Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2014
Public Law 113-124 · S. 1254 · 113th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Jun 30, 2014 · Environmental Protection
Sponsor: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Cosponsors (18): Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Mark Begich,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2014 - Reauthorizes, revises, and expands the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998.
(Sec. 3) Requires the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia to have a representative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
(Sec. 4) Requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, acting through the Task Force, to: (1) maintain, enhance, and periodically review a national harmful algal bloom and hypoxia program; and (2) develop and submit to Congress a comprehensive research plan and action strategy to address marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia (a condition where low dissolved oxygen in aquatic systems causes stress or death to organisms).
Expands the Task Force's functions, including: (1) expediting and coordinating the interagency review process by ensuring timely review and dispersal of required reports and assessments; and (2) promoting the development of new technologies for predicting, monitoring, and mitigating harmful algal bloom and hypoxia conditions.
Gives the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the primary responsibility for administering the Program.
Establishes the Under Secretary's duties in administering the program, including the following:
• preparing work and spending plans;
• administering grant funding;
• coordinating with and working with regional, state, and tribal and local government agencies;
• coordinating with the Secretary of State to support international efforts;
• identifying additional research, development, and demonstration needs;
• coordinating and augmenting education programs;
• providing resources to train state and local coastal and water resource managers; and
• supporting regional efforts to control and mitigate outbreaks.
Requires the Under Secretary to carry out marine and Great Lakes harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events response activities.
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to: (1) research the ecology and impacts of freshwater harmful algal blooms; (2) forecast and monitor event response to freshwater harmful algal blooms in lakes, rivers, estuaries, and reservoirs; and (3) ensure that activities carried under this Act focus on new approaches to addressing freshwater harmful algal blooms and are not duplicative of existing research and development programs authorized by this Act or any other law.
(Sec. 7) Requires the Administrator, through the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, to report to appropriate congressional committees and the President on the progress made by activities directed by the Task Force and carried out or funded by the EPA and other state and federal partners toward attainment of the goals of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008 within 12 months after this Act's enactment and biennially thereafter.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Task Force to: (1) submit within 18 months to Congress and the President an integrated assessment that examines the causes, consequences, and approaches to reduce hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes; and (2) develop and submit to Congress a plan, based on the assessment, for reducing, mitigating, and controlling hypoxia and harmful algal blooms.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Natural Resources Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs Subcommittee
Science, Space, and Technology Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Environment Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 28 actions.
- Jun 30, 2014Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-124.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 19, 2014FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jun 18, 2014FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jun 17, 2014Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 10, 2014FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Jun 9, 2014FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1254.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Smith (TX) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jun 5, 2014CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 350.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Natural Resources discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. H. Rept. 113-471, Part I.
- May 21, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 5, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment.
- Feb 19, 2014CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs.
- Feb 18, 2014FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 conce…
- Feb 12, 2014FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Nov 18, 2013CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 248.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller without amendment. With written report No. 113-121.
- Jul 30, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jun 27, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2741SenateSen. Bill NelsonD-FL· offered Feb 12, 2014Agreed to
To make a minor technical correction.
Feb 12, 2014: Amendment SA 2741 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.