I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2503 

To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include public 

health considerations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2023 

Mr. MAST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida 

to include public health considerations, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prioritizing Revised 

5 Operations To Eliminate Cyanobacteria Toxins in Florida 

6 Act’’ or the ‘‘PROTECT Florida Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN 

8 FLORIDA SYSTEM. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary of the 

10 Army for Civil Works shall direct the Army Corps of EngiVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:49 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2503.IH H2503

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1 neers to modify water infrastructure management in Cen2 tral and Southern Florida to ensure public health shall 

3 overlay all authorized project purposes. Such authorized 

4 project purposes shall include— 

5 (1) flood control; 

6 (2) navigation; 

7 (3) water supply for agricultural irrigation, mu8 nicipalities, industry, and Everglades National Park; 

9 (4) regional groundwater control, and salinity 

10 control; 

11 (5) enhancement of fish and wildlife; and 

12 (6) recreation. 

13 (b) PUBLIC HEALTH.—For the purposes of this Act, 

14 the term ‘‘public health’’ is defined as follows: 

15 (1) Managing Lake Okeechobee and the Central 

16 and Southern Florida system— 

17 (A) to minimize the potential of toxic 

18 cyanobacteria and other harmful algal blooms; 

19 and 

20 (B) prevent discharges containing 

21 cyanobacteria or related toxins into the St. 

22 Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds, down23 stream users, and other areas where such 

24 cyanobacteria or related toxins will cause or ex25 acerbate public health risks. 


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1 (2) Ensuring the integrity and stability of the 

2 Herbert Hoover Dike. 

3 (3) Maintaining all provisions of applicable 

4 State, Federal, and Tribal water quality laws, poli5 cies, and regulations. 

6 (4) Ensuring necessary water volume and qual7 ity reaches the greater Everglades, Tribal lands, Ev8 erglades National Park, Florida Bay and 

9 Caloosahatchee Watershed to restore the natural 

10 habitat. 

11 (c) MODIFICATION OF OPERATIONS.—The Secretary 

12 of the Army shall modify operations of all current project 

13 elements to ensure that public health of all citizens, in14 cluding downstream users, shall overlay the operating re15 gimes of these various elements. 

16 (d) MASTER OPERATIONAL MANUAL.—The Sec17 retary of the Army shall update or develop a Master Oper18 ational Manual, in cooperation with the State of Florida, 

19 to ensure that all of the various existing operational 

20 project elements of the Central and Southern Florida 

21 project shall be managed as a system to protect public 

22 health and Everglades Restoration. As new elements are 

23 completed and added to the project, the Master Oper24 ational Manual shall be updated to include the new fea25 tures. 


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1 (e) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Army, in conjunc2 tion with the National Academies of Sciences, shall under3 take a study of the legacy of pollution and nutrient loading 

4 as well as the impacts of soil amendments from current 

5 and past operational regimes. The study shall include— 

6 (1) the components of the nutrient load and soil 

7 amendments, and how this nutrient loading is and 

8 will continue to impact Everglades restoration ef9 forts; and 

10 (2) proposed solutions to ameliorate the impacts 

11 of this pollution to downstream watersheds. 

12 (f) SCOPE.—Nothing in this section shall be con13 strued to alter or amend— 

14 (1) the Water Rights Compact between the 

15 State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida; 

16 (2) the water quality standards of the 

17 Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; 

18 (3) State water quality standards, applicable 

19 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

20 discharge permits, and Everglades Forever Act wa21 tershed permits; or 

22 (4) the schedule for completion of the Central 

23 Everglades Planning Project or Comprehensive Ev24 erglades Restoration Plan projects authorized on or 

25 before enactment of this Act. 


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1 (g) PROHIBITION ON USE OF RESTORATION

2 FUNDS.—No restoration funds shall be used by the Sec3 retary to undertake Deep Well Injection (DWI) of flood 

4 or any other excess waters. 

5 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

6 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec7 essary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 

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