‘‘(F) research and academic institutions; 

16 and 

17 ‘‘(G) companies that provide relevant drink18 ing water treatment options; and 

19 ‘‘(3) assemble and publish information from each 

20 Federal agency that has— 

21 ‘‘(A) examined or analyzed cyanobacteria or 

22 algal toxins; or 

23 ‘‘(B) addressed public health concerns re24 lated to harmful algal blooms. 

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1 ‘‘(c) USE OF SCIENCE.—The Administrator shall carry 

2 out this section in accordance with the requirements de3 scribed in section 1412(b)(3)(A), as applicable. 

4 ‘‘(d) FEASIBLE.—For purposes of this section, the term 

5 ‘feasible’ has the meaning given such term in section 

6 1412(b)(4)(D).’’. 

7 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller Gen9 eral of the United States shall prepare and submit to Con10 gress a report that includes— 

11 (1) an inventory of funds— 

12 (A) expended by the United States, for each 

13 of fiscal years 2010 through 2014, to examine or 

14 analyze toxin-producing cyanobacteria and algae 

15 or address public health concerns related to 

16 harmful algal blooms; and 

17 (B) that includes the specific purpose for 

18 which the funds were made available, the law 

19 under which the funds were authorized, and the 

20 Federal agency that received or spent the funds; 

21 and 

22 (2) recommended steps to reduce any duplica23 tion, and improve interagency coordination, of such 

24 expenditures. 

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Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to amend the 

Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the assessment 

and management of the risk of algal toxins in drinking 

water, and for other purposes.’’. 

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Union Calendar No. 18 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 212 

[Report No. 114–26] 

A BILL 

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide 

purposes. of cyanotoxins in drinking water, and for other for the assessment and management of the risk 

FEBRUARY 24, 2015 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ormstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS