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‘‘(B) examine the effect of other environ-
mental stressors on harmful algal blooms; 
‘‘(C) examine potential methods to prevent, 
control, and mitigate harmful algal blooms and 
the potential ecological, social, cultural, and 
economic costs and benefits of such methods; 
‘‘(D) identify priorities for research needed 
to advance techniques and technologies to de-
tect, predict, monitor, respond to, and minimize 
the occurrence, duration, and severity of harm-
ful algal blooms, including recommendations to 
eliminate significant gaps in harmful algal 
bloom forecasting, monitoring, and observation 
data; 
‘‘(E) evaluate progress made by, and the 
needs of, Task Force activities and actions to 
prevent, control, and mitigate harmful algal 
blooms; 
‘‘(F) identify ways to improve coordination 
and prevent unnecessary duplication of effort 
among Federal departments and agencies with 
respect to research on harmful algal blooms; 
‘‘(G) include regional chapters relating to 
the requirements described in this paragraph in 
order to highlight geographically and eco-
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logically diverse locations with significant eco-
logical, social, cultural, and economic impacts 
from harmful algal blooms; and 
‘‘(H) define methodology used to determine 
ecological, social, cultural and economic impacts 
from harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.’’. 
(b) CONSULTATIONS.—Section 102 of the Harmful 
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004 (33 
U.S.C. 4001a) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘the coastal’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘Indian tribes,’’; 
(3) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘local govern-
ments,’’; and 
(4) by striking ‘‘with expertise in coastal zone 
science and management’’ and inserting ‘‘with rel-
evant expertise’’. 
(c) NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HY-
POXIA PROGRAM.—Section 603A of the Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 
(33 U.S.C. 4002) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘predicting,’’ and in-
serting 
‘‘monitoring, 
observing, 
fore-
casting,’’; and 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ after the semi-
colon; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘comprehensive re-
search plan and action strategy under sec-
tion 603B’’ and inserting ‘‘Action Strat-
egy, including scientific assessment, under 
section 603(c)’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period and insert-
ing ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) the scientific assessment under section 
603(b).’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘ocean 
and Great Lakes’’ and inserting ‘‘marine, estu-
arine, and freshwater systems’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘while 
recognizing each agency is acting under its own 
independent mission and authority’’ before the 
semicolon; 
(3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Except as 
provided in subsection (h), the’’ and inserting 
‘‘The’’; 
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(4) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) examine, in collaboration with State and 
local entities and Indian Tribes, including island 
communities, low-population rural communities, In-
digenous communities, subsistence communities, 
fisheries, and recreation industries that are most de-
pendent on coastal and water resources that may be 
impacted by marine and freshwater harmful algal 
blooms and hypoxia, the causes, ecological con-
sequences, cultural impacts, and social and economic 
costs of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (3); 
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), 
and (6) as paragraphs (3), (4), and (5), respec-
tively; 
(D) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated— 
(i) by striking ‘‘to, regional’’ and in-
serting ‘‘to regional’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘agencies’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘entities, and regional coastal observ-
ing systems (as such term is defined in 
section 12330(6) of the Integrated Coastal 
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and Ocean Observation System Act of 
2009 (33 U.S.C. 3602(6)))’’; 
(E) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, 
by inserting ‘‘and communities’’ after ‘‘eco-
systems’’; 
(F) by inserting after paragraph (5) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) support sustained observations, including 
through 
peer-reviewed, 
merit-based, 
competitive 
grant funding, to provide State and local entities, 
Indian Tribes, and others access to real-time or near 
real-time observation data for decision-making to 
protect human and ecological health and local econo-
mies;’’; 
(G) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘State 
and local’’ and inserting ‘‘State, local, and Trib-
al’’; and 
(H) in paragraph (9)(A), by striking ‘‘trib-
al’’ and inserting ‘‘Tribal’’; 
(5) by amending subsections (f) and (g) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(f) COOPERATIVE EFFORTS.—The Under Secretary 
shall work cooperatively with and avoid duplication of ef-
fort of other agencies on the Task Force, and with and 
of States, Indian tribes, and nongovernmental organiza-
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tions concerned with marine and freshwater issues, and 
shall coordinate harmful algal bloom and hypoxia and re-
lated activities and research. 
‘‘(g) FRESHWATER AND ESTUARINE PROGRAM DU-
TIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall— 
‘‘(A) with respect to freshwater aspects of 
the Program, in coordination with the Task 
Force, carry out the duties under subsection (e) 
through the activities required under section 
603C; and 
‘‘(B) with respect to estuarine aspects of 
the Program, coordinate with the Under Sec-
retary to carry out activities required under this 
section. 
‘‘(2) 
NONDUPLICATION.—The 
Administrator 
shall ensure that activities carried out under this 
subsection focus on new approaches to addressing 
freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not dupli-
cative of existing research and development pro-
grams authorized under this Act or any other law.’’; 
and 
(6) by amending subsection (h) to read as fol-
lows: 
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‘‘(h) ANTI-DEFICIENCY ACT APPLIED TO HARMFUL 
ALGAL BLOOM SERVICES.—Any services by an officer or 
employee under this title relating to the immediate devel-
opment and dissemination of the Harmful Algal Bloom 
Operational Forecast System of the National Centers for 
Coastal Ocean Science and the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration shall be considered, for pur-
poses of section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, serv-
ices for emergencies involving the safety of human life or 
the protection of property. Such consideration shall only 
apply to areas with active harmful algal blooms during any 
lapse in appropriations beginning on or after the date of 
the enactment of this subsection.’’. 
(d) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN-
ISTRATION ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 603B of the Harm-
ful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control 
Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4003) is amended to read 
as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 603B. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC AD-
MINISTRATION ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) carry out marine, coastal, and Great 
Lakes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events re-
sponse activities; 
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‘‘(2) develop and enhance operational harmful 
algal bloom observing and forecasting programs, in-
cluding operational observations and forecasting, 
monitoring, modeling, data management, and infor-
mation dissemination; 
‘‘(3) maintain and enhance peer-reviewed, 
merit-based, competitive grant funding relating to 
harmful algal blooms and hypoxia to— 
‘‘(A) maintain and enhance baseline moni-
toring programs established by the Program; 
‘‘(B) support the projects maintained and 
established by the Program; 
‘‘(C) address the research and manage-
ment needs and priorities identified in the Ac-
tion Strategy under section 603(c); 
‘‘(D) accelerate the utilization of effective 
methods of intervention and mitigation to re-
duce the frequency, severity, and impacts of 
harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events; 
‘‘(E) identify opportunities to improve 
monitoring of harmful algal bloom and hypoxia, 
with a particular focus on coastal waters that 
may affect fisheries, public health, or subsist-
ence harvest; 
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‘‘(F) examine the effects of other environ-
mental stressors on harmful algal blooms and 
hypoxia; 
‘‘(G) assess the effects of multiple environ-
mental stressors on living marine resources and 
coastal ecosystems; and 
‘‘(H) evaluate adaptation and mitigation 
strategies to address the impacts of harmful 
algal blooms and hypoxia; 
‘‘(4) enhance communication and coordination 
among Federal agencies carrying out marine and 
freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activi-
ties and research; 
‘‘(5) to the greatest extent practicable, leverage 
existing resources and expertise available from local 
research universities and institutions; and 
‘‘(6) use cost effective methods in carrying out 
this section. 
‘‘(b) INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVA-
TION SYSTEM.—The collection of monitoring and observ-
ing data under this section shall comply with all data 
standards and protocols developed pursuant to the Inte-
grated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 
2009 (33 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). Such data shall be made 
available through the system established under that Act.’’. 
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(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization 
Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383) is amended by 
amending the item relating to section 603B to read 
as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 603B. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities.’’. 
(e) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ACTIVI-
TIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Harmful Algal Bloom 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 
U.S.C. 4001 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 603B of that Act (33 U.S.C. 4003), as 
amended by subsection (d), the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘SEC. 603C. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AC-
TIVITIES. 
‘‘The Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) carry out research on the ecology and 
human health impacts of freshwater harmful algal 
blooms; 
‘‘(2) develop and maintain forecasting and mon-
itoring of, and event response to, freshwater harmful 
algal blooms in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and estu-
aries (including tributaries thereof); 
‘‘(3) enhance communication and coordination 
among Federal agencies carrying out freshwater 
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harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activities and re-
search; 
‘‘(4) to the greatest extent practicable, leverage 
existing resources and expertise available from local 
research universities and institutions; and 
‘‘(5) use cost effective methods in carrying out 
this section.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents in section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization 
Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383) is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 603B, as 
amended by subsection (e), the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 603C. Environmental Protection Agency activities.’’. 
(f) NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HY-
POXIA OBSERVING NETWORK.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 606 of the Harmful 
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act 
of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4005) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘SEC. 606. NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM OBSERVING 
NETWORK. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, acting 
through the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 
(referred to in this section as ‘NCCOS’) and the Inte-
grated Ocean Observing System (referred to in this section 
as ‘IOOS’) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
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