SAFE for Manatees Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9590 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9590

     To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on
   alternative habitat for certain manatees, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 2, 2026

    Mr. Webster of Florida (for himself and Ms. Wasserman Schultz)
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

     To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on
   alternative habitat for certain manatees, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Study and Assessment of Future
Ecosystems for Manatees Act'' or the ``SAFE for Manatees Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON ALTERNATIVE HABITAT FOR CERTAIN MANATEES.

    (a) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a study on locations that
could function as habitat for manatees that are currently utilizing
areas in Florida around coastal industrial sites subject to
decommissioning actions that will affect water temperatures in such
areas.
    (b) Requirements.--In conducting the study under subsection (a),
the Secretary shall--
            (1) identify and assess locations that could function as
        habitat for manatees described in subsection (a), including--
                    (A) locations of natural warm water not currently
                used by manatees; and
                    (B) locations where artificial warm water refugia
                for manatees could be constructed; and
            (2) develop, in consultation with the Secretary of the
        Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, potential methods
        to create artificial warm water refugia for manatees described
        in subsection (a) and plans for the construction of such
        refugia.
    (c) Coordination.--In conducting the study under subsection (a),
the Secretary shall coordinate with the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall make publicly available a
report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a).
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Manatee.--The term ``manatee'' means a member of the
        species trichechus manatus.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
        of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United
        States Fish and Wildlife Service.
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