South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2021
Bill: S.66 | Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco (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.

[117th Congress Public Law 144]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 1265]]

             SOUTH FLORIDA CLEAN COASTAL WATERS ACT OF 2021

[[Page 136 STAT. 1266]]

Public Law 117-144
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
   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. <<NOTE: June 16, 2022 -  [S. 66]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: South Florida 
Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2021.>> 
SECTION 1. <<NOTE: 33 USC 4001 note.>>  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 <<NOTE: 33 
        USC 4005-4009.>>  as sections 606 through 610, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 604 the following:
``SEC. 605. <<NOTE: Deadlines. 33 USC 4004a.>>  SOUTH FLORIDA 
                        HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA.

    ``(a) South Florida. <<NOTE: Definition.>> --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. <<NOTE: Examination.>> --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,

[[Page 136 STAT. 1267]]

        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) <<NOTE: Timeline. Budget.>>  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) <<NOTE: Consultation.>>  consult with the 
                State of Florida, and affected local and tribal 
                governments;
                    ``(B) <<NOTE: Consultation.>>  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) <<NOTE: Evaluation.>>  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;

[[Page 136 STAT. 1268]]

                    ``(H) <<NOTE: Federal Register, 
                publication. Summary. Time period.>>  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) <<NOTE: Reports.>>  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) <<NOTE: 112 Stat. 3412.>>  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.''.

    Approved June 16, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 66:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 117-64 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            Mar. 8, considered and passed Senate.
            May 10, 11, considered and passed House.

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