‘‘(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 is amended by inserting after the time 
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.—The Harmful Algal Blooms 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 is 
amended by amending section 606 (33 U.S.C. 4005) 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 606. NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM OBSERVING 
NETWORK. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, acting 
through the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 
(NCCOS) and the Integrated Ocean Observing System 
(IOOS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration, shall establish a national network of harmful 
algal bloom observing systems for the monitoring, detec-
tion, and forecasting of harmful algal blooms by leveraging 
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the capacity of IOOS regional associations, including 
through the incorporation of emerging technologies and 
new data integration methods, such as artificial intel-
ligence. 
‘‘(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 is amended by amending the item relat-
ing to section 606 to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 606. National harmful algal bloom observing network.’’. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—Section 609 of the Harmful Algal 
Blooms 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) by amending paragraph (3) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(3) APPROPRIATE
FEDERAL
OFFICIAL.—The 
term ‘appropriate Federal official’ means— 
‘‘(A) in the case of coastal hypoxia or 
harmful algal bloom event, including those in 
estuarine areas, the Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Oceans and Atmosphere; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a freshwater hypoxia or 
harmful algal bloom event, the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, in con-
sultation with the Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Oceans and Atmosphere.’’. 
(3) by striking paragraph (9); 
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6), 
(7), and (8) as paragraphs (6), (7), (9), (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-
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water 
algae 
or 
macroalgae, 
including 
Sargassum, that proliferate to high concentra-
tions, resulting in nuisance conditions or harm-
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 ‘event of sig-
nificance’ means a harmful algal bloom or hypoxia 
event that has had or will likely have significant det-
rimental environmental, 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’’; 
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(7) by inserting after paragraph (7), as so re-
designated, the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(9 - 8) SUBSISTENCE USE.—The term ‘sub-
sistence use’ means the customary and traditional 
use of fish, wildlife, or other freshwater, coastal, or 
marine resources by any individual or community to 
meet personal or family needs, including essential 
economic, nutritional, or cultural applications.’’; and 
(8) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘Inter-Agency Task Force’’ and inserting 
‘‘Interagency Working Group’’. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 
610 of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research 
and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4009) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to the Under Secretary to carry out this title 
$34,600,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—The Under Secretary 
is authorized to make a direct non-expenditure transfer 
of funds authorized to be appropriated pursuant to sub-
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section (a) to the head of any Federal department or agen-
cy, with the concurrence of such head, to carry out, as 
appropriate, relevant provisions of this title.’’. 
(i) NATIONAL LEVEL INCUBATOR PROGRAM; HARM-
FUL ALGAL BLOOM OR HYPOXIA EVENT OF SIGNIFI-
CANCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Harmful Algal Blooms 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sec-
tions: 
‘‘SEC. 611. NATIONAL LEVEL INCUBATOR PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in collabo-
ration with research universities and institutions, shall es-
tablish a national level incubator program to increase the 
number of available control strategies and technologies re-
lating to harmful algal blooms. Such incubator shall estab-
lish a framework for preliminary assessments of novel 
harmful algal bloom prevention, mitigation, and control 
technologies in order to determine the potential for effec-
tiveness and scalability. 
‘‘(b) OPERATION.—The incubator under subsection 
(a) shall provide merit-based funding for harmful algal 
bloom control strategies and technologies that eliminate 
or reduce through biological, chemical, or physical means 
the levels of harmful algae and associated toxins. 
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‘‘(c) DATABASE.—The incubator under subsection (a) 
shall establish a database to— 
‘‘(1) catalog the economic costs, feasibility, ef-
fectiveness, and scalability of both novel and estab-
lished prevention, control, and mitigation measures; 
and 
‘‘(2) clarify the licensing and permitting re-
quirements regulating the application of such meas-
ures. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITIZATION.—In carrying out the incubator 
under subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall prioritize 
proposed activities that would— 
‘‘(1) protect key habitats for fish and wildlife; 
‘‘(2) maintain biodiversity; 
‘‘(3) protect public health; 
‘‘(4) protect coastal resources of national, his-
torical, and cultural significance; and 
‘‘(5) benefit communities of color, low-income 
communities, Tribal or Indigenous communities, and 
rural communities. 
‘‘SEC. 612. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM OR HYPOXIA EVENT OF 
SIGNIFICANCE. 
‘‘(a) EVENT OF SIGNIFICANCE FUND.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
the Treasury of the United States a fund to be 
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known as the ‘Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia 
Event of Significance Fund’ (in this section referred 
to as the ‘Fund’). 
‘‘(2) DEPOSITS INTO FUND.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There shall be depos-
ited into the Fund the following: 
‘‘(i) Amounts appropriated to the 
Fund. 
‘‘(ii) Amounts transferred to the Fund 
under paragraph (3). 
‘‘(iii) Amounts received by the United 
States in the form of gifts, devises, and be-
quests under paragraph (4). 
‘‘(B) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts deposited 
into the Fund shall be available without fiscal 
year limitation. 
‘‘(3) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, from amounts appro-
priated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, the Under Secretary may transfer 
up to $2,000,000 to the Fund each fiscal year. 
‘‘(4) ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS.—For pur-
poses of carrying out this section, the Under Sec-
retary may accept, solicit, receive, hold, administer, 
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and use gifts, devises, and bequests without any fur-
ther approval or administrative action. 
‘‘(5) CONTRACT, GRANT, AND
COOPERATIVE 
AGREEMENT
AUTHORITY.—The Under Secretary 
may enter into agreements and grants with States, 
Indian tribes, or local governments, or other entities 
to pay for or reimburse costs incurred for the pur-
poses of supporting the determination of and assess-
ing the environmental, economic, social, subsistence 
use, and public health effects of a harmful algal 
bloom or hypoxia event of significance. 
‘‘(6) STEERING COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 12 
months after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the President, acting through the 
Under Secretary, shall establish a steering com-
mittee to assist in evaluating information and 
data submitted by eligible requesters under sub-
section (b)(1) in the event of a harmful algal 
bloom or hypoxia event of significance, in ac-
cordance with the considerations described in 
subsection (c)(3) and the Event of Significance 
Policy under subsection (c). 
‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The steering com-
mittee established under this paragraph shall 
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consist of individuals with knowledge and expe-
rience in aquatic or marine science, harmful 
algal bloom or hypoxia science, harmful algal 
bloom or hypoxia monitoring and forecasting, or 
harmful algal bloom or hypoxia prevention, 
mitigation, and control. 
‘‘(C) CHARTER.—The Under Secretary 
shall develop and prescribe a charter for the 
steering committee established under this para-
graph. Such charter shall reflect the full scope 
of the duties and activities of the steering com-
mittee. 
‘‘(D) EXEMPTION.—Chapter 10 of title 5, 
United States Code, shall not apply to the 
steering committee established under this para-
graph. 
‘‘(7) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Upon the sub-
mission of a request for a harmful algal bloom or 
hypoxia event of significance determination under 
subsection (b), the appropriate Federal official is au-
thorized to make sums, from funds appropriated to 
the Fund, available to the affected State, local, or 
Tribal government for the purposes of supporting 
the determination of and assessing the environ-
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