I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6645 
To amend the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control 
Act of 1998 to reauthorize the national harmful algal blooms and hypoxia 
program and require an assessment and action plan for reducing harmful 
algal blooms and hypoxia in the Greater Everglades region, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 31, 2018 
Mr. MAST (for himself, Mr. POSEY, Ms. BONAMICI, and Ms. KAPTUR) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research 
and Control Act of 1998 to reauthorize the national 
harmful algal blooms and hypoxia program and require 
an assessment and action plan for reducing harmful algal 
blooms and hypoxia in the Greater Everglades region, 
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 ‘‘Harmful Algal Bloom 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA RE-
SEARCH AND CONTROL. 
(a) REAUTHORIZATION
OF
NATIONAL
HARMFUL 
ALGAL
BLOOMS
AND
HYPOXIA
PROGRAM.—Section 
609(a) of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research 
and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4003(a)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and 603B’’ and inserting ‘‘, 
603B, and 603C’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘$20,500,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$22,000,000’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘2018’’ and inserting ‘‘2023’’. 
(b) GREATER EVERGLADES ASSESSMENT AND AC-
TION PLAN.—The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Re-
search and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4003) is 
amended by inserting after section 603B the following new 
section: 
‘‘SEC. 603C. GREATER EVERGLADES HARMFUL ALGAL 
BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA. 
‘‘(a) INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 2018, 
the Task Force, in accordance with the authority under 
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section 603, shall complete and submit to the Congress 
and the President an integrated assessment that examines 
the causes, consequences, and potential approaches to re-
duce harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the Greater Ev-
erglades region, including— 
‘‘(1) a comprehensive analysis of how restora-
tion efforts undertaken pursuant to such section 
with respect to the South Florida Ecosystem (as de-
fined in section 528 of the Water Resources Devel-
opment Act of 1996 (33 U.S.C. 2201 note; Public 
Law 104–303)) may impact the distribution, mag-
nitude, duration, and frequency of harmful algal 
blooms and hypoxia events within the region; and 
‘‘(2) the status of, and gaps within, current 
harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research, moni-
toring, management, prevention, response, and con-
trol activities that directly benefit the region and 
that are carried out by any of the following entities: 
‘‘(A) 
Federal 
agencies, 
including 
the 
United States Army Corps of Engineers. 
‘‘(B) State agencies. 
‘‘(C) Regional research consortia. 
‘‘(D) Institutions of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). 
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‘‘(E) Private industry. 
‘‘(F) Nongovernmental organizations. 
‘‘(b) ACTION PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 
2018, the Task Force shall develop and submit to 
the Congress a plan, based on the integrated assess-
ment under subsection (a), for reducing, mitigating, 
and controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in 
the Greater Everglades region. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The plan shall— 
‘‘(A) address the monitoring needs identi-
fied in the integrated assessment under sub-
section (a); 
‘‘(B) develop a timeline and budgetary re-
quirements for deployment of future assets; 
‘‘(C) identify requirements for the develop-
ment and verification of Greater Everglades 
harmful algal bloom and hypoxia models, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(i) all assumptions built into the 
models; and 
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‘‘(ii) data quality methods used to en-
sure the best available data are utilized; 
and 
‘‘(D) propose the development of an early 
warning system for alerting local communities 
in the region to harmful algal bloom risks that 
may impact human health. 
