South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.565 | Sponsor: Rep. Mast, Brian J. (R-FL)
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2021
This bill addresses harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the South Florida ecosystem. An algal bloom is a rapid growth of algae that may create toxic or hypoxic (severely low-oxygen) conditions that are harmful to humans, animals, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy.
The Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia must assess potential approaches to reduce harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the ecosystem. The task force must also submit a plan, based on the assessment, for reducing, mitigating, and controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the region.

To require the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and 
  Hypoxia to develop a plan for reducing, mitigating, and controlling 
   harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``South Florida Clean Coastal Waters 
Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. SOUTH FLORIDA HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA ASSESSMENT AND 
              ACTION PLAN.

    (a) In General.--The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and 
Control Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-383; 33 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 605 through 609 as sections 
        606 through 610, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 604 the following:

``SEC. 605. SOUTH FLORIDA HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA.

    ``(a) South Florida.--In this section, the term `South Florida' 
means--
            ``(1) all lands and waters within the administrative 
        boundaries of the South Florida Water Management District;
            ``(2) regional coastal waters, including Biscayne Bay, the 
        Caloosahatchee Estuary, Florida Bay, Indian River Lagoon, and 
        St. Lucie River Estuary; and
            ``(3) the Florida Reef Tract.
    ``(b) Integrated Assessment.--
            ``(1) Interim integrated assessment.--Not later than 540 
        days after the date of enactment of the South Florida Clean 
        Coastal Waters Act of 2021, the Task Force, in accordance with 
        the authority under section 603, shall complete and submit to 
        Congress and the President an interim integrated assessment.
            ``(2) Finalized integrated assessment.--Not later than 3 
        years after the date of enactment of the South Florida Clean 
        Coastal Waters Act of 2021, the Task Force shall finalize, and 
        submit to Congress and the President, the interim integrated 
        assessment required by paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Contents of integrated assessment.--The integrated 
        assessment required by paragraphs (1) and (2) shall examine the 
        causes, consequences, and potential approaches to reduce 
        harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida, and the 
        status of, and gaps within, current harmful algal bloom and 
        hypoxia research, monitoring, management, prevention, response, 
        and control activities that directly affect the region by--
                    ``(A) Federal agencies;
                    ``(B) State agencies;
                    ``(C) regional research consortia;
                    ``(D) academia;
                    ``(E) private industry;
                    ``(F) nongovernmental organizations; and
                    ``(G) Indian tribes (as defined in section 4 of the 
                Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
                (25 U.S.C. 5304)).
    ``(c) Action Plan.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years and 180 days 
        after the date of the enactment of the South Florida Clean 
        Coastal Waters Act of 2021, the Task Force shall develop and 
        submit to Congress a plan, based on the integrated assessment 
        under subsection (b), for reducing, mitigating, and controlling 
        harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in South Florida.
            ``(2) Contents.--The plan submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    ``(A) address the monitoring needs identified in 
                the integrated assessment under subsection (b);
                    ``(B) develop a timeline and budgetary requirements 
                for deployment of future assets;
                    ``(C) identify requirements for the development and 
                verification of South Florida harmful algal bloom and 
                hypoxia models, including--
                            ``(i) all assumptions built into the 
                        models; and
                            ``(ii) data quality methods used to ensure 
                        the best available data are utilized; and
                    ``(D) propose a plan to implement a remote 
                monitoring network and 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 action plan, the 
        Task Force shall--
                    ``(A) consult with the State of Florida, and 
                affected local and tribal governments;
                    ``(B) consult with representatives from regional 
                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;
                    ``(D) identify critical research for reducing, 
                mitigating, and controlling harmful algal bloom events 
                and their effects;
                    ``(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 Congress; and
                    ``(I) after submitting the completed plan to 
                Congress, provide biennial progress reports on the 
                activities toward achieving the objectives of the 
                plan.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment and Correction.--The table of contents in 
section 2 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-
383) is amended by striking the items relating to title VI and 
inserting the following new items:

              ``TITLE VI--HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA

``Sec. 601. Short title.
``Sec. 602. Findings.
``Sec. 603. Assessments.
``Sec. 603A. National Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program.
``Sec. 603B. Comprehensive research plan and action strategy.
``Sec. 604. Northern Gulf of Mexico hypoxia.
``Sec. 605. South Florida harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.
``Sec. 606. Great Lakes hypoxia and harmful algal blooms.
``Sec. 607. Protection of States' rights.
``Sec. 608. Effect on other Federal authority.
``Sec. 609. Definitions.
``Sec. 610. Authorization of appropriations.''.
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