An act to reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System, and for other purposes
PL 115-423 (S.2200), enacted 01/07/2019

132 STAT. 5454 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
Public Law 115–423 
115th Congress 
An Act 
To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System, 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 ‘‘National Integrated Drought 
Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 of the National Integrated Drought 
Information System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 313d) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘in order to make 
usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of drought, including’’ 
and inserting ‘‘, including precipitation, soil moisture, and 
evaporative demand, in order to make usable, reliable, 
and timely forecasts of drought and’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘watershed,’’ after 
‘‘regional,’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘, through interagency agreements’’ 
after ‘‘integrate’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘information’’ after ‘‘warning’’; 
(D) by amending paragraph (5) to read as follows: 
‘‘(5) utilize existing forecasting and assessment programs 
and partnerships, including forecast communication coordina-
tors and cooperative institutes, and improvements in seasonal 
precipitation and temperature, subseasonal precipitation and 
temperature, and low flow water prediction; and’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (6), by inserting ‘‘the prediction,’’ 
after ‘‘relating to’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) as sub-
sections (d) through (f), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: 
‘‘(c) PARTNERSHIPS.—The National Integrated Drought Informa-
tion System may— 
‘‘(1) engage with the private sector to improve drought 
monitoring, forecast, and communication if the Under Secretary 
determines the partnership is appropriate, cost-effective, and 
beneficial to the public and decisionmakers described in sub-
section (b)(2)(A); 
National 
Integrated 
Drought 
Information 
System 
Reauthorization 
Act of 2018. 
15 USC 8501 
note. 
Jan. 7, 2019 
[S. 2200] 
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132 STAT. 5455 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
‘‘(2) facilitate the development of 1 or more academic 
cooperative partnerships to assist with National Integrated 
Drought Information System functions; and 
‘‘(3) utilize and support, as appropriate, monitoring by cit-
izen scientists, including by developing best practices to facili-
tate maximum data integration.’’; 
(4) in subsection (d), as redesignated, by inserting ‘‘and 
sustainment’’ after ‘‘development’’; and 
(5) by striking subsection (f), as redesignated, and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(f) SOIL MOISTURE.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of the National Integrated Drought Information 
System Reauthorization Act of 2018, the Under Secretary, acting 
through the National Integrated Drought Information System, shall 
develop a strategy for a national coordinated soil moisture moni-
toring network.’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 4 of the 
National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 (15 
U.S.C. 313d note) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
Act— 
‘‘(1) $13,500,000 for fiscal year 2019; 
‘‘(2) $13,750,000 for fiscal year 2020; 
‘‘(3) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; 
‘‘(4) $14,250,000 for fiscal year 2022; and 
‘‘(5) $14,500,000 for fiscal year 2023.’’. 
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF TITLE II OF THE WEATHER RESEARCH 
AND FORECASTING INNOVATION ACT OF 2017. 
(a) REAUTHORIZATION OF TITLE II OF THE WEATHER RESEARCH 
AND FORECASTING INNOVATION ACT OF 2017.—Section 1762 of the 
Food Security Act of 1985 (15 U.S.C. 8521) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (j) to read as follows: 
‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out the activities under this section— 
‘‘(1) $26,500,000 for fiscal year 2019; 
‘‘(2) $27,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; 
‘‘(3) $27,500,000 for fiscal year 2021; 
‘‘(4) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and 
‘‘(5) $28,500,000 for fiscal year 2023.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) DERIVATION OF FUNDS.—Amounts made available to carry 
out this section shall be derived from amounts appropriated or 
otherwise made available to the National Weather Service.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES WEATHER RESEARCH
AND FORECASTING 
IMPROVEMENT.—Section 110 of the Weather Research and Fore-
casting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8519) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 110. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appropriated 
to the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to carry out 
this title— 
‘‘(1) $136,516,000 for fiscal year 2019, of which— 
‘‘(A) $85,758,000 is authorized for weather laboratories 
and cooperative institutes; 
Deadline. 
Strategy. 