‘‘(3) REQUIREMENTS.—In developing the plan, 
the Task Force shall— 
‘‘(A) coordinate with the State of Florida 
and affected local and Tribal governments; 
‘‘(B) consult with representatives from 
academic, agricultural, industry, and other 
stakeholder groups; 
‘‘(C) ensure that the plan complements 
and does not duplicate activities conducted by 
other Federal or State agencies, including the 
South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task 
Force established under subsection (f) of sec-
tion 528 of the Water Resources Development 
Act of 1996 (33 U.S.C. 2201 note; Public Law 
104–303); 
‘‘(D) identify critical research for reducing, 
mitigating, and controlling harmful algal bloom 
events and their effects; 
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‘‘(E) 
evaluate 
cost-effective, 
incentive- 
based partnership approaches; 
‘‘(F) ensure that the plan is technically 
sound and cost-effective; 
‘‘(G) utilize existing research, assessments, 
reports, and program activities; 
‘‘(H) publish a summary of the proposed 
plan in the Federal Register at least 180 days 
prior to submitting the completed plan to Con-
gress; 
‘‘(I) after submitting the completed plan to 
Congress, provide biennial progress reports on 
the activities toward achieving the objectives of 
the plan; 
‘‘(J) conduct the assessment under sub-
section (a) and submit the plan under sub-
section (b) through the agencies that are mem-
bers of the Task Force using funds authorized 
and available for such agencies in support of 
restoration of the Greater Everglades; and 
‘‘(K) include the funding for the assess-
ment in the plan and carry out the plan in the 
annual cross-cut budget for the South Florida 
Ecosystem Restoration Program under section 
528 of the Water Resources Development Act 
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of 1996 (33 U.S.C. 2201 note; Public Law 
104–303). 
‘‘(c) GREATER EVERGLADES.—In this section, the 
term ‘Greater Everglades’ means— 
‘‘(1) all lands and waters within the administra-
tive boundaries of the South Florida Water Manage-
ment District; 
‘‘(2) regional coastal waters, including Biscayne 
Bay, the Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida Bay, and 
Indian River Lagoon; and 
‘‘(3) the Florida Reef Tract.’’. 
(c) INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE.—Section 603(a) of 
the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Con-
trol Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4001(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (12), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (13) as para-
graph (14); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (12) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(13) the Army Corps of Engineers; and’’. 
(d) SCIENTIFIC
ASSESSMENTS
OF
FRESHWATER 
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS.—Section 603(f)(1) Harmful 
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 
1998 (33 U.S.C. 4001(f)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘later 
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than 24 months’’ and all that follows and inserting ‘‘less 
than once every 5 years, the Task Force shall complete 
and submit to Congress a scientific assessment of harmful 
algal blooms in United States coastal waters and fresh-
water systems. Each assessment shall examine both ma-
rine and freshwater harmful algal blooms, including those 
in the Great Lakes, Greater Everglades, and upper 
reaches of estuaries, those in freshwater lakes and rivers, 
and those that originate in freshwater lakes or rivers and 
migrate to coastal waters.’’. 
SEC. 3. CONSULTATION REQUIRED. 
Section 102 of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hy-
poxia Amendments Act of 2004 (33 U.S.C. 4001a) is 
amended by striking ‘‘the amendments made by this title’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Re-
search and Control Act of 1998’’. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA 
PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM DUTIES.—Section 603A(e) of the 
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control 
Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 4002(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, including 
to local and regional stakeholders through the estab-
lishment and maintenance of a publicly accessible 
Internet website that provides information on Pro-
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gram activities completed pursuant to this section’’ 
after ‘‘Program’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon at the end; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) to accelerate the utilization of effec-
tive methods of intervention and mitigation to 
reduce the frequency, severity, and impacts of 
harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events;’’; 
(3) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and work co-
operatively with regional, State, tribal, and local gov-
ernment agencies’’ and inserting ‘‘, and work coop-
eratively to provide technical assistance to, regional, 
State, tribal, and local government entities, and re-
gional information coordination entities (as defined 
in section 12303(6) of the Integrated Coastal and 
Ocean Observation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 
3602))’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (7)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and extension’’ after ‘‘ex-
isting education’’; and 
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(B) by inserting ‘‘intervention,’’ after 
‘‘awareness of the causes, impacts,’’. 
