II 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 212 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
FEBRUARY 25, 2015 
Received 
AN ACT 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the 
assessment and management of the risk of algal toxins 
in drinking water, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Drinking Water Pro-
tection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Part E of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1459. ALGAL TOXIN RISK ASSESSMENT AND MANAGE-
MENT. 
‘‘(a) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Ad-
ministrator shall develop and submit to Congress a 
strategic plan for assessing and managing risks as-
sociated with algal toxins in drinking water provided 
by public water systems. The strategic plan shall in-
clude steps and timelines to— 
‘‘(A) evaluate the risk to human health 
from drinking water provided by public water 
systems contaminated with algal toxins; 
‘‘(B) establish, publish, and update a com-
prehensive list of algal toxins which the Admin-
istrator determines may have an adverse effect 
on human health when present in drinking 
water provided by public water systems, taking 
into account likely exposure levels; 
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‘‘(C) summarize— 
‘‘(i) the known adverse human health 
effects of algal toxins included on the list 
published under subparagraph (B) when 
present in drinking water provided by pub-
lic water systems; and 
‘‘(ii) factors that cause toxin-pro-
ducing cyanobacteria and algae to pro-
liferate and express toxins; 
‘‘(D) with respect to algal toxins included 
on the list published under subparagraph (B), 
determine whether to— 
‘‘(i) publish health advisories pursuant 
to section 1412(b)(1)(F) for such algal 
toxins in drinking water provided by public 
water systems; 
‘‘(ii) establish guidance regarding fea-
sible analytical methods to quantify the 
presence of algal toxins; and 
‘‘(iii) establish guidance regarding the 
frequency of monitoring necessary to deter-
mine if such algal toxins are present in 
drinking water provided by public water 
systems; 
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‘‘(E) recommend feasible treatment op-
tions, including procedures, equipment, and 
source water protection practices, to mitigate 
any adverse public health effects of algal toxins 
included on the list published under subpara-
graph (B); and 
‘‘(F) enter into cooperative agreements 
with, and provide technical assistance to, af-
fected States and public water systems, as iden-
tified by the Administrator, for the purpose of 
managing risks associated with algal toxins in-
cluded on the list published under subpara-
graph (B). 
‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Administrator shall, as 
appropriate, update and submit to Congress the 
strategic plan developed under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) INFORMATION COORDINATION.—In carrying out 
this section the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) identify gaps in the Agency’s under-
standing of algal toxins, including— 
‘‘(A) the human health effects of algal tox-
ins included on the list published under sub-
section (a)(1)(B); and 
‘‘(B) methods and means of testing and 
monitoring for the presence of harmful algal 
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toxins in source water of, or drinking water 
provided by, public water systems; 
‘‘(2) as appropriate, consult with— 
‘‘(A) other Federal agencies that— 
‘‘(i) examine or analyze cyanobacteria 
or algal toxins; or 
‘‘(ii) address public health concerns 
related to harmful algal blooms; 
‘‘(B) States; 
‘‘(C) operators of public water systems; 
‘‘(D) multinational agencies; 
‘‘(E) foreign governments; 
‘‘(F) research and academic institutions; 
and 
‘‘(G) companies that provide relevant 
drinking water treatment options; and 
‘‘(3) assemble and publish information from 
each Federal agency that has— 
‘‘(A) examined or analyzed cyanobacteria 
or algal toxins; or 
‘‘(B) addressed public health concerns re-
lated to harmful algal blooms. 
‘‘(c) USE
OF SCIENCE.—The Administrator shall 
carry out this section in accordance with the requirements 
described in section 1412(b)(3)(A), as applicable. 
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‘‘(d) FEASIBLE.—For purposes of this section, the 
term ‘feasible’ has the meaning given such term in section 
1412(b)(4)(D).’’. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall prepare and submit to 
Congress a report that includes— 
(1) an inventory of funds— 
(A) expended by the United States, for 
each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014, to ex-
amine or analyze toxin-producing cyanobacteria 
and algae or address public health concerns re-
lated to harmful algal blooms; and 
(B) that includes the specific purpose for 
which the funds were made available, the law 
under which the funds were authorized, and the 
Federal agency that received or spent the 
funds; and 
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(2) recommended steps to reduce any duplica-
tion, and improve interagency coordination, of such 
expenditures. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 24, 
2015. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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