[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2899 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2899

To remove Federal barriers to combating mosquito-borne transmission of 
   the Zika virus and promote public health, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 28, 2016

   Mr. Thune introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To remove Federal barriers to combating mosquito-borne transmission of 
   the Zika virus and promote public health, 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 ``Zika Response and Regulatory Relief 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REMOVING BARRIERS TO COMBATING MOSQUITO-BORNE TRANSMISSION OF 
              ZIKA VIRUS.

    Section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 
1342) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``(b) At any time'' and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(b) State Permit Programs.--Subject to subsection (s)(3), at any 
time''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(s) Mosquito Control Waiver.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall waive the permit 
        requirement under this section for 180 days for the purpose of 
        public health pesticide applications of a mosquito control 
        program.
            ``(2) Existing permits.--In the case of a permit issued by 
        the Administrator before the date of enactment of the Zika 
        Response and Regulatory Relief Act for the purpose of public 
        health pesticide applications of a mosquito control program, 
        the Administrator shall waive the reporting requirements 
        prescribed under subsection (a)(2) during the 180-day period 
        beginning on the date of enactment of the Zika Response and 
        Regulatory Relief Act.
            ``(3) Extension of authority.--The Administrator may extend 
        the period during which permit and reporting requirements may 
        be waived under paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively, for not 
        more than an additional 180 days beyond the 180-day periods 
        referred to in those paragraphs, as determined necessary by the 
        Administrator to protect the public health.
            ``(4) State reporting waivers.--Effective beginning on the 
        date of enactment of the Zika Response and Regulatory Relief 
        Act, as a condition of continuing in effect the approval of the 
        Administrator under subsection (b) to administer a State permit 
        program pursuant to that subsection, each State administering 
        such a program shall--
                    ``(A) waive all reporting requirements that would 
                otherwise be applicable with respect to any public 
                health pesticide application of a mosquito control 
                program during the 180-day period beginning on the date 
                of enactment of the Zika Response and Regulatory Relief 
                Act; and
                    ``(B) extend the period during which a State shall 
                waive the reporting requirements under subparagraph (A) 
                for not more than an additional 180 days beyond the 
                180-day period referred to in that subparagraph, as 
                determined necessary by the State to protect the public 
                health.''.
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