I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3661 
To establish a program to award prizes for the development of innovative, 
environmentally safe solutions for reducing, mitigating, and controlling 
harmful algal blooms, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 18, 2017 
Mr. MAST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a program to award prizes for the development 
of innovative, environmentally safe solutions for reducing, 
mitigating, and controlling 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 Blooms 
Solutions Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘HABS Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a program 
to award prizes to eligible persons for achievement in de-
veloping innovative, environmentally safe technologies and 
practices for reducing, mitigating, and controlling harmful 
algal blooms in one or more of the following categories: 
(1) Large-scale physical removal of algal bio-
mass. 
(2) Removal of, or rendering harmless, harmful 
algal bloom toxins in the environment. 
(3) Reduction of available nutrients that fuel 
harmful algal blooms. 
(4) Real-time monitoring of harmful algal 
blooms and early-warning systems. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce shall 
establish a Board to administer the program. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Board shall be composed of 
30 individuals who have experience in the field of harmful 
algal blooms as follows: 
(1) The Secretary of Commerce shall appoint 
six individuals with experience in the fields of envi-
ronmental science, aquatic ecology, or environmental 
toxicology, of whom— 
(A) two shall be employees of institutions 
of higher education; 
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(A) Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, 
New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, 
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and 
Florida. 
(B) Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Lou-
isiana, and Texas. 
(C) New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michi-
gan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Min-
nesota. 
(D) California, Oregon, and Washington. 
(2) SELECTION OF DIFFERENT STATES.—If the 
Secretary determines that there is only one State 
listed in any of subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), or (D) 
of paragraph (1), that has an employee of a State 
agency with experience in the field of harmful algal 
blooms, the Secretary, or a designee of the Sec-
retary’s choice, shall select two such employees from 
such State. 
(3) NOMINATION
BY
GOVERNOR.—Not later 
than 60 days after the date on which the first indi-
vidual is appointed to the Board pursuant to sub-
section (b), the Governor of each State listed in 
paragraph (1) may nominate up to two employees of 
a State agency with experience in the field of harm-
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ful algal blooms for purposes of the selection pursu-
ant to paragraph (1). The Secretary, or a designee 
of the Secretary’s choice, may not select an employee 
from a State if the Governor of such State has failed 
to make a nomination pursuant to this paragraph. 
SEC. 4. ACTIVITIES OF BOARD. 
(a) COMPETITION
ESTABLISHMENT.—In carrying 
out the program, the Board may hold one or more com-
petitions to award to eligible persons who apply for such 
competitions— 
(1) financial prizes, awarded in amounts deter-
mined by the Board before commencement of the 
competition, to winners of a competition based on 
criteria established by the Board; and 
(2) recognition prizes for superlative achieve-
ment in one or more of the categories in section 2. 
(b) FUND ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established within 
the Department of Commerce the ‘‘HABS Fund’’. 
(2) RESPONSIBILITY OF SECRETARY.—The Sec-
retary shall take such action as the Secretary deter-
mines to be necessary to assist in implementing the 
establishment of the HABS Fund in accordance with 
this Act. 
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(3) USE
OF
FUNDS.—All donations received 
under subsection (c) shall be deposited in the HABS 
Fund and shall be used only to carry out the com-
petitions described in subsection (a). 
(4) EXCLUSIVE SOURCE OF FUNDS.— 
(A) 
FUNDS
FOR
COMPETITIONS.—All 
funds used for the competitions described in 
subsection (a) shall be derived from the HABS 
Fund. 
(B) DONATIONS
TO
HABS
FUND.—The 
HABS Fund shall consist solely of donations 
received pursuant to subsection (c)(2). 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) CONTRACTING.—The Board may contract 
with a private organization to administer the com-
petitions described in subsection (a). 
(2) SOLICITATION OF FUNDS.—A member of 
the Board or any administering organization with 
which the Board has a contract under paragraph (1) 
may solicit funds from a private individual or entity 
to be used for a competition under subsection (a). 
(3) CRITERIA FOR AWARD.—The Board shall 
approve, by a majority vote, the criteria governing 
the selection of prize winners. 
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(4) NO ADVANTAGE FOR DONATION.—A private 
individual or entity described in paragraph (2) shall 
not be entitled to any special consideration or advan-
tage with respect to the selection of recipients for a 
prize, or the receipt of a prize, under subsection 
(a)(1), but such individual or entity may provide ad-
vice to the Board regarding the criteria described in 
paragraph (3). 
(d) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—The Federal Gov-
ernment may not acquire an intellectual property right in 
any product or idea by virtue of the submission of such 
product or idea in a competition under subsection (a). 
(e) LIABILITY.—The Board may require a competitor 
in a competition under subsection (a) to waive liability 
against the Federal Government for injury or damage that 
results from participation in such competition. 
(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than one year after 
the termination of a competition under subsection (a)(1), 
the Board shall submit to Congress a report on the pro-
gram. 
SEC. 5. NONSUBSTITUTION. 
The program shall not be considered a substitute for 
Federal research and development programs to under-
stand, reduce, mitigate, and control harmful algal blooms. 
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SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BOARD.—The term ‘‘Board’’ means the 
board established in section 3. 
(2) ELIGIBLE PERSON.—The term ‘‘eligible per-
son’’ means— 
(A) an individual who is a citizen or na-
tional of the United States; 
(B) an alien lawfully admitted for perma-
nent residence in the United States whose resi-
dence is in the United States; or 
(C) an entity that is incorporated in a 
State and maintains its primary place of busi-
ness in the United States. 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the program established in section 2. 
Æ 
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