I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6235 
To amend the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control 
Act of 1998 to address harmful algal blooms, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 6, 2023 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself and Mr. JOYCE of Ohio) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research 
and Control Act of 1998 to address harmful algal 
blooms, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Harmful Algal Bloom 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 
2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS 
AND HYPOXIA RESEARCH AND CONTROL ACT 
OF 1998. 
(a) ASSESSMENTS.—Section 603 of the Harmful 
Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 
1998 (33 U.S.C. 4001) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE’’ and inserting 
‘‘INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP’’; and 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘an Inter-Agency Task Force on 
Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia.’’ and in-
serting ‘‘an Interagency Working Group on 
Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia (hereafter 
referred to as the ‘Task Force’).’’; 
(2) by striking subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (h), 
and (i) and redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as 
subsections (b) and (c), respectively; 
(3) in subsection (b), as so redesignated— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘coastal 
waters including the Great Lakes’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘marine and freshwater systems’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by amending subparagraph (A) to 
read as follows: 
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‘‘(A) examine the causes and ecological 
consequences of low oxygen on marine and 
aquatic species in their natural environments, 
the social and economic costs of hypoxia, and 
the cultural impacts of hypoxia;’’; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(B) through (D) as subparagraphs (C) 
through (E), respectively; 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(A) the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) examine the effect of other environ-
mental stressors on hypoxia;’’; 
(iv) in subparagraph (C), as so redes-
ignated, by inserting ‘‘, social,’’ after ‘‘eco-
logical’’; and 
(v) in subparagraph (D), as so redes-
ignated, by striking ‘‘hypoxia modeling and 
monitoring data’’ and inserting ‘‘hypoxia 
modeling, forecasting, and monitoring and 
observation data’’; and 
(4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by 
mending such subsection to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) ACTION STRATEGY AND SCIENTIFIC ASSESS-
MENT FOR MARINE AND FRESHWATER HARMFUL ALGAL 
BLOOMS.— 
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‘‘(1) Not less often than once every five years, 
the Task Force shall complete and submit to Con-
gress an action strategy, including a scientific as-
sessment, for harmful algal blooms in the United 
States (in this Act referred to as the ‘Action Strat-
egy’). Each such Action Strategy, including scientific 
assessment, shall examine both marine and fresh-
water harmful algal blooms, including those in the 
Great Lakes and upper reaches of estuaries, those in 
freshwater lakes and rivers, and those that originate 
in freshwater lakes or rivers and migrate to coastal 
waters. 
‘‘(2) Each Action Strategy under this sub-
section shall— 
‘‘(A) examine the causes and ecological 
consequences, and the economic, social, and cul-
tural impacts of harmful algal blooms; 
‘‘(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-
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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; 
and 
‘‘(G) include regional chapters relating to 
the requirements described in this paragraph in 
order to highlight geographically and eco-
logically diverse locations with significant eco-
logical, social, cultural, and economic impacts 
from harmful algal blooms.’’. 
(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’’; 
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(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’’. 
(c) NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HY-
POXIA PROGRAM.—Section 603A of the Harmful Algal 
Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 
(33 U.S.C. 4002) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘pre-
dicting,’’ and inserting ‘‘monitoring, observing, 
forecasting,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘com-
prehensive research plan and action strategy 
under section 603B’’ and inserting ‘‘the Action 
Strategy, including scientific assessment, under 
section 603(c)’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘ocean 
and Great Lakes’’ and inserting ‘‘marine, 
estuarian, and freshwater systems’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘while 
recognizing each agency is acting under its own 
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independent mission and authority’’ before the 
semicolon; 
(3) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘Except as 
provided in subsection (h), the’’ and inserting 
‘‘The’’; 
(4) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) examine, in collaboration with State, local, 
and Tribal entities, including island communities, 
low-population rural communities, Indigenous com-
munities, subsistence communities, fisheries, and 
recreation industries that are most dependent on 
coastal and water resources that may be impacted 
by marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and 
hypoxia, the causes, ecological consequences, 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 
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