House Passes Bilirakis-Soto Bill to Study Causes of Sinkhole Formation, Provide Public Information on Risk Zones

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed HR 900, the Sinkhole Mapping Act, introduced by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) and Darren Soto (D-FL-09). This bipartisan legislation directs the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct studies on the short- and long-term mechanisms that potentially contribute to the triggering of sinkholes, including extreme storm events, prolonged droughts leading to shifts in water management practices, as well as ongoing aquifer depletion, and other major changes in water use.

“In recent years, we have seen throughout Tampa Bay how dangerous sinkholes can be for neighborhoods. To improve public safety and consumer protection, we need to study the causes and remedies of sinkholes while developing geological maps to delineate the highest risk areas for sinkholes to occur,” said Rep. Bilirakis.

Rep. Soto delivered the following remarks on the House Floor: “I rise in strong support of H.R. 900, the Sinkhole Mapping Act—a bipartisan piece of legislation with my fellow Floridian, Gus Bilirakis.  You know, Mr. Speaker, sinkholes pose a huge problem for Florida and many states, yet we don't have a comprehensive mapping system to help first responders and community planners as was mentioned by our Chairman, Chairman Westerman.  And thank you for agending this bill today, sir.  It costs over $300 million a year.We see in Florida, homes, and community centers, and businesses be affected by this.  And so, having a database that displays potential sinkholes in our Sunshine State and across the nation would absolutely be critical.And that's what this bill does—directs the U.S. Geological Survey to study the short and long-term mechanisms that trigger sinkholes. This includes extreme storms, prolonged droughts, shifts in water management practices, ongoing aquifer depletion, other major water uses.And it's all about having a public website displaying maps depicting zones at greater risk of sinkhole formation, helping with communities, helping save lives, and getting us to have more resilient communities.”

Currently, there is no database displaying all sinkholes in Florida. This presents challenges not just for land developers and residents but also for community planners and first responders. The Sinkhole Mapping Act also directs the USGS Director to open a public website that displays maps depicting zones at greater risk of sinkhole formation, giving community planners and first responders access to critical information.  The Sinkhole Mapping Act now awaits a vote in the Senate.  In addition to Reps. Soto and Bilirakis, the bill was co-sponsored by Florida Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24), as well as Reps. Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Josh Harder (D-CA-09).