G:\M\15\MAST\MAST_003.

XML

.....................................................................
(Original Signature of Member)

H. R. ll
115TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION

To direct the President to treat a harmful algal bloom caused by certain

activities of the Federal Government as an emergency for purposes of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act,
and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. MAST introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on llllllllllllll

A BILL
To direct the President to treat a harmful algal bloom caused
by certain activities of the Federal Government as an
emergency for purposes of the Robert T. Stafford Dis-
aster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other
purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the Federal Do No Harm

5 Act of 2017.

G:\VHLC\041117\041117.175.xml (656121|4)
April 11, 2017 (4:21 p.m.)
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 16:21 Apr 11, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\KCHAGN~1\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_003.X
 G:\M\15\MAST\MAST_003.XML

2
1 SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR HARMFUL ALGAL

2 BLOOMS CAUSED BY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

3 WATER TRANSFERS.

4 (a) TREATMENT AS EMERGENCY.Notwithstanding

5 section 501 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
6 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5191), the Presi-
7 dent shall treat the impacts to State waterways and coast-
8 al estuaries of a harmful algal bloom conveyed down-
9 stream as a result of a water transfer carried out by the
10 Corps of Engineers as an emergency for purposes of title
11 V of such Act.
12 (b) EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE.The President, in
13 consultation with the affected State, shall exercise any au-
14 thority under section 502 or 503 of the Robert T. Stafford
15 Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
16 5192, 5193) that the President determines is necessary
17 to address an emergency described in subsection (a), in-
18 cluding exercising debris-removal authority under section
19 502(a)(5) of such Act to remove toxic algal biomass and
20 muck.

G:\VHLC\041117\041117.175.xml (656121|4)
April 11, 2017 (4:21 p.m.)
VerDate 0ct 09 2002 16:21 Apr 11, 2017 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 C:\USERS\KCHAGN~1\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\MAST_003.X