Authorizing an independent environmental assessment by the University of South Alabama of maintenance dredging operations in Mobile Bay

This bill authorizes the University of South Alabama to conduct an independent environmental assessment of maintenance dredging operations in Mobile Bay. The study will evaluate short-term and long-term impacts on the bay's ecosystem, compare different methods for disposing dredged material, and identify gaps in current research. The university is also tasked with developing mitigation strategies to reduce environmental harm and conducting an economic analysis of the dredging program's importance to local industries. Results from the one-year assessment must be made available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.