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132 STAT. 5456 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
‘‘(B) $30,758,000 is authorized for weather and air 
chemistry research programs; and 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint technology 
transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4); 
‘‘(2) $148,154,000 for fiscal year 2020, of which— 
‘‘(A) $87,258,000 is authorized for weather laboratories 
and cooperative institutes; 
‘‘(B) $40,896,000 is authorized for weather and air 
chemistry research programs; and 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint technology 
transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4); 
‘‘(3) $150,154,000 for fiscal year 2021, of which— 
‘‘(A) $88,758,000 is authorized for weather laboratories 
and cooperative institutes; 
‘‘(B) $41,396,000 is authorized for weather and air 
chemistry research programs; and 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint technology 
transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4); 
‘‘(4) $152,154,000 for fiscal year 2022, of which— 
‘‘(A) $90,258,000 is authorized for weather laboratories 
and cooperative institutes; 
‘‘(B) $41,896,000 is authorized for weather and air 
chemistry research programs; and 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint technology 
transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4); and 
‘‘(5) $154,154,000 for fiscal year 2023, of which— 
‘‘(A) $91,758,000 is authorized for weather laboratories 
and cooperative institutes; 
‘‘(B) $42,396,000 is authorized for weather and air 
chemistry research programs; and 
‘‘(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint technology 
transfer initiative described in section 102(b)(4). 
‘‘(b) LIMITATION.—No additional funds are authorized to carry 
out this title and the amendments made by this title.’’. 
SEC. 4. EARTH PREDICTION INNOVATION CENTER. 
(a) WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION.—Sec-
tion 102(b) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 
Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8512(b)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(4) Advancing weather modeling skill, reclaiming and 
maintaining international leadership in the area of numerical 
weather prediction, and improving the transition of research 
into operations by— 
‘‘(A) leveraging the weather enterprise to provide 
expertise on removing barriers to improving numerical 
weather prediction; 
‘‘(B) enabling scientists and engineers to effectively 
collaborate in areas important for improving operational 
global numerical weather prediction skill, including model 
development, 
data 
assimilation 
techniques, 
systems 
architecture integration, and computational efficiencies; 
‘‘(C) 
strengthening 
the 
National 
Oceanic 
and 
Atmospheric Administration’s ability to undertake research 
projects in pursuit of substantial advancements in weather 
forecast skill; 
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132 STAT. 5457 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
‘‘(D) utilizing and leverage existing resources across 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
enterprise; and 
‘‘(E) creating a community global weather research 
modeling system that— 
‘‘(i) is accessible by the public; 
‘‘(ii) meets basic end-user requirements for running 
on public computers and networks located outside of 
secure National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion information and technology systems; and 
‘‘(iii) utilizes, whenever appropriate and cost-effec-
tive, innovative strategies and methods, including 
cloud-based computing capabilities, for hosting and 
management of part or all of the system described 
in this subsection.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES WEATHER RESEARCH PROGRAM.—Section 
108(a) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
Authorization Act of 1992 (15 U.S.C. 8520(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
a semi-colon; 
(2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) carry out the activities of the Earth Prediction Innova-
tion Center as described in section 102(b)(2) of the Weather 
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 
8512(b)(2)).’’. 
SEC. 5. COMPUTING RESOURCES PRIORITIZATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 108 of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8518) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 108. COMPUTING RESOURCE EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT AND 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
‘‘(a) COMPUTING RESOURCES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In acquiring computing capabilities, 
including high performance computing technologies and super-
computing technologies, that enable the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to meet its mission requirements, 
the Under Secretary shall, when appropriate and cost-effective, 
assess and prioritize options for entering into multi-year lease 
agreements for computing capabilities over options for pur-
chasing computing hardware outright. 
‘‘(2) ACQUISITION.—In carrying out the requirements of 
paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall structure multi-year 
lease agreements in such a manner that the expiration of 
the lease is set for a date on or around— 
‘‘(A) the expected degradation point of the computing 
resources; or 
‘‘(B) the point at which significantly increased com-
puting capabilities are expected to be available for lease. 
‘‘(3) PILOT PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In order to more efficiently and 
effectively meet the mission requirements of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Under Sec-
retary may create 1 or more pilot programs for assessing 
Assessments. 
Contracts. 
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132 STAT. 5458 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
new or innovative information and technology capabilities 
and services. 
‘‘(B) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—Any program created 
under paragraph (3) shall assess only those capabilities 
and services that— 
‘‘(i) meet or exceed the standards and requirements 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, including for processing speed, cybersecurity, and 
overall reliability; or 
‘‘(ii) meet or exceed, or are expected to meet or 
exceed, the performance of similar, in-house informa-
tion and technology capabilities and services that are 
owned and operated by the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration prior to the establishment 
of the pilot program. 
‘‘(C) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated, out of funds appropriated 
to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and 
Information Service, to carry out this paragraph $5,000,000 
for fiscal year 2019, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, and 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2023, 
to remain available until expended. 
