MI HR0405

Urges the federal government to adequately fund the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act to ensure beach safety without imposing additional new requirements on states.

Notes that Congress authorized $30 million for BEACH Act grants since 2000 but only appropriated $10 million, and President Obama proposed no funding for the program in recent years.

States that Michigan receives less than an equitable share of BEACH Act grant funds under the current federal funding formula.

Supports Michigan's implementation of real-time beach monitoring technology that provides test results within hours rather than a day, funded by $500,000 from the state's Water Quality and Use Initiative.

Opposes proposed EPA conditions on BEACH Act grants that would require states to make resource-intensive modifications to water quality standards with minimal additional public health protection.