BEACH Act of 2025

The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2025, or BEACH Act of 2025, aims to improve the monitoring and assessment of water quality in coastal recreation areas. It amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to broaden the scope of waters covered by monitoring grants, specifically including nearby shallow upstream waters and waters directly present on beaches , not just those adjacent to them. A significant provision allows states and local governments receiving these grants to use funds for identifying specific sources of contamination within these expanded coastal recreation waters. The bill also reauthorizes appropriations for the grant program, providing $30,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to support these monitoring and source identification efforts. Furthermore, it directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that guidance provided to states reflects the latest innovations in water contamination testing technologies .