Sponsors (2)
Official title: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on alternative habitat for certain manatees, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 2, 2026 by Daniel A. Webster · Last progress July 2, 2026
The bill accelerates planning and potential construction of warm-water refugia to protect manatees and coastal ecosystems as industrial discharges end, at the cost of modest federal spending and possible local permitting or land-use impacts.
Manatees and coastal ecosystems will gain new safe warm-water refugia as industrial warm-water discharges are phased out, reducing winter mortality for manatees that rely on those discharges.
Florida and federal agencies will receive engineering plans for refugia within 180 days, enabling faster, more coordinated conservation and implementation as power plants close.
Federal taxpayers and agency workloads will face costs because conducting studies and developing construction plans requires federal resources and staff time, potentially diverting capacity from other priorities.
Nearby landowners and coastal operators could face permitting, construction, or land‑use changes if artificial refugia are built, creating local disruptions and potential property impacts.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires USFWS to study and report on natural and artificial warm‑water habitat options for West Indian manatees affected by coastal industrial decommissioning.
Requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study and assess potential warm‑water habitat sites for West Indian manatees that currently rely on Florida coastal industrial warm-water sources that may be decommissioned. The study must identify natural warm‑water sites not currently used, locations where artificial warm‑water refugia could be built, and develop potential methods and construction plans for artificial refugia in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The law directs the Secretary of the Interior to coordinate the study, consult with state and federal partners, and publish a report within 180 days of enactment. The text does not appropriate funds or create a long‑term program; it sets a timetable and technical reporting requirements for the federal agencies named.