‘‘(b) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enact-
ment of the National Integrated Drought Information System 
Reauthorization Act of 2018, and triennially thereafter until the 
date that is 6 years after the date on which the first report is 
submitted, the Under Secretary, acting through the Chief Informa-
tion Officer of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion and in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Research and the Director of the National 
Weather Service, shall produce and make publicly available a report 
that explains how the Under Secretary intends— 
‘‘(1) to continually support upgrades to pursue the fastest, 
most powerful, and cost-effective high performance computing 
technologies in support of its weather prediction mission; 
‘‘(2) to ensure a balance between the research to operations 
requirements to develop the next generation of regional and 
global models as well as highly reliable operational models; 
‘‘(3) to take advantage of advanced development concepts 
to, as appropriate, make next generation weather prediction 
models available in beta-test mode to operational forecasters, 
the United States weather industry, and partners in academic 
and Government research; 
‘‘(4) to use existing computing resources to improve 
advanced research and operational weather prediction; 
‘‘(5) to utilize non-Federal contracts to obtain the necessary 
expertise for advanced weather computing, if appropriate; 
‘‘(6) to utilize cloud computing; and 
‘‘(7) to create a long-term strategy to transition the 
programming language of weather model code to current and 
broadly-used coding language.’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—Section 1(b) of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115–25; 131 
Stat. 91) is amended by striking the item relating to section 108 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘Sec. 108. Computing resource efficiency improvement and annual report.’’. 
Coordination. 
Public 
information. 
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132 STAT. 5459 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
SEC. 6. SATELLITE ARCHITECTURE PLANNING. 
Section 301 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innova-
tion Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8531) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(c) NEXT GENERATION SATELLITE ARCHITECTURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall analyze, test, 
and plan the procurement of future data sources and satellite 
architectures, including respective ground system elements, 
identified in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion’s Satellite Observing System Architecture Study that— 
‘‘(A) lower the cost of observations used to meet the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s mis-
sion requirements; 
‘‘(B) disaggregate current satellite systems, where 
appropriate; 
‘‘(C) include new, value-adding technological advance-
ments; and 
‘‘(D) improve weather forecasting and predictions. 
‘‘(2) 
QUANTITATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
AND
PARTNERSHIP 
AUTHORITY.—In meeting the requirements described in para-
graph (1), the Under Secretary— 
‘‘(A) may partner with the commercial and academic 
sectors, non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations, 
and other Federal agencies; and 
‘‘(B) shall, consistent with section 107 of this Act, 
undertake quantitative assessments for objective analyses, 
as the Under Secretary considers appropriate, to evaluate 
relative value and benefits of future data sources and sat-
ellite architectures described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL FORMS OF TRANSACTION AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), in order to 
enhance the effectiveness of data and satellite systems used 
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to 
meet its missions, the Under Secretary may enter into and 
perform such transaction agreements on such terms as the 
Under Secretary considers appropriate to carry out basic, 
applied, and advanced research projects to meet the objectives 
described in subparagraphs (A) through (D) subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(2) METHOD AND SCOPE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—A transaction agreement under 
paragraph (1) shall be limited to research and development 
activities. 
‘‘(B) PERMISSIBLE
USES.—A transaction agreement 
under paragraph (1) may be used— 
‘‘(i) for the construction, use, operation, or procure-
ment of new, improved, innovative, or value-adding 
satellites, instrumentation, ground stations, and data; 
‘‘(ii) to make determinations on how to best use 
existing or planned data, systems, and assets of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and 
‘‘(iii) only when the objectives of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration cannot be met 
using a cooperative research and development agree-
ment, grants procurement contract, or cooperative 
agreement. 
Contracts. 
Analyses. 
Analysis. 
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132 STAT. 5460 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
‘‘(3) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.—The authority pro-
vided in this subsection terminates effective September 30, 
2023. 
‘‘(e) TRANSPARENCY.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
that a transaction agreement is made under subsection (d), the 
Under Secretary shall make publicly available, in a searchable 
format, on the website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration all uses of the authority under subsection (d), 
including an estimate of committed National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration resources and the expected benefits 
to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration objectives for 
the transaction agreement, with appropriate redactions for propri-
etary, sensitive, or classified information. 
