S 508
BEACH Act of 2025
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Bill overview
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 reauthorizes and expands a program within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that provides grants to states and local governments. This program currently supports monitoring the water quality of coastal recreational areas and notifying the public when water is unsafe. The bill expands the program to include monitoring nearby shallow upstream waters and identifying the specific sources of contamination contributing to beach closures, and extends the program’s authorization through 2029.
Key provisions
- Expands the EPA’s grant program to include monitoring of nearby shallow upstream waters.
- Allows grants to be used to identify specific sources of contamination in coastal waters.
- Authorizes grants for monitoring recreational waters adjacent to beaches.
- Reauthorizes the program through fiscal year 2029.
- Updates funding levels for the grant program to cover fiscal years 2025-2029.
- Requires the EPA to consider innovations in water contamination testing technologies when providing guidance to grant recipients.
Who is affected
- State governments
- Local governments
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Coastal communities
- Public (beach users)
Notable changes
- Expands the scope of monitoring to include upstream waters.
- Requires identification of specific contamination sources.
- Extends the program's authorization period.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Thomas Tillis
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
S. 508
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act relating to grants for beach monitoring, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 BEACH Act of 2025
or the
.
in subsection (b)—
in paragraph (1)—
by inserting , including nearby shallow upstream waters,
after coastal recreation waters
; and
by inserting or present on
after adjacent to
;
in paragraph (3)(A)—
in clause (i), by striking and
at the end;
by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
by inserting after clause (i) the following:
by adding at the end the following:
in subsection (g)(1)—
by inserting , including nearby shallow upstream waters,
after coastal recreation waters
; and
by inserting or present on
after adjacent to
; and
in subsection (i), by striking $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005
and inserting $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029
.
2001 through 2005and inserting
2025 through 2029.
In providing guidance to States and local governments receiving grants under section 406 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1346), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall ensure that such guidance reflects innovations in testing technologies for water contamination.