[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1008 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1008

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
  Assistance Act to include algal blooms in the definition of a major 
                   disaster, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 14, 2023

 Mr. Donalds (for himself, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mr. 
   Frost, Mr. Posey, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. 
Moskowitz, Mrs. Luna, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Mast, Ms. Castor of 
Florida, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Waltz, and Mr. C. Scott Franklin of Florida) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
  Assistance Act to include algal blooms in the definition of a major 
                   disaster, 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 ``Combat Harmful Algal Blooms Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The presence of harmful algal blooms threaten public 
        health, interrupt economic activity, and contribute to the 
        ongoing degradation of ecological communities.
            (2) Algal blooms are part of healthy and productive 
        freshwater and saltwater systems, but harmful algal blooms may 
        become intense, long-lasting, expansive, and may contain enough 
        poisonous neurotoxins to harm marine life and humans alike.
            (3) Water conditions and ecological balance in marine 
        environments depend on nutrient and salinity conditions, which 
        are often influenced by--
                    (A) tidal flow and circulation;
                    (B) freshwater input from the land;
                    (C) coastal nutrient recycling; and
                    (D) urban development.
            (4) Harmful algal blooms, depending on the severity, may 
        result in the widespread mortality of marine life and aquatic 
        specimens, which may result in unpleasant sights and smells 
        around the impacted body of water.
            (5) Harmful algal blooms can force the closure of beaches, 
        impose fishing and shellfish harvesting restrictions, and could 
        even result in banning the sale of seafood at restaurants.
            (6) Tourism numbers can drop dramatically during harmful 
        algal blooms, which may result in a significant economic impact 
        to certain economies that heavily depend on bringing in 
        visitors.
            (7) Property values near water sources that experience 
        harmful algal blooms may decrease substantially.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that Congress 
should focus on decreasing the overarching impact of harmful algal 
blooms on public health, the economy, and the degradation of ecological 
communities.

SEC. 3. ALGAL BLOOMS.

    Section 102(2) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(2)) is amended by striking 
``or drought'' and inserting ``drought, or algal blooms''.

SEC. 4. IMPACTS OF ALGAL BLOOMS ON AIR QUALITY.

    Not later than 365 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall 
submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate, 
the Committee of Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, the 
Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives a detailed study relating to the health 
effects of exposure to cyanotoxins in the air that result from algal 
blooms.
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