February 7, 2025 — U.S. federal lawmakers have reintroduced a bill to reauthorize and strengthen the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA), legislation that created an interagency task force to coordinate state and federal responses to harmful algal blooms (HAB).
“The scale and frequency of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events continue to increase with climate change, damaging beloved places, harming fisheries central to coastal economies, affecting tourism, and threatening public and ecosystem health,” U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, one of the sponsors of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025, said in a statement. “This legislation will empower coastal and freshwater communities to better monitor these disastrous events and leverage research to mitigate and prevent their worst effects.”