Bill > S508

This bill, known as the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 (BEACH Act of 2025), amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to enhance beach monitoring and water quality assessment grants. The bill expands the scope of coastal recreation water quality monitoring to include nearby shallow upstream waters and modifies grant provisions to allow states and local governments to identify specific sources of contamination in coastal recreation waters. It permits grantees to collect and report data on contamination sources, broadening the previous monitoring requirements. The legislation authorizes $30 million in funding for coastal water quality monitoring and notification programs for fiscal years 2025 through 2029, which is a renewal of previous funding that had expired. Additionally, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide guidance to state and local governments that incorporates the latest innovations in water contamination testing technologies. These changes aim to improve public health protection by more comprehensively monitoring and addressing water quality issues at beaches and coastal recreational areas.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/508/all-info