(b) INTEGRATED COASTAL AND OCEAN OBSERVING 
SYSTEM.—Section 603A(i) of the Harmful Algal Bloom 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 
U.S.C. 20 4002(i)) is amended by inserting ‘‘coordinate 
with the regional information coordination entities re-
ferred to in subsection (e) and’’ after ‘‘this title shall’’. 
(c) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN-
ISTRATION ACTIVITIES.—Section 603A(f) of the Harmful 
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 
1998 (33 U.S.C. 4002(f)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, which shall 
include unmanned systems,’’ after ‘‘infrastructure’’; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(3) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) use cost effective methods in carrying out 
this Act; and 
‘‘(8) develop contingency plans for the long- 
term monitoring of hypoxia.’’. 
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SEC. 5. HYPOXIA OR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM EVENTS OF 
SIGNIFICANCE. 
(a) RELIEF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Upon a determination under 
subsection (b) that there is an event of significance, 
the appropriate Federal official is authorized to 
make sums available to the affected State or local 
government for the purposes of assessing and miti-
gating the detrimental environmental, economic, sub-
sistence use, and public health effects of the event 
of significance. 
(2) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 
the cost of any activity carried out under this sub-
section for the purposes described in paragraph (1) 
may not exceed 50 percent of the cost of that activ-
ity. 
(3) DONATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an appropriate Federal official may 
accept donations of funds, services, facilities, mate-
rials, or equipment that the appropriate Federal offi-
cial considers necessary for the purposes described 
in paragraph (1). Any funds donated to an appro-
priate Federal official under this paragraph may be 
expended without further appropriation and without 
fiscal year limitation. 
(b) DETERMINATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—At the discretion of an ap-
propriate Federal official, or at the request of the 
Governor of an affected State, an appropriate Fed-
eral official shall determine whether a hypoxia or 
harmful algal bloom event is an event of signifi-
cance. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making a determina-
tion under paragraph (1), the appropriate Federal 
official shall consider the toxicity of the harmful 
algal bloom, the severity of the hypoxia, its potential 
to spread, the economic impact, the toxicity to fish 
and wildlife, size and nature of the human popu-
lation potentially exposed to the bloom, the relative 
size in relation to the past 5 occurrences of harmful 
algal blooms or hypoxia events that occur on a re-
current or annual basis, and the geographic scope, 
including the potential to affect several municipali-
ties, to affect more than 1 State, or to cross an 
international boundary. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
FEDERAL
OFFICIAL.—The 
term ‘‘appropriate Federal official’’ means— 
(A) in the case of a marine or coastal hy-
poxia or harmful algal bloom event, the Under 
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Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmos-
phere; and 
(B) in the case of a freshwater hypoxia or 
harmful algal bloom event, the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency. 
(2) EVENT
OF
SIGNIFICANCE.—The term 
‘‘event of significance’’ means a hypoxia or harmful 
algal bloom event that has had or will likely have a 
significant detrimental environmental, economic, 
subsistence use, or public health impact on an af-
fected State. 
(3) HYPOXIA
OR
HARMFUL
ALGAL
BLOOM 
EVENT.—The term ‘‘hypoxia or harmful algal bloom 
event’’ means the occurrence of hypoxia or a harm-
ful algal bloom as a result of a natural, anthropo-
genic, or undetermined cause. 
SEC. 6. HYPOXIA OR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM FORE-
CASTING. 
The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and 
Control Act of 1998 is amended by inserting after section 
603B (33 U.S.C. 4003) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 603C. HYPOXIA OR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM FORE-
CASTING. 
‘‘Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research 
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and Control Act of 2018, the Under Secretary shall com-
plete and submit to Congress a plan for developing the 
capacity for sustained operational ecological forecast mod-
els for forecasting harmful algal blooms or hypoxia. The 
plan shall include a process for how such forecast models 
can be supported and operated with regional information 
coordination entities identified under subsection (c)(4) of 
section 12304 of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Obser-
vation System Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3603) for purposes 
of the National Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation 
System established under such section.’’. 
Æ 
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