BEACH Act of 2025
BEACH Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# BEACH Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What It Does:** The BEACH Act would extend and expand an existing EPA program that helps states and local governments monitor water quality at beaches and coastal recreational areas. Currently, the program funds testing and public warnings when water becomes unsafe for swimming. This bill would add new capabilities: identifying what's causing contamination (like harmful bacteria), and monitoring not just beaches themselves but also shallow upstream waters that feed into them. The program would continue through 2029. **Who It Affects:** Beach communities, state and local environmental agencies, and the general public who swim, surf, or fish at coastal beaches would benefit from improved water quality monitoring and public health alerts.
The bill requires no new funding mechanism mentioned in the summary—it simply reauthorizes and expands the existing grant program. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee (S. 508), sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), and has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. It remains in the early legislative stage.
CRS Official Summary
Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025 or the BEACH Act of 2025This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and expands an existing program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that awards grants to states and local governments to (1) monitor the water quality of coastal recreational waters adjacent to beaches or similar points of access that are used by the public; and (2) notify the public, local governments, and the EPA when the water is not safe for recreational activities.Specifically, the bill expands the program to allow the EPA to award grants for identifying sources of contamination (i.e., pathogens) for coastal recreation waters. It also allows grants to be used for monitoring and notification of contamination in (1) shallow waters upstream from recreational waters, and (2) recreational waters on beaches.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.