[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1674 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1674

 To authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, 
    and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, to be carried out by the National Weather Service, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2005

    Mr. Boehlert (for himself, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Ehlers, and Mr. Wu) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                                Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, 
    and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, to be carried out by the National Weather Service, 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 ``United States Tsunami Warning and 
Education Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to improve tsunami detection, forecasting, warnings, 
        notification, preparedness, and mitigation to protect life and 
        property both in the United States and elsewhere in the world;
            (2) to enhance and modernize the existing Pacific Tsunami 
        Warning System to increase coverage, reduce false alarms and 
        increase the accuracy of forecasts and warnings, and to expand 
        detection and warning systems to include other vulnerable 
        States and United States territories, including the Atlantic 
        Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico areas;
            (3) to improve mapping, modeling, research, and assessment 
        efforts to improve tsunami forecasting, preparedness, 
        mitigation, response, and recovery;
            (4) to improve and increase education and outreach 
        activities and ensure that those receiving tsunami warnings and 
        the at-risk public know what to do when a tsunami is 
        approaching;
            (5) to provide technical and other assistance to speed 
        international efforts to establish regional tsunami warning 
        systems in vulnerable areas worldwide, including the Indian 
        Ocean; and
            (6) to improve Federal, State, and international 
        coordination for tsunami and other coastal hazard warnings and 
        preparedness.

SEC. 3. TSUNAMI FORECASTING AND WARNING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, shall 
operate a program to provide tsunami forecasting and warnings for the 
Pacific Ocean region and for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and 
Gulf of Mexico region.
    (b) Components.--The program under this section shall--
            (1) include the tsunami warning centers established under 
        subsection (d);
            (2) provide tsunami forecasting capability based on models 
        and measurements, including tsunami inundation models and maps 
        for use in increasing the preparedness of communities, 
        including through the TsunamiReady program;
            (3) include a cooperative effort among the National Oceanic 
        and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Geological 
        Survey, and the National Science Foundation under which the 
        Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation shall 
        provide rapid and reliable seismic information to the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from international and 
        domestic seismic networks;
            (4) provide a capability for the dissemination of warnings 
        to at-risk States and tsunami communities through rapid and 
        reliable notification to government officials and the public 
        through such means as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration weather radio and the All Hazard Alert 
        Broadcasting Radio; and
            (5) include any technology the Administrator considers 
        appropriate to fulfill the objectives of the program under this 
        section.
    (c) System Areas.--The program under this section shall operate--
            (1) a Pacific tsunami warning system capable of forecasting 
        tsunamis anywhere in the Pacific Ocean region and providing 
        adequate warnings; and
            (2) an Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico 
        tsunami warning system capable of forecasting tsunamis and 
        providing adequate warnings in areas of the Atlantic Ocean, 
        Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico that the National Weather 
        Service determines--
                    (A) to be geologically active, or to have 
                significant potential for geological activity; and
                    (B) to pose significant risks of tsunamis for 
                States along the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean, 
                Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico.
    (d) Tsunami Warning Centers.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator, through the National 
        Weather Service, shall maintain or establish--
                    (A) a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii;
                    (B) a West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center 
                in Alaska; and
                    (C) any additional forecast and warning centers 
                determined by the National Weather Service to be 
                necessary.
            (2) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of each tsunami 
        warning center shall include--
                    (A) continuously monitoring data from 
                seismological, deep ocean, and tidal monitoring 
                stations;
                    (B) evaluating earthquakes that have the potential 
                to generate tsunamis;
                    (C) evaluating deep ocean buoy data and tidal 
                monitoring stations for indications of tsunami 
                resulting from earthquakes and other sources;
                    (D) disseminating forecasts and tsunami warning 
                bulletins to Federal, State, and local government 
                officials and the public;
                    (E) coordinating with the tsunami hazard mitigation 
                program described in section 4 to ensure ongoing 
                sharing of information between forecasters and 
                emergency management officials; and
                    (F) making data gathered under this Act and post-
                warning analyses conducted by the National Weather 
                Service available to researchers.
    (e) Transfer of Technology; Maintenance and Upgrades.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the National 
        Weather Service shall--
                    (A) develop requirements for the equipment used to 
                forecast tsunamis, which shall include provisions for 
                multipurpose detection platforms, reliability and 
                performance metrics, and to the maximum extent 
                practicable how the equipment will be integrated with 
                other United States and global ocean and coastal 
                observation systems, the global earth observing system 
                of systems, global seismic networks, and the Advanced 
                National Seismic System; and
                    (B) develop and execute a plan for the transfer of 
                technology from ongoing research described in section 5 
                into the program under this section.
            (2) Report to congress.--(A) Not later than 1 year after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the National Weather Service 
        shall transmit to Congress a report on how the tsunami forecast 
        system under this section will be integrated with other United 
        States and global ocean and coastal observation systems, the 
        global earth observing system of systems, global seismic 
        networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System.
            (B) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment to 
        this Act, the National Weather Service shall transmit a report 
        to Congress on how technology developed under section 5 is 
        being transferred into the program under this section.
    (f) Congressional Notifications.--The Administrator shall notify 
the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
House of Representatives Committee on Science within 3 months of--
            (1) impaired regional forecasting capabilities due to 
        equipment or system failures; and
            (2) significant contractor failures or delays in completing 
        work associated with the tsunami forecasting and warning 
        system.
    (g) External Review.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall enter into an arrangement with the 
National Academy of Sciences to review the tsunami detection, forecast, 
and warning program operated by the National Weather Service under this 
Act to assess further modernization and coverage needs, as well as 
long-term operational reliability issues, taking into account measures 
implemented under this Act. The review shall also include an assessment 
of how well the forecast equipment has been integrated into other 
United States and global ocean and coastal observation systems and the 
global earth observing system of systems. Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a 
report containing the National Academy of Sciences' recommendations, 
the Administrator's responses to the recommendations, including those 
where the Administrator disagrees with the Academy, a timetable to 
implement the accepted recommendations, and the cost of implementing 
all the Academy's recommendations, to the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee 
on Science.

SEC. 4. TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, shall 
conduct a community-based tsunami hazard mitigation program to improve