Harmful Algal Bloom Disaster Relief Act

This bill, known as the Harmful Algal Bloom Disaster Relief Act, seeks to modify the existing federal disaster relief framework. Its primary purpose is to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which governs federal responses to major disasters and emergencies. Specifically, the legislation expands the definition of a major disaster under the Stafford Act to include algal blooms . By adding algal blooms to this definition, the bill aims to enable communities impacted by these events to access federal disaster aid. This amendment would provide critical support for recovery and mitigation efforts related to harmful algal bloom incidents.