PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · May 22, 2007
Ballast Water Management Act of 2007 - Amends the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 to direct the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to issue regulations to prevent the introduction and spread of nonindigenous aquatic species in waters of the United States (under current law, of aquatic nuisance species into the Great Lakes).
Directs the Secretary to: (1) issue regulations to establish national ballast water discharge standards that limit the number of living organisms contained in ballast water discharged from vessels into waters of the United States; and (2) determine whether one or more alternative ballast water management methods are available to achieve those standards.
Requires vessel operators to conduct all ballast water management operations in accordance with a ballast water management plan designed to minimize the discharge of aquatic nuisance species.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Regulates ballast tank sediment management.
Removes provisions allowing, except in the Great Lakes, a vessel to exchange ballast water in a harbor if it has, because of safety, not done so at sea.
Replaces a ballast water management demonstration program with a shipboard technology evaluation and demonstration program to evaluate alternative ballast water management methods aboard vessels to prevent aquatic nuisance species from being introduced into and spread through discharges of ballast water in waters of the United States.
Requires a program to demonstrate and verify technologies and practices to monitor and control the introduction of aquatic invasive species by ship pathways other than the release of ballast water.
People & committees
Rep. LaTourette, Steven C. [R-OH-14] · R–OH
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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