‘‘(f) REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after September 
30 of each fiscal year through September 30, 2023, the Under 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
a report on the use of additional transaction authority by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the 
previous fiscal year. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each report shall include— 
‘‘(A) for each transaction agreement in effect during 
the fiscal year covered by the report— 
‘‘(i) an indication of whether the transaction agree-
ment is a reimbursable, non-reimbursable, or funded 
agreement; 
‘‘(ii) a description of— 
‘‘(I) the subject and terms; 
‘‘(II) the parties; 
‘‘(III) the responsible National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration line office; 
‘‘(IV) the value; 
‘‘(V) the extent of the cost sharing among Fed-
eral Government and non-Federal sources; 
‘‘(VI) the duration or schedule; and 
‘‘(VII) all milestones; 
‘‘(iii) an indication of whether the transaction 
agreement was renewed during the previous fiscal 
year; 
‘‘(iv) the technology areas in which research 
projects were conducted under that agreement; 
‘‘(v) the extent to which the use of that agree-
ment— 
‘‘(I) has contributed to a broadening of the 
technology and industrial base available for 
meeting 
National 
Oceanic 
and 
Atmospheric 
Administration needs; and 
‘‘(II) has fostered within the technology and 
industrial base new relationships and practices 
that support the United States; and 
‘‘(vi) the total value received by the Federal 
Government under that agreement for that fiscal year; 
and 
Deadline. 
Public 
information. 
Web posting. 
Estimate. 
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132 STAT. 5461 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
‘‘(B) a list of all anticipated reimbursable, non- 
reimbursable, and funded transaction agreements for the 
upcoming fiscal year. 
‘‘(g) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may 
be construed as limiting the authority of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration to use cooperative research and 
development agreements, grants, procurement contracts, or coopera-
tive agreements.’’. 
SEC. 7. INTEGRATION OF OCEAN AND COASTAL DATA FROM THE 
INTEGRATED OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 301(a)(2) of the Weather Research 
and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8531(a)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
a semicolon; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) support increasing use of autonomous, mobile sur-
face, sub-surface, and submarine vehicle ocean and fresh 
water sensor systems and the infrastructure necessary to 
share and analyze these data in real-time and feed them 
into predictive early warning systems.’’. 
(b) COMMERCIAL WEATHER DATA; AUTHORIZATION OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—Section 302(c)(3) of the Weather Research and Fore-
casting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8532(c)(3)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘2017 through 2020’’ and inserting ‘‘2019 
through 2023’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘National’’. 
SEC. 8. IMPROVEMENTS TO COOPERATIVE OBSERVER PROGRAM OF 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans 
and Atmosphere, acting through the National Weather Service, 
shall improve the Cooperative Observer Program by— 
(1) providing support to— 
(A) State-coordinated programs relating to the Pro-
gram; and 
(B) States and regions where observations provided 
through the Program are scarce; 
(2) working with State weather service headquarters to 
increase participation in the Program and to add stations in 
States and regions described in paragraph (1)(B); 
(3) where feasible, ensuring that data streams from stations 
that have been contributing data to the Program for more 
than 50 years are maintained and continually staffed by volun-
teers; 
(4) prioritizing the recruitment of new volunteers for the 
Program; 
(5) ensuring that opportunities exist for automated 
reporting to lessen the burden on volunteers to collect and 
report data by hand; and 
(6) ensuring that integrated reporting is available for quali-
tative observations that cannot be automated, such as drought 
conditions, snow observations, and hazardous weather events, 
to ensure that volunteers in the Program can report and upload 
observations quickly and easily. 
15 USC 8550. 
List. 
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132 STAT. 5462 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
(b) COORDINATION WITH STATES AND REGIONS.—Not less fre-
quently than every 180 days, the National Weather Service shall 
coordinate with State and regional offices with respect to the status 
of Cooperative Observer Program stations. 
(c) COORDINATION WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The National 
Weather Service shall coordinate with other Federal agencies, 
including the Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and 
the United States Geological Survey, to leverage opportunities to 
grow the Cooperative Observer Program network and to more effec-
tively use existing infrastructure, weather stations, and staff of 
the Program. 
SEC. 9. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA RESEARCH AND CON-
TROL. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the ‘‘Harmful 
Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act 
of 2017’’. 
(b) REFERENCES TO THE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA 
RESEARCH
AND
CONTROL
ACT
OF
1998.—Except as otherwise 
expressly provided, wherever in this section an amendment or 
repeal is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, 
a section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to 
be made to a section or other provision of the Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 U.S.C. 
4001 et seq.). 
(c) INTER-AGENCY TASK FORCE.—Section 603(a) (33 U.S.C. 
