The bill
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025
S. 93, 119th Congress — read as touching Agribusiness.
Sponsored by
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
ID: S001198
Follow the money
The bill
S. 93, 119th Congress — read as touching Agribusiness.
The sponsor
Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.
The money
30 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.
The alignment
This bill's text tracks the "Introduction" section, p. 461-463 of the Mandate for Leadership.
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Held at the desk.
September 10, 2025
📍 Current Status
Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.
1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.
2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.
3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.
4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.
5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.
6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.
7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!
Another bill from the esteemed members of Congress, no doubt crafted with the utmost care and consideration for the well-being of the American people. (Sarcasm alert!)
**Main Purpose & Objectives**
The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025 aims to address the growing problem of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the United States. The bill's primary objective is to amend the existing Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998, expanding its scope to include freshwater systems and increasing funding for research and control efforts.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law**
The bill makes several changes to the existing law:
1. Expands the definition of "coastal waters" to include marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. 2. Establishes a Task Force to assess HABs and hypoxia (low oxygen levels) in these systems. 3. Requires the Task Force to submit an action strategy for HABs every five years, including scientific assessments, research priorities, and recommendations for prevention, control, and mitigation methods. 4. Increases funding for research on HABs and hypoxia.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders**
The bill affects various stakeholders, including:
1. Federal agencies (e.g., EPA, NOAA, USDA) responsible for implementing the Act. 2. State and local governments, which will receive funding and guidance for HAB management. 3. Indian tribes and local communities affected by HABs. 4. Industries such as fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer production, which may be impacted by HAB-related regulations.
**Potential Impact & Implications**
The bill's impact is likely to be minimal, given the lack of teeth in its provisions. The increased funding for research will probably benefit a select few researchers and institutions, while the Task Force's recommendations will likely gather dust on some bureaucrat's shelf.
In reality, this bill is just another example of Congress's favorite pastime: pretending to address a problem without actually doing anything meaningful. The real disease here is not HABs or hypoxia but rather the chronic condition of bureaucratic inertia and special interest-driven policymaking.
Diagnosis: Legislative Theateritis – a condition characterized by grandiose language, empty promises, and a complete lack of substance. Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, followed by a strong prescription of critical thinking and fact-based analysis.
Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No committee contributions found
No individual contributions found
This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
ID: B001230
Top Contributors
10
ID: C001035
Top Contributors
10
ID: C001056
Top Contributors
10
ID: M001176
Top Contributors
10
ID: P000595
Top Contributors
10
ID: W000802
Top Contributors
10
ID: M001153
Top Contributors
10
ID: C001088
Top Contributors
10
ID: P000145
Top Contributors
10
ID: C001075
Top Contributors
10
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 71 nodes and 45 connections (75 secondary connections hidden)
Total contributions: $1,323,344
Showing top 18 donors by contribution amount
Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 3 helped.
Section 2(d)(1)(B)(iii) includes consultation with 'appropriate industries (including fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer)' in carrying out Task Force duties, indicating potential benefits to agribusiness through collaborative research and mitigation strategies.
Section 2(d)(1)(B)(iii) includes consultation with 'appropriate industries (including fisheries, agriculture, and fertilizer)' which encompasses crop producers, suggesting potential benefits from research and mitigation efforts related to harmful algal blooms affecting agricultural runoff.
Section 3(2)(B)(II) includes 'real estate' among impacted industries in economic impact assessments, suggesting the bill's mitigation efforts could protect property values in affected areas.
For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.
This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.
— 429 — Environmental Protection Agency As a matter of broad practice, OW should be complying with statutorily estab- lished deadlines in all situations with only minimal exceptions. In cases where statutory deadlines will not be met, senior management should be made aware of the delay and should have an opportunity to determine whether alternative courses should be taken. Depending on the outcome of regulations from the Biden Administration as well as intervention by the Supreme Court on both waters of the United States (WOTUS) and CWA Section 401,29 the repeal and reissuance of new regulations should be pursued. New Policies New regulations should include the following: l A WOTUS rule that makes clear what is and is not a “navigable water” and respects private property rights. Coordinate with Congress to develop legislation, if necessary, to codify the definition in Rapanos v. United States that “waters of the United States” can refer only to “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing bodies of water…as opposed to ordinarily dry channels through which water occasionally or intermittently flows.”30 l A rule that provides clarity and regulatory certainty regarding the CWA Section 401 water quality certification process to limit unnecessary delay for needed projects, including by establishing a discharge-only approach with a limited scope (from point sources into navigable waters), assessing only water quality factors that are consistent with specific CWA sections, and excluding speculative analysis regarding future potential harm. l A rule to ensure that CWA Section 30831 has a clear and enforced time limit. l A rule to clarify the standard for criminal negligence under CWA Sections 40232 and 404.33 l A rule to prohibit retroactive or preemptive permits under CWA Section 404. l A rule to promote and shape nutrient trading that utilizes a carrot-versus- stick approach when dealing with nutrient compliance. l A rule to update compensatory mitigation that imposes no new or additional requirements beyond current law. l A rule on updates necessary for the effective use of the CWA needs survey. — 430 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l An executive order requiring EPA to find avenues and expedite the process for states obtaining primacy in available CWA and SDWA programs. This order would require coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior. l Implementation of additional policies to address challenges in water workforce, issues surrounding timely actions on primacy applications, and cybersecurity. Budget While the overall goal is certainly to reduce government spending, there is one very targeted area where increased spending would be in the nation’s interest. The Clean Water Act needs survey is the entire basis for how congressionally appro- priated funds directed to state revolving funds—standard annual appropriations that are the true underpinning of all infrastructure funding for drinking water and clean water—are distributed by EPA across the country. Because this program is currently underfunded, money is being thrown at untargeted locations while water infrastructure is crumbling at other locations. Increased targeted funding would greatly benefit water systems across the country at a time when intervention is crucial, leaving fewer communities with significant water service challenges. Personnel OW would benefit greatly from the reshifting of SES employees to different programs and from headquarters out to regional offices. OFFICE OF LAND AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (OLEM) OLEM’s mission is to partner with other federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, and communities to clean up legacy pollution and revitalize land for reuse. OLEM executes this mission by protecting human health and the envi- ronment while leveraging economic opportunities and creating jobs. OLEM also oversees the agency’s emergency response. The main statutes that OLEM exe- cutes are the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)34 to regulate waste management; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)35 to clean up Superfund sites and provide resources for cleaning up brownfields sites; and Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act36 to reduce the likelihood of accidental chemical releases. Needed Reforms OLEM’s main function is to oversee the execution of cleanups under CERCLA and RCRA; therefore, it is critical that OLEM staff focus on project management more than policy creation. Emphasizing productivity more than process and policies
Policy matches are calculated using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text. A score of 60% or higher indicates meaningful thematic overlap. This does not imply direct causation or intent, but highlights areas where legislation aligns with Project 2025 policy objectives.
Tradeable Energy Performance Standards Act
Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In Freezers".