Legislative Watch – Oceans-21 & BEACH Act of 2000

On 4/23, the House subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans voted 11-3 in favor of “Oceans-21? (H.R. 21), which would establish a national oceans policy, including the creation of a presidential oceans adviser. The bill, which now moves to the full Natural Resources Committee, would also authorize $1.3billion for an Ocean Trust Fund.

On 4/16, the House passed legislation (H.R. 2537) that would reauthorize the BEACH (Beach Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health) Act of 2000 and require the EPA to approve rapid contaminant testing methods that would allow closure of beaches in a timelier manner when the water is not safe. The bill would increase funds for state water quality grants and would expand the scope of the grants to include pollution source tracking and prevention efforts.