[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2486 Reported in House (RH)]

                                                 Union Calendar No. 295
107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2486

                          [Report No. 107-495]

   To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct research and 
  development, training, and outreach activities relating to tropical 
    cyclone inland forecasting improvement, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 2001

Mr. Etheridge (for himself, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Brady 
of Texas, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Mr. Price of North 
  Carolina, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Markey, Ms. Jackson-Lee of 
 Texas, Ms. McKinney, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Hoeffel, Mrs. 
  Clayton, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Diaz-Balart) introduced the following 
          bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

                              June 5, 2002

 Additional sponsors: Mr. Frost, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Ortiz, Ms. Hart, Mr. 
     Watt of North Carolina, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. Ehlers

                              June 5, 2002

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
 [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 
                               12, 2001]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct research and 
  development, training, and outreach activities relating to tropical 
    cyclone inland forecasting improvement, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Inland Flood Forecasting and Warning 
System Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the 
United States Weather Research Program, shall--
            (1) improve the capability to accurately forecast inland 
        flooding (including inland flooding influenced by coastal and 
        ocean storms) through research and modeling;
            (2) develop, test, and deploy a new flood warning index 
        that will give the public and emergency management officials 
        fuller, clearer, and more accurate information about the risks 
        and dangers posed by expected floods;
            (3) train emergency management officials, National Weather 
        Service personnel, meteorologists, and others as appropriate 
        regarding improved forecasting techniques for inland flooding, 
        risk management techniques, and use of the inland flood warning 
        index developed under paragraph (2); and
            (4) conduct outreach and education activities for local 
        meteorologists and the public regarding the dangers and risks 
        associated with inland flooding and the use and understanding 
        of the inland flood warning index developed under paragraph 
        (2).

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration for carrying out this Act $1,150,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2007. Of the amounts authorized 
under this section, $250,000 for each fiscal year shall be available 
for competitive merit-reviewed grants to institutions of higher 
education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) to develop models that can improve the ability 
to forecast the coastal and estuary-inland flooding that is influenced 
by tropical cyclones. The models should incorporate the interaction of 
such factors as storm surges, soil saturation, and other relevant 
phenomena.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter through fiscal year 2007, the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration shall transmit to the Committee on 
Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on its activities 
under this Act and the success and acceptance of the inland flood 
warning index developed under section 2(2) by the public and emergency 
management professionals.
            Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to authorize the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the 
        United States Weather Research Program, to conduct research and 
        development, training, and outreach activities relating to 
        inland flood forecasting improvement, and for other 
        purposes.''.




                                                 Union Calendar No. 295

107th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2486

                          [Report No. 107-495]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct research and 
  development, training, and outreach activities relating to tropical 
    cyclone inland forecasting improvement, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              June 5, 2002

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
          on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed