Rep. Kowall offered the following concurrent resolution:

            House Concurrent Resolution No. 33.  

            A concurrent resolution to urge the federal government to properly fund beach monitoring without additional new requirements and to support real-time monitoring of beaches.

            Whereas, Michigan beaches are highly valued by its citizens and iconic to the state. Ensuring beaches are safe for swimming is paramount to the state of Michigan; and

            Whereas, Michigan conducts extensive water quality monitoring to protect public health. Beaches are monitored by local health departments using three water samples, sanitary surveys, and predictive models; and are protected with best management practices, including green infrastructure to minimize the impact of stormwater runoff; and

            Whereas, The state of Michigan supports the use of new tools to quickly identify and correct sources of pollution at beaches. Current testing methods provide results in a day, but new technology provides test results within hours. Governor Rick Snyder and the Legislature approved a budget for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality that includes $500,000 from the Water Quality and Use Initiative for the statewide implementation of real-time beach testing methods; and

            Whereas, Congress has not fully supported Michigan and other coastal states' efforts to monitor beaches. The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act is intended to protect public health at coastal beaches through grants to state beach monitoring programs. However, funding for the BEACH Act has been lacking. Since 2000, Congress has authorized $30 million but only appropriated $10 million, and for the past three years, President Barack Obama has proposed no funding to implement the BEACH Act. Furthermore, the General Accounting Office reported that, under the current funding formula, Michigan receives less than an equitable share of the grant funds; and

            Whereas, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new BEACH Act grant conditions that counter state efforts and may lead to less beach monitoring. The proposed conditions would require states to initiate a resource‑intensive effort to make minor modifications to water quality standards with minimal additional human health protection; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we urge the federal government to properly fund BEACH Act monitoring to ensure the safety of our beaches and to provide this funding without additional new requirements; and be it further

            Resolved, That we urge the federal government to support Michigan's implementation of real-time beach monitoring so citizens can know if it is safe to swim before they enter the water; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.