S. 2798 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2798 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 11, 2014Mr. Portman (for himself and Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to create an electronic database of research and information on the causes of, and corrective actions being taken with regard to, algal blooms in the Great Lakes, their tributaries, and other surface fresh waters, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Great Lakes and Fresh Water Algal Bloom Information Act. 2. Great Lakes algal blooms information database (a) In general The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall create an electronic database of research and information on the causes and corrective actions being taken with regard to algal blooms in the Great Lakes, their tributaries, and other surface fresh waters. (b) Contents The Administrator shall include in the database relevant chemical, physical, and biological data that have been collected by an accredited university, association, organization, research group, or Federal agency, State, or local government in the United States or Canada. (c) Confidentiality In creating and making information available through the database, the Administrator shall protect confidentiality of information in accordance with all applicable United States laws and regulations. (d) Annual report and availability of information The Administrator shall— (1) report to Congress each year comprehensive findings on information that was included in the database in the year covered by the report, including information regarding corrective actions being taken; and (2) make information in the database electronically available to the public. (e) Prohibition on additional submission of data This section may not be construed to authorize the Administrator to require the submission of additional data from any person or entity.