Title: SLITHER Act
Policy area: Water Resources Development

Summary:
Suppressing Looming Invasive Threats Harming Everglades Restoration Act or the SLITHER Act
This bill requires the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to develop a priority list for controlling or reducing the impact of invasive species in the area.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3603 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3603

  To amend the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 to require the 
 South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to develop a priority 
list for reducing, mitigating, and controlling invasive species within 
          the South Florida ecosystem, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 5, 2020

    Mr. Rubio (for himself and Mr. Scott of Florida) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 to require the 
 South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force to develop a priority 
list for reducing, mitigating, and controlling invasive species within 
          the South Florida ecosystem, 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 ``Suppressing Looming Invasive Threats 
Harming Everglades Restoration Act'' or the ``SLITHER Act''.

SEC. 2. INVASIVE SPECIES RISK ASSESSMENT, PRIORITIZATION, AND 
              MANAGEMENT.

    Section 528(f)(2) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 
(110 Stat. 3771) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (I) and (J) as 
        subparagraphs (J) and (K), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the following:
                    ``(I) shall, using existing amounts appropriated to 
                the Task Force, develop and update, as appropriate, a 
                priority list of invasive species that--
                            ``(i) reflects an assessment of ecological 
                        risk that the listed invasive species represent 
                        populations of invasive plants and animals 
                        that--
                                    ``(I) are significantly impacting 
                                the structure and function of 
                                ecological communities, native species, 
                                or habitat within the South Florida 
                                ecosystem; or
                                    ``(II) demonstrate a strong 
                                potential to reduce, obscure, or 
                                otherwise alter key indicators used to 
                                measure Everglades restoration 
                                progress; and
                            ``(ii) shall be used by the Task Force and 
                        agencies and entities represented on the Task 
                        Force to focus cooperative and collaborative 
                        efforts--
                                    ``(I) to guide applied research;
                                    ``(II) to develop innovative 
                                strategies and tools to facilitate 
                                improved management, control, or 
                                eradication of listed invasive species;
                                    ``(III) to implement specific 
                                management, control, or eradication 
                                activities at the appropriate 
                                periodicity and intensity necessary to 
                                reduce or neutralize the impacts of 
                                listed invasive species, to include the 
                                use of qualified skilled volunteers 
                                when appropriate; and
                                    ``(IV) to develop innovative 
                                strategies and tools to prevent future 
                                introductions of nonnative species;'';
            (3) in subparagraph (J) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``ecosystem'' and inserting ``ecosystem, including the 
        activities described in subparagraph (I)''; and
            (4) in clause (i) of subparagraph (K) (as so redesignated), 
        by inserting ``, including the priority list under subparagraph 
        (I) and the activities described in that subparagraph'' after 
        ``Task Force''.
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