[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1564 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1564

                          To save Florida Bay.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 31, 1993

   Mr. Shaw (for himself, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Lewis of Florida, Ms. Ros-
   Lehtinen, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Stearns, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Goss, Mr. 
Gibbons, Mr. Bacchus of Florida, Mr. Johnston of Florida, Mr. Miller of 
   Florida, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Hutto, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. Mica, Mr. 
 Peterson of Florida, Mrs. Thurman, Mrs. Fowler, Ms. Brown of Florida, 
Mr. Canady, Mr. Young of Florida, and Mrs. Meek of Florida) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on 
          Merchant Marine and Fisheries and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                          To save Florida Bay.

    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 ``Save Florida Bay Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Florida Bay is vitally important to both the economy 
        and ecology of the State of Florida.
            (2) Florida Bay's environmental health has been 
        deteriorating at a rapid rate, which for unknown reasons is 
        presently accelerating.
            (3) Florida Bay is the principal nursery for Florida's 
        largest commercial and sport fishing fisheries.
            (4) 55 square miles of seagrasses in Florida Bay have died 
        since 1987.
            (5) The number of pink shrimp caught after maturing in 
        Florida Bay is near a 30-year low.
            (6) Mangroves and sponges in Florida Bay are dying at an 
        alarming rate.
            (7) Florida Bay is currently abnormally saline and warm, 
        causing an unhealthy habitat for juvenile shrimp, lobster, 
        fish, and other creatures.
            (8) The nearby coral reefs, the only living coral reefs in 
        the Nation, are endangered by the changes occurring in Florida 
        Bay.
            (9) The most massive plankton bloom ever found in Florida 
        Bay was recorded in the summer of 1992 and still exists.
            (10) A dearth of knowledge exists on how Florida Bay's 
        ecosystem functions.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE.

    Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Chairman'') shall establish and thereafter 
coordinate an interagency committee, including representatives from the 
Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
Corps of Engineers, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, to 
develop a program for facilitating the restoration of Florida Bay and 
to define the roles and responsibilities of each of those agencies in 
facilitating that restoration.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING INCLUSION OF FLORIDA BAY IN COASTAL 
              AMERICA PROGRAM.

    It is the sense of the Congress that not later than 30 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chairman should include 
Florida Bay as part of the Coastal America program.

SEC. 5. FLORIDA BAY ELIGIBLE FOR PRIORITY CONSIDERATION UNDER NATIONAL 
              ESTUARY PROGRAM.

    Section 320(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1330(a)(2)(B)) is amended by inserting ``Florida Bay, Florida;'' 
after ``Sarasota Bay, Florida;''.

SEC. 6. STUDY.

    (a) Study Required.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall direct the 
superintendent of the Everglades National Park to conduct a study of 
the problems plaguing Florida Bay, including an assessment of the 
impact of Hurricane Andrew. Such study shall be completed no later than 
September 30, 1993, and upon completion the Secretary of the Interior 
shall submit a report to the Congress describing the findings, 
conclusions, and recommendations of the study.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior for the study under 
subsection (a) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, to remain available 
until expended.

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