4001(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (12), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (14); 
and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following: 
‘‘(13) the Army Corps of Engineers; and’’. 
(d) SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS OF FRESHWATER HARMFUL ALGAL 
BLOOMS.—Section 603 (33 U.S.C. 4001) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (f); 
(2) by redesignating subsections (g), (h), (i), and (j) as 
subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i), respectively; and 
(3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS
OF MARINE
AND FRESHWATER 
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS.—Not 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 freshwater systems. Each assessment shall examine both 
marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms, including those in 
the Great Lakes 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.’’. 
(e) NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM
AND HYPOXIA PRO-
GRAM.— 
(1) PROGRAM DUTIES.—Section 603A(e) (33 U.S.C. 4002(e)) 
is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, including to local 
and regional stakeholders through the establishment and 
maintenance of a publicly accessible Internet website that 
provides information as to Program activities completed 
under this section’’ after ‘‘Program’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
Time period. 
33 USC 4001 
note. 
Harmful Algal 
Bloom and 
Hypoxia 
Research and 
Control 
Amendments 
Act of 2017. 
Time period. 
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132 STAT. 5463 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon at the end; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) to accelerate the utilization of effective methods 
of intervention and mitigation to reduce the frequency, 
severity, and impacts of harmful algal bloom and hypoxia 
events;’’; 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and work coopera-
tively with’’ and inserting ‘‘, and work cooperatively to 
provide technical assistance to,’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘and extension’’ after ‘‘existing edu-
cation’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘intervention,’’ after ‘‘awareness 
of the causes, impacts,’’. 
(2) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 
ACTIVITIES.—Section 603A(f) (33 U.S.C. 4002(f)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, which shall include 
unmanned systems,’’ after ‘‘infrastructure’’; 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(D) 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.’’. 
(f) CONSULTATION REQUIRED.—Section 102 of the Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia 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 Research and 
Control Act of 1998’’. 
(g) HYPOXIA OR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM OF NATIONAL SIGNIFI-
CANCE.— 
(1) RELIEF.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Upon a determination under para-
graph (2) that there is an event of national significance, 
the appropriate Federal official is authorized to make sums 
available to the affected State or local government for 
the purposes of assessing and mitigating the detrimental 
environmental, economic, subsistence use, and public 
health effects of the event of national significance. 
(B) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 
of any activity carried out under this paragraph for the 
purposes described in subparagraph (A) may not exceed 
50 percent of the cost of that activity. 
(C) DONATIONS.—Notwithstanding any other provision 
of law, an appropriate Federal official may accept donations 
of funds, services, facilities, materials, or equipment that 
the appropriate Federal official considers necessary for the 
purposes described in subparagraph (A). Any funds donated 
to an appropriate Federal official under this paragraph 
may be expended without further appropriation and with-
out fiscal year limitation. 
(2) DETERMINATIONS.— 
Assessment. 
33 USC 4010. 
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132 STAT. 5464 
PUBLIC LAW 115–423—JAN. 7, 2019 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 2200: 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 115–256 (Comm. on Commerce, Science, and Transporta-
tion). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 164 (2018): 
Dec. 18, considered and passed Senate. 
Dec. 20, considered and passed House. 
(A) IN GENERAL.—At the discretion of an appropriate 
Federal official, or at the request of the Governor of an 
affected State, an appropriate Federal official shall deter-
mine whether a hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event 
is an event of national significance. 
(B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In making a determination 
under subparagraph (A), 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 relative size in relation to the past 5 occur-
rences of harmful algal blooms or hypoxia events that 
occur on a recurrent 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. 
(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) APPROPRIATE FEDERAL OFFICIAL.—The term ‘‘appro-
priate Federal official’’ means— 
(i) in the case of a marine or coastal hypoxia 
or harmful algal bloom event, the Under Secretary 
of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; and 
(ii) in the case of a freshwater hypoxia or harmful 
algal bloom event, the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(B) EVENT
OF
NATIONAL
SIGNIFICANCE.—The term 
‘‘event of national significance’’ means a hypoxia or harmful 
algal bloom event that has had or will likely have a signifi-
cant detrimental environmental, economic, subsistence use, 
or public health impact on an affected State. 
(C) HYPOXIA OR HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM EVENT.—The 
term ‘‘hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event’’ means the 
occurrence of hypoxia or a harmful algal bloom as a result 
of a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined cause. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 609(a) (33 
U.S.C. 4009(a)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, and $20,500,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ before the period at the 
end. 
Approved January 7, 2019. 
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