Fund the BEACH Act FY2026

Hundreds of millions of Americans and visitors enjoy U.S. beaches every year, trusting that the water is safe for recreation. The Surfrider Foundation has long been advocating for congressional support for the EPA’s BEACH Act grant program that provides funding to coastal states to run their beach water quality monitoring and public notification programs. This program is critical to provide families with the information they need to stay safe at the beach and to safeguard our valuable coastal tourism-based economies. The President’s Budget for FY2026 proposes to eliminate all funding for this critical public health program. Without continued federal funding, beach water quality monitoring programs in many coastal states will stop completely. Other states will be forced to cut back on testing by shortening their sampling seasons, testing fewer beaches or less frequently - leaving public health unprotected in many instances. 

There are other important programs at EPA vital to protecting clean water and healthy communities that are also on the budget chopping block this year. The President’s Budget is calling for deep cuts and the potential complete elimination of EPA grant programs that states and communities rely on to help pay for wastewater infrastructure projects to restore clean water and protect public health from sewage spills.

In fact, the President’s budget proposes to reduce the agency’s overall budget by 55%!  A funding reduction of this size would cripple the EPA’s ability to enforce the Clean Water Act and other critical public health and environmental regulations, resulting in more pollution in our nation’s waterways and coastal communities. 

The Surfrider Foundation is asking Congress to reject the drastic cuts proposed in the President’s budget and to ensure that the EPA has the funding and support it needs to ensure that our environment, economy, and, most importantly, our families’ health are protected. We are also asking, specifically, for at least level funding for the EPA’s BEACH Act Grants program in the FY2026 budget.

Join us by sending an email to Congress asking them to support clean water and healthy coastal communities and beaches.