I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5753 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the assessment and 
management of the risk of cyanotoxins in drinking water, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 20, 2014 
Mr. LATTA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide for the 
assessment and management of the risk of cyanotoxins 
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, 
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.—At the end of part E of the Safe 
Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j et seq.) add the fol-
lowing new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 1459. CYANOTOXIN 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 cyanotoxins 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 cyanotoxins; 
‘‘(B) establish, publish, and update a com-
prehensive list of cyanotoxins determined by the 
Administrator to be harmful to human health 
when present in drinking water provided by 
public water systems; 
‘‘(C) summarize— 
‘‘(i) the known adverse human health 
effects of cyanotoxins included on the list 
published under subparagraph (B) when 
present in drinking water provided by pub-
lic water systems; and 
‘‘(ii) factors that cause cyanobacteria 
to proliferate and express toxins; 
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‘‘(D) with respect to cyanotoxins included 
on the list published under subparagraph (B), 
determine whether to— 
‘‘(i) publish health advisories pursuant 
to 
section 
1412(b)(1)(F) 
for 
such 
cyanotoxins in drinking water provided by 
public water systems; 
‘‘(ii) establish guidance regarding fea-
sible analytical methods to quantify the 
presence of cyanotoxins; and 
‘‘(iii) establish guidance regarding the 
frequency of monitoring necessary to deter-
mine if such cyanotoxins are present in 
drinking water provided by public water 
systems; 
‘‘(E) recommend feasible treatment op-
tions, including procedures and equipment, to 
mitigate any adverse public health effects of 
cyanotoxins included on the list published under 
subparagraph (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 cyanotoxins in-
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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 cyanobacteria, including— 
‘‘(A) 
the 
human 
health 
effects 
of 
cyanotoxins included on the list published under 
subsection (a)(1)(B); and 
‘‘(B) methods and means of testing and 
monitoring 
for 
the 
presence 
of 
harmful 
cyanotoxins 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 
‘‘(ii) address public health concerns 
related to harmful algal blooms; 
‘‘(B) States; 
‘‘(C) operators of public water systems; 
‘‘(D) multinational agencies; 
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‘‘(E) foreign governments; and 
‘‘(F) research and academic institutions; 
and 
‘‘(3) assemble and publish information from 
each Federal agency that has— 
‘‘(A) examined or analyzed cyanobacteria; 
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. 
‘‘(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 cyanobacteria or address pub-
lic health concerns related to harmful algal 
blooms; and 
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(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 
(2) recommended steps to reduce any duplica-
tion, and improve interagency coordination, of such 
expenditures. 
Æ 
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