Sponsors (16)
The bill strengthens federal monitoring, funding, and equity‑focused support to detect and respond to harmful algal blooms—improving public health protections for coastal, freshwater, and vulnerable communities—but does so with modest, time‑limited funds and new federal requirements that may strain local capacity, shift existing NOAA grant priorities, and alter how resources are allocated between national and local events.
Coastal, freshwater, tribal, and other local communities gain more coordinated federal monitoring, forecasting, and response for harmful algal blooms (HABs), improving early warnings and public-health protections.
Federal authorizations provide dedicated funding for observing networks, research, and mitigation (NOAA $19.5M/yr; EPA $8M/yr for FY2026–2030, plus other appropriations) and a separate $2M/yr stream for assessments/reimbursements, sustaining monitoring and response capacity.
Waiving non‑Federal cost‑share where recipients cannot reasonably meet it enables underserved communities (tribal, rural, low‑income) to access federal assistance for monitoring, assessment, and response.
Authorized federal funding is modest and time‑limited (most formulas run FY2026–2030), which may be insufficient to scale and sustain nationwide observing networks and long‑term mitigation.
Shifting NOAA grant dollars into the incubator (using amounts otherwise available to the Under Secretary) could reduce funding available for other NOAA grant‑funded programs or local projects if not accompanied by new appropriations.
Broad waiver authority for non‑Federal cost‑share and federal reimbursement focus could reduce local financial commitment and oversight, potentially creating dependence on federal funds and uneven local investment.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced January 14, 2025 by Daniel Scott Sullivan · Last progress September 11, 2025
Expands and updates the federal harmful algal bloom (HAB) and hypoxia program to cover marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems, assign new roles to NOAA and EPA, require a national Action Strategy and scientific assessments every five years, create a national observing network, and stand up an incubator for prevention and mitigation technologies. It also amends a related drought-information provision to allow waiving non‑Federal cost shares, authorize reimbursements for assessing significant HAB/hypoxia events, and provides new, multi-year funding authorizations for the agencies and for event response activities.