I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2503 
To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include public 
health considerations, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2023 
Mr. MAST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida 
to include public health considerations, 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 ‘‘Prioritizing Revised 
Operations To Eliminate Cyanobacteria Toxins in Florida 
Act’’ or the ‘‘PROTECT Florida Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN 
FLORIDA SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary of the 
Army for Civil Works shall direct the Army Corps of Engi-
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neers to modify water infrastructure management in Cen-
tral and Southern Florida to ensure public health shall 
overlay all authorized project purposes. Such authorized 
project purposes shall include— 
(1) flood control; 
(2) navigation; 
(3) water supply for agricultural irrigation, mu-
nicipalities, industry, and Everglades National Park; 
(4) regional groundwater control, and salinity 
control; 
(5) enhancement of fish and wildlife; and 
(6) recreation. 
(b) PUBLIC HEALTH.—For the purposes of this Act, 
the term ‘‘public health’’ is defined as follows: 
(1) Managing Lake Okeechobee and the Central 
and Southern Florida system— 
(A) to minimize the potential of toxic 
cyanobacteria and other harmful algal blooms; 
and 
(B) 
prevent 
discharges 
containing 
cyanobacteria or related toxins into the St. 
Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds, down-
stream users, and other areas where such 
cyanobacteria or related toxins will cause or ex-
acerbate public health risks. 
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(2) Ensuring the integrity and stability of the 
Herbert Hoover Dike. 
(3) Maintaining all provisions of applicable 
State, Federal, and Tribal water quality laws, poli-
cies, and regulations. 
(4) Ensuring necessary water volume and qual-
ity reaches the greater Everglades, Tribal lands, Ev-
erglades 
National 
Park, 
Florida 
Bay 
and 
Caloosahatchee Watershed to restore the natural 
habitat. 
(c) MODIFICATION OF OPERATIONS.—The Secretary 
of the Army shall modify operations of all current project 
elements to ensure that public health of all citizens, in-
cluding downstream users, shall overlay the operating re-
gimes of these various elements. 
(d) MASTER
OPERATIONAL
MANUAL.—The Sec-
retary of the Army shall update or develop a Master Oper-
ational Manual, in cooperation with the State of Florida, 
to ensure that all of the various existing operational 
project elements of the Central and Southern Florida 
project shall be managed as a system to protect public 
health and Everglades Restoration. As new elements are 
completed and added to the project, the Master Oper-
ational Manual shall be updated to include the new fea-
tures. 
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(e) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Army, in conjunc-
tion with the National Academies of Sciences, shall under-
take a study of the legacy of pollution and nutrient loading 
as well as the impacts of soil amendments from current 
and past operational regimes. The study shall include— 
(1) the components of the nutrient load and soil 
amendments, and how this nutrient loading is and 
will continue to impact Everglades restoration ef-
forts; and 
(2) proposed solutions to ameliorate the impacts 
of this pollution to downstream watersheds. 
(f) SCOPE.—Nothing in this section shall be con-
strued to alter or amend— 
(1) the Water Rights Compact between the 
State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida; 
(2) the water quality standards of the 
Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida; 
(3) State water quality standards, applicable 
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 
discharge permits, and Everglades Forever Act wa-
tershed permits; or 
(4) the schedule for completion of the Central 
Everglades Planning Project or Comprehensive Ev-
erglades Restoration Plan projects authorized on or 
before enactment of this Act. 
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(g) 
PROHIBITION
ON
USE
OF
RESTORATION 
FUNDS.—No restoration funds shall be used by the Sec-
retary to undertake Deep Well Injection (DWI) of flood 
or any other excess waters. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec-
essary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Æ 
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