(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 
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 
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‘‘(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-
ministration, shall integrate Federal, State, regional, and 
local observing capabilities to establish a national network 
of harmful algal bloom observing systems for the moni-
toring, detection, and forecasting of harmful algal blooms 
by leveraging the capacity of IOOS regional associations, 
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including through the incorporation of emerging tech-
nologies and new data integration methods, such as artifi-
cial intelligence. 
‘‘(b) COORDINATION.—In carrying out subsection 
(a), the IOOS Program Office shall— 
‘‘(1) coordinate with NCCOS regarding obser-
vations, data integration, and information dissemi-
nation; and 
‘‘(2) establish a Harmful Algal Bloom Data As-
sembly Center to integrate, disseminate, and provide 
a central architecture to support ecological fore-
casting.’’. 
(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 606 to read as 
follows: 
‘‘Sec. 606. National harmful algal bloom observing network.’’. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—Section 609 of the Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 
(33 U.S.C. 4008) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘means the 
comprehensive research plan and action strategy es-
tablished under section 603B’’ and inserting ‘‘means 
the action strategy, including scientific assessment, 
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for marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms es-
tablished under section 603(c)’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3), to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) APPROPRIATE
FEDERAL
OFFICIAL.—The 
term ‘appropriate Federal official’ means— 
‘‘(A) in the case of marine systems or 
Great Lakes hypoxia or harmful algal bloom 
event, including those in estuarine areas, the 
Under Secretary; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a freshwater hypoxia or 
harmful algal bloom event, the Administrator, 
in consultation with the Under Secretary.’’; 
(3) by striking paragraph (9); 
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6), 
(7), and (8) as paragraphs (6), (7), (8), (10), and 
(11); 
(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(4) HARMFUL
ALGAL
BLOOM; 
HARMFUL 
ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA EVENT.— 
‘‘(A) HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM.—The term 
‘harmful algal bloom’ means marine or fresh-
water 
algae 
or 
macroalgae, 
including 
Sargassum, that proliferate to high concentra-
tions, resulting in nuisance conditions or harm-
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ful impacts on marine and freshwater eco-
systems, communities, or human health through 
the production of toxic compounds or other bio-
logical, chemical, or physical impacts of the 
algae outbreak. 
‘‘(B) HARMFUL
ALGAL
BLOOM
AND
HY-
POXIA EVENT.—The term ‘harmful algal bloom 
and hypoxia event’ means the occurrence of a 
harmful algal bloom or hypoxia as a result of 
a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined 
cause. 
‘‘(5) HARMFUL
ALGAL
BLOOM
OR
HYPOXIA 
EVENT OF SIGNIFICANCE.—The term ‘harmful algal 
bloom or hypoxia event of significance’ means a 
harmful algal bloom or hypoxia event that has had 
or will likely have significant detrimental environ-
mental, economic, social, subsistence use, or public 
health impacts.’’; 
(6) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated— 
(A) by striking ‘‘aquatic’’ and inserting 
‘‘marine or freshwater’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘resident’’ and inserting 
‘‘marine or freshwater’’; and 
(7) by inserting after paragraph (8), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
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