[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 952 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 952

To develop and promote a comprehensive plan for a national strategy to 
  address harmful algal blooms and hypoxia through baseline research, 
 forecasting and monitoring, and mitigation and control while helping 
   communities detect, control, and mitigate coastal and Great Lakes 
                harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 2009

Ms. Snowe (for herself, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Levin, 
 Mr. Vitter, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Landrieu, and Mrs. Boxer) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To develop and promote a comprehensive plan for a national strategy to 
  address harmful algal blooms and hypoxia through baseline research, 
 forecasting and monitoring, and mitigation and control while helping 
   communities detect, control, and mitigate coastal and Great Lakes 
                harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Harmful Algal 
Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Amendment of Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and 
                            Control Act of 1998.
Sec. 3. Findings.
Sec. 4. Purpose.
Sec. 5. Interagency task force on harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.
Sec. 6. National harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program.
Sec. 7. Regional research and action plans.
Sec. 8. Reporting.
Sec. 9. Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia.
Sec. 10 Pilot program for freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.
Sec. 11. Interagency financing.
Sec. 12. Application with other laws.
Sec. 13. Definitions.
Sec. 14. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT OF HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA RESEARCH AND 
              CONTROL ACT OF 1998.

    Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this title 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 (16 U.S.C. 1451 note).

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    Section 602 is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 602. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            ``(1) Harmful algal blooms and hypoxia are increasing in 
        frequency and intensity in the Nation's coastal waters and 
        Great Lakes and pose a threat to the health of coastal and 
        Great Lakes ecosystems, are costly to coastal economies, and 
        threaten the safety of seafood and human health.
            ``(2) Excessive nutrients in coastal waters have been 
        linked to the increased intensity and frequency of hypoxia and 
        some harmful algal blooms and there is a need to identify more 
        workable and effective actions to reduce the negative impacts 
        of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia on coastal waters.
            ``(3) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
        through its ongoing research, monitoring, observing, education, 
        grant, and coastal resource management programs and in 
        collaboration with the other Federal agencies, on the 
        Interagency Task Force, along with States, Indian tribes, and 
        local governments, possesses a full range of capabilities 
        necessary to support a near and long-term comprehensive effort 
        to prevent, reduce, and control the human and environmental 
        costs of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.
            ``(4) Harmful algal blooms and hypoxia can be triggered and 
        exacerbated by increases in nutrient loading from point and 
        non-point sources, much of which originates in upland areas and 
        is delivered to marine and freshwater bodies via river 
        discharge, thereby requiring integrated and landscape-level 
        research and control strategies.
            ``(5) Harmful algal blooms and hypoxia affect many sectors 
        of the coastal economy, including tourism, public health, and 
        recreational and commercial fisheries; and according to a 
        recent report produced by NOAA, the United States seafood and 
        tourism industries suffer annual losses of $82 million due to 
        economic impacts of harmful algal blooms.
            ``(6) Global climate change and its effect on oceans and 
        the Great Lakes may ultimately play a role in the increase or 
        decrease of harmful algal bloom and hypoxic events.
            ``(7) Proliferations of harmful and nuisance algae can 
        occur in all United States waters, including coastal areas and 
        estuaries, the Great Lakes, and inland waterways, crossing 
        political boundaries and necessitating regional coordination 
        for research, monitoring, mitigation, response, and prevention 
        efforts.
            ``(8) Following passage of the Harmful Algal Bloom and 
        Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998, federally funded and 
        other research has led to several technological advances, 
        including remote sensing, molecular and optical tools, 
        satellite imagery, and coastal and ocean observing systems, 
        that provide data for forecast models, improve the monitoring 
        and prediction of these events, and provide essential 
        decisionmaking tools for managers and stakeholders.''.

SEC. 4. PURPOSE.

    The Act is amended by inserting after section 602 the following:

``SEC. 602A. PURPOSES.

    ``The purposes of this Act are--
            ``(1) to provide for the development and coordination of a 
        comprehensive and integrated national program to address 
        harmful algal blooms and hypoxia through baseline research, 
        monitoring, prevention, mitigation, and control;
            ``(2) to provide for the assessment of environmental, 
        socio-economic, and human health impacts of harmful algal 
        blooms and hypoxia on a regional and national scale, and to 
        integrate that assessment into marine and freshwater resource 
        decisions; and
            ``(3) to facilitate regional, State, and local efforts to 
        develop and implement appropriate harmful algal bloom and 
        hypoxia response plans, strategies, and tools including 
        outreach programs and information dissemination mechanisms.''.

SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA.

    (a) Federal Representatives.--Section 603(a) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The Task Force shall consist of the 
        following representatives from--'' and inserting ``The Task 
        Force shall consist of representatives of the Office of the 
        Secretary from each of the following departments and of the 
        office of the head of each of the following Federal 
        agencies:'';
            (2) by striking ``the'' in paragraphs (1) through (11) and 
        inserting ``The'';
            (3) by striking the semicolon in paragraphs (1) through 
        (10) and inserting a period;
            (4) by striking ``Quality; and'' in paragraph (11) and 
        inserting ``Quality.''; and
            (5) by striking ``such other'' in paragraph (12) and 
        inserting ``Other''.
    (b) State Representatives.--Section 603 is amended--
            (1) by striking subsections (b) through (i); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) State Representatives.--The Secretary shall establish 
criteria for determining appropriate States to serve on the Task Force 
and establish and implement a nominations process to select 
representatives from 2 appropriate States in different regions, on a 
rotating basis, to serve 2-year terms on the Task Force.''.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA PROGRAM.

    The Act is amended by inserting after section 603 the following:

``SEC. 603A. NATIONAL HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The President, acting through NOAA, shall 
establish and maintain a national program for integrating efforts to 
address harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research, monitoring, 
prediction, control, mitigation, prevention, and outreach.
    ``(b) Task Force Functions.--The Task Force shall be the oversight 
body for the development and implementation of the national harmful 
algal bloom and hypoxia program and shall--
            ``(1) coordinate interagency review of plans and policies 
        of the Program;
            ``(2) assess interagency work and spending plans for 
        implementing the activities of the Program;
            ``(3) review the Program's distribution of Federal grants 
        and funding to address research priorities;
            ``(4) support implementation of the actions and strategies 
        identified in the regional research and action plans under 
        subsection (d);
            ``(5) support the development of institutional mechanisms 
        and financial instruments to further the goals of the program;
            ``(6) expedite the interagency review process and ensure 
        timely review and dispersal of required reports and assessments 
        under this Act; and
            ``(7) promote the development of new technologies for 
        predicting, monitoring, and mitigating harmful algal blooms and 
        hypoxia conditions.
    ``(c) Lead Federal Agency.--NOAA shall be the lead Federal agency 
for implementing and administering the National Harmful Algal Bloom and 
Hypoxia Program.
    ``(d) Responsibilities.--The Program shall--
            ``(1) promote a national strategy to help communities 
        understand, detect, predict, control, and mitigate freshwater 
        and marine harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events;
            ``(2) plan, coordinate, and implement the National Harmful 
        Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program; and
            ``(3) report to the Task Force via the Administrator.
    ``(e) Duties.--
            ``(1) Administrative duties.--The Program shall--
                    ``(A) prepare work and spending plans for 
                implementing the activities of the Program and 
                developing and implementing the Regional Research and 
                Action Plans;
                    ``(B) administer merit-based, competitive grant 
                funding to support the projects maintained and 
                established by the Program, and to address the research 
                and management needs and priorities identified in the 
                Regional Research and Action Plans;
                    ``(C) coordinate NOAA programs that address harmful 
                algal blooms and hypoxia and other ocean and Great 
                Lakes science and management programs and centers that 
                address the chemical, biological, and physical 
                components of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;
                    ``(D) coordinate and work cooperatively with other 
                Federal, State, and local government agencies and 
                programs that address harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;
                    ``(E) coordinate with the State Department to 
                support international efforts on harmful algal bloom 
                and hypoxia information sharing, research, mitigation, 
                and control;
                    ``(F) coordinate an outreach, education, and 
                training program that integrates and augments existing 
                programs to improve public education about and 
                awareness of the causes, impacts, and mitigation 
                efforts for harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;
                    ``(G) facilitate and provide resources for training 
                of State and local coastal and water resource managers 
                in the methods and technologies for monitoring, 
                controlling, and mitigating harmful algal blooms and 
                hypoxia;
                    ``(H) support regional efforts to control and 
                mitigate outbreaks through--
                            ``(i) communication of the contents of the 
                        Regional Research and Action Plans and 
                        maintenance of online data portals for other 
                        information about harmful algal blooms and 
                        hypoxia to State and local stakeholders within 
                        the region for which each plan is developed; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) overseeing the development, review, 
                        and periodic updating of Regional Research and 
                        Action Plans established under section 602C(b);
                    ``(I) convene an annual meeting of the Task Force; 
                and
                    ``(J) perform such other tasks as may be delegated 
                by the Task Force.
            ``(2) NOAA duties.--NOAA shall maintain and enhance--
                    ``(A) the Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal 
                Blooms Program;
                    ``(B) the Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful 
                Algal Blooms Program;
                    ``(C) the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems and 
                Hypoxia Assessment Program; and
                    ``(D) the Coastal Hypoxia Research Program.
            ``(3) Program duties.--The Program shall--
                    ``(A) establish--
                            ``(i) a Mitigation and Control of Harmful 
                        Algal Blooms Program--
                                    ``(I) to develop and promote 
                                strategies for the prevention, 
                                mitigation, and control of harmful 
                                algal blooms;
                                    ``(II) to fund research that may 
                                facilitate the prevention, mitigation, 
                                and control of harmful algal blooms; 
                                and
                                    ``(III) to develop and demonstrate 
                                technology that may mitigate and 
                                control harmful algal blooms; and
                            ``(ii) other programs as necessary; and
                    ``(B) work cooperatively with other offices, 
                centers, and programs within NOAA and other agencies 
                represented on the Task Force, States, and 
                nongovernmental organizations concerned with marine and 
                aquatic issues to manage data, products, and 
                infrastructure, including--
                            ``(i) compiling, managing, and archiving 
                        data from relevant programs in Task Force 
                        member agencies;
                            ``(ii) creating data portals for general 
                        education and data dissemination on 
                        centralized, publicly available databases; and
                            ``(iii) establishing communication routes 
                        for data, predictions, and management tools 
                        both to and from the regions, states, and local 
                        communities.''.

SEC. 7. REGIONAL RESEARCH AND ACTION PLANS.

    The Act, as amended by section 6, is amended by inserting after 
section 602A the following:

``SEC. 602B. REGIONAL RESEARCH AND ACTION PLANS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Program shall--
            ``(1) oversee the development and implementation of 
        Regional Research and Action Plans; and
            ``(2) identify appropriate regions and sub-regions to be 
        addressed by each Regional Research and Action Plan.
    ``(b) Regional Panels of Experts.--
            ``(1) In general.--In accordance with the schedule set 
        forth in paragraph (2), the Program shall convene a panel of 
        experts for each region identified under subsection (a)(2) from 
        among--
                    ``(A) State coastal management and planning 
                officials;
                    ``(B) water management and watershed officials from 
                both coastal states and noncoastal states with water 
                sources that drain into water bodies affected by 
                harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;
                    ``(C) public health officials;
                    ``(D) emergency management officials;
                    ``(E) nongovernmental organizations concerned with 
                marine and aquatic issues;
                    ``(F) science and technology development 
                institutions;
                    ``(G) economists;
                    ``(H) industries and businesses affected by coastal 
                and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;
                    ``(I) scientists, with expertise concerning harmful 
                algal blooms or hypoxia, from academic or research 
                institutions; and
                    ``(J) other stakeholders as appropriate.
            ``(2) Schedule.--The Program shall--
                    ``(A) convene panels in at least \1/3\ of the 
                regions within 9 months after the date of enactment of 
                the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and 
                Control Amendments Act of 2009;
                    ``(B) convene panels in at least \2/3\ of the 
                regions within 21 months after such date;
                    ``(C) convene panels in the remaining regions 
                within 33 months after such date; and
                    ``(D) reconvene each panel at least every 5 years 
                after the date on which it was initially convened.
    ``(c) Plan Development.--Each regional panel of experts shall 
develop a Regional Research and Action Plan for its respective region 
and submit it to the Program for approval and to the Task Force. The 
Plan shall identify appropriate elements for the region, including--
            ``(1) baseline ecological, social, and economic research 
        needed to understand the biological, physical, and chemical 
        conditions that cause, exacerbate, and result from harmful 
        algal blooms and hypoxia;
            ``(2) regional priorities for ecological and socio-economic 
        research on issues related to, and impacts of, harmful algal 
        blooms and hypoxia;
            ``(3) research needed to develop and advance technologies 
        for improving capabilities to predict, monitor, prevent, 
        control, and mitigate harmful algal blooms and hypoxia;
            ``(4) State and local government actions that may be 
        implemented--
                    ``(A) to support long-term monitoring efforts and 
                emergency monitoring as needed;
                    ``(B) to minimize the occurrence of harmful algal 
                blooms and hypoxia;
                    ``(C) to reduce the duration and intensity of 
                harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in times of emergency;
                    ``(D) to address human health dimensions of harmful 
                algal blooms and hypoxia; and
                    ``(E) to identify and protect vulnerable ecosystems 
                that could be, or have been, affected by harmful algal 
                blooms and hypoxia;
            ``(5) mechanisms by which data and products are transferred 
        between the Program and State and local governments and 
        research entities;
            ``(6) communication, outreach and information dissemination 
        efforts that State and local governments and nongovernmental 
        organizations can undertake to educate and inform the public 
        concerning harmful algal blooms and hypoxia and alternative 
        coastal resource-utilization opportunities that are available; 
        and
            ``(7) pilot projects, if appropriate, that may be 
        implemented on local, State, and regional scales to address the 
        research priorities and response actions identified in the 
        Plan.
    ``(d) Plan Timelines; Updates.--The Program shall ensure that 
Regional Research and Action Plans developed under this section are--
            ``(1) completed and approved by the Program within 12 
        months after the date on which a regional panel is convened or 
        reconvened under subsection (b)(2); and
            ``(2) updated no less frequently than once every 5 years.
    ``(e) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to available appropriations, the 
        Program shall make funding available to eligible organizations 
        to implement the research, monitoring, forecasting, modeling, 
        and response actions included under each approved Regional 
        Research and Action Plan. The Program shall select recipients 
        through a merit-based, competitive process and seek to fund 
        research proposals that most effectively align with the 
        research priorities identified in the relevant Regional 
        Research and Action Plan.
            ``(2) Application; assurances.--Any organization seeking 
        funding under this subsection shall submit an application to 
        the Program at such time, in such form and manner, and 
        containing such information and assurances as the Program may 
        require. The Program shall require any organization receiving 
        funds under this subsection to utilize the mechanisms described 
        in subsection (c)(5) to ensure the transfer of data and 
        products developed under the Plan.
            ``(3) Eligible organization.--In this subsection, the term 
        `eligible organization' means--
                    ``(A) a nongovernmental researcher or organization; 
                or
                    ``(B) any other entity that applies for funding to 
                implement the State, local, and non-governmental 
                control, mitigation, and prevention strategies 
                identified in the relevant Regional Research and Action 
                Plan.
    ``(f) Intermediate Reviews.--If the Program determines that an 
intermediate review is necessary to address emergent needs in harmful 
algal blooms and hypoxia under a Regional Research and Action Plan, it 
shall notify the Task Force and reconvene the relevant regional panel 
of experts for the purpose of revising the Regional Research and Action 
Plan so as to address the emergent threat or need.''.

SEC. 8. REPORTING.

    Section 603, as amended by section 5, is amended by adding at the 
end thereof the following:
    ``(c) Biennial Reports.--Every 2 years the Program shall prepare a 
report for the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committees on Science 
and Technology and on Natural Resources that describe--
            ``(1) activities, budgets, and progress on implementing the 
        national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program;
            ``(2) the proceedings of the annual Task Force meetings; 
        and
            ``(3) the status, activities, and funding for 
        implementation of the Regional Research and Action Plans, 
        including a description of research funded under the program 
        and actions and outcomes of Plan response strategies carried 
        out by States.
    ``(d) Quinquennial Reports.--Not less than once every 5 years after 
the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research 
and Control Amendments Act of 2009, the Task Force shall complete and 
submit a report on harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in marine and 
freshwater systems to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committees on Science 
and Technology and on Natural Resources. The report shall--
            ``(1) evaluate the state of scientific knowledge of harmful 
        algal blooms and hypoxia in marine and freshwater systems, 
        including their causes and ecological consequences;
            ``(2) evaluate the social and economic impacts of harmful 
        algal blooms and hypoxia, including their impacts on coastal 
        communities, and review those communities' efforts and 
        associated economic costs related to event forecasting, 
        planning, mitigation, response, and public outreach and 
        education;
            ``(3) examine and evaluate the human health impacts of 
        harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, including any gaps in 
        existing research;
            ``(4) describe advances in capabilities for monitoring, 
        forecasting, modeling, control, mitigation, and prevention of 
        harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, including techniques for, 
        integrating landscape- and watershed-level water quality 
        information into marine and freshwater harmful algal bloom and 
        hypoxia prevention and mitigation strategies at Federal and 
        regional levels;
            ``(5) evaluate progress made by, and the needs of, Federal, 
        regional, State, and local policies and strategies for 
        forecasting, planning, mitigating, preventing, and responding 
        to harmful algal blooms and hypoxia, including the economic 
        costs and benefits of such policies and strategies;
            ``(6) make recommendations for integrating, improving, and 
        funding future Federal, regional, State, and local policies and 
        strategies for preventing and mitigating the occurrence and 
        impacts of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia; and
            ``(7) describe communication, outreach, and education 
        efforts to raise public awareness of harmful algal blooms and 
        hypoxia, their impacts, and the methods for mitigation and 
        prevention.''.

SEC. 9. NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO HYPOXIA.

    Section 604 is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 604. NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO HYPOXIA.

    (a) Task Force Annual Progress Reports.--For each of the years from 
2009 through 2013, the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed 
Nutrient Task Force shall complete and submit to the Congress and the 
President an annual report on the progress made by Task Force-directed 
activities toward attainment of the Coastal Goal of the Gulf Hypoxia 
Action Plan 2008.
    (b) Task Force 5-Year Progress Report.--In 2013, that Task Force 
shall complete and submit to Congress and the President a 5-year report 
on the progress made by Task Force-directed activities toward 
attainment of the Coastal Goal of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008. 
The report shall assess progress made toward nutrient load reductions, 
the response of the hypoxic zone and water quality throughout the 
Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin, and the economic and social 
effects. The report shall include an evaluation of how current policies 
and programs affect management decisions, including those made by 
municipalities and industrial and agricultural producers, evaluate 
lessons learned, and recommend appropriate actions to continue to 
implement or, if necessary, revise this strategy.

SEC. 10. PILOT PROGRAM FOR FRESHWATER HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND HYPOXIA.

    The Act, as amended by section 7, is amended by inserting after 
section 603B the following:

``SEC. 603C. PILOT PROGRAM FOR FRESHWATER HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND 
              HYPOXIA.

    ``(a) Pilot Program.--The Secretary shall establish a collaborative 
pilot program with the Environmental Protection Agency and other 
appropriate Federal agencies to examine harmful algal blooms and 
hypoxia occurring in freshwater systems, including the Great Lakes. The 
pilot program shall--
            ``(1) assess the issues associated with, and impacts of, 
        harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in freshwater ecosystems;
            ``(2) research the efficacy of mitigation measures, 
        including measures to reduce nutrient loading; and
            ``(3) recommend potential management solutions.
    ``(b) Report.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
other participating Federal agencies, shall conduct an assessment of 
the effectiveness of the pilot program in improving freshwater habitat 
quality and publish a report, available to the public, of the results 
of the assessment.''.

SEC. 11. INTERAGENCY FINANCING.

    The Act is amended by inserting after section 604 the following:

``SEC. 604A. INTERAGENCY FINANCING.

    ``The departments and agencies represented on the Task Force are 
authorized to participate in interagency financing and share, transfer, 
receive, obligate, and expend funds appropriated to any member of the 
Task Force for the purposes of carrying out any administrative or 
programmatic project or activity under this Act, including support for 
the Program, a common infrastructure, information sharing, and system 
integration for harmful algal bloom and hypoxia research, monitoring, 
forecasting, prevention, and control. Funds may be transferred among 
such departments and agencies through an appropriate instrument that 
specifies the goods, services, or space being acquired from another 
Task Force member and the costs of the same.''.

SEC. 12. APPLICATION WITH OTHER LAWS.

    The Act is amended by inserting after section 606 the following:

``SEC. 607. EFFECT ON OTHER FEDERAL AUTHORITY.

    ``Nothing in this title supersedes or limits the authority of any 
agency to carry out its responsibilities and missions under other 
laws.''.

SEC. 13. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) In General.--The Act is amended by inserting after section 605 
the following:

``SEC. 605A. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this Act:
            ``(1) Administrator.--The term `Administrator' means the 
        Administrator of the NOAA.
            ``(2) Harmful algal bloom.--The term `harmful algal bloom' 
        means marine and freshwater phytoplankton that proliferate to 
        high concentrations, resulting in nuisance conditions or 
        harmful impacts on marine and aquatic ecosystems, coastal 
        communities, and human health through the production of toxic 
        compounds or other biological, chemical, and physical impacts 
        of the algae outbreak.
            ``(3) Hypoxia.--The term `hypoxia' means a condition where 
        low dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems causes stress or death 
        to resident organisms.
            ``(4) NOAA.--The term `NOAA' means the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration.
            ``(5) Program.--The term `Program' means the Integrated 
        Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program established under 
        section 603A.
            ``(6) Regional research and action plan.--The term 
        `Regional Research and Action Plan' means a plan established 
        under section 602B.
            ``(7) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce, acting through NOAA.''.
            ``(8) Task force.--The term `Task Force' means the 
        Interagency Task Force established by section 603(a).
            ``(9) United states coastal waters.--The term `United 
        States coastal waters' includes the Great Lakes.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 603(a) is amended by striking 
``Hypoxia (hereinafter referred to as the `Task force').'' and 
inserting ``Hypoxia.''.

SEC. 14. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 605 is amended to read as follows:--

``SEC. 605. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to NOAA 
to implement the Program under this title $40,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2010 through 2014, of which up to $10,000,000 shall be 
allocated each fiscal year to the creation of Regional Research and 
Action Plans required by section 602B.
    ``(b) Extramural Research Activities.--The Secretary shall ensure 
that a substantial portion of funds appropriated pursuant to subsection 
(a) that are used for research purposes are allocated to extramural 
research activities.
    ``(c) Pilot Program.--In addition to any amounts appropriated 
pursuant to subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated to 
NOAA such sums as may be necessary to carry out the pilot program 
established under section 603C.''.
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