HR3814-119

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Puerto Rico Business & Economic Assessment of Coastal Hazards and Erosion Study Act or the Puerto Rico BEACHES Act.

2. Study on coastal erosion The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study, and submit to Congress a report thereon, on the effects of erosion, including the loss of beaches, dunes, and wetlands, on tourism, fisheries, and businesses, throughout coastal areas in Puerto Rico. In conducting the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall coordinate and consult with relevant local agencies, including the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development, and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. The Comptroller General shall include in the report submitted under subsection (a) any recommendations— on how to ameliorate any environmental factors that may be affecting businesses in the areas described in subsection (a); and to address any challenges experienced by industries as a result of erosion in coastal areas. In this section, the term coastal area means a marine or freshwater area within or adjacent to a coastal State, including— a coastal wetland or watershed; coastal water; a coastal bay; a coastline; and an estuary and associated upland.