# 119-hr-3819: PROTECT Florida Act

119-hr-3819, PROTECT Florida Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21] (R-FL); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3819
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-3819
- Congress: 119
- Title: PROTECT Florida Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-06-06
- Sponsor: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-21] (R-FL)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Water Resources Development
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Prioritizes public health over other water project goals in Central and Southern Florida operations.** This bill would require the Secretary of the Army to manage Lake Okeechobee and the Central and Southern Florida water system to minimize toxic cyanobacteria, protect the Herbert Hoover Dike, and ensure water quality and flows reach downstream users and restoration areas. - Families and downstream users: Would aim to reduce toxic algal blooms and prevent discharges containing cyanobacteria or related toxins into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds, improving public health and recreational water safety. - Tribes, parks, and the Everglades: Would require necessary water volume and quality to reach tribal lands, Everglades National Park, Florida Bay, and the greater Everglades to support habitat restoration. - Operations and planning: Would direct the Secretary to overlay public health considerations across the six authorized Central and Southern Florida project purposes, update or create a Master Operational Manual with the State of Florida, and commission a National Academies study of legacy pollution and soil amendments to propose remedies. - Funding and treatment rules: Authorizes such sums as are necessary to implement the Act and bars using restoration funds for deep well injection of excess or flood waters.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Put public health first in Florida water operations: benefit, medium. This bill would require the Army Corps to run Central and South Florida water projects with public health as the top guide. It would aim to cut toxic algae and avoid sending polluted water to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee watersheds. It would protect the Herbert Hoover Dike and ensure clean wate…
- Study legacy pollution in Florida waters: benefit, low. This bill would have the Army, with the National Academies, study old pollution and nutrient loading. The study would review soil changes and how they affect Everglades restoration. It would propose fixes to reduce harm to downstream waters. Work would begin after enactment.
- Open-ended funding for Florida water fixes: mixed, high. This bill would let Congress provide "such sums as are necessary" to carry out the Act. There would be no set dollar cap. If Congress later approves funds, agencies could use them to implement the plan and studies.

## Related bills

- 119-hr-5300: Department of State Policy Provisions Act
- 119-hr-9086: Foreign Service Modernization Act
- 119-hr-6976: Duty Status Reform Act
- 119-hr-6766: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4107: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025
- 119-hr-2377: National Garden for America’s 250th Anniversary Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-3819 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3819)

## Related
- [119-hr-5300: Department of State Policy Provisions Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5300)
- [119-hr-9086: Foreign Service Modernization Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9086)
- [119-hr-6976: Duty Status Reform Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6976)
- [119-hr-6766: Essential Caregivers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6766)
- [119-hr-4107: GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4107)
- [119-hr-2377: National Garden for America’s 250th Anniversary Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2377)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3819 (as of 2026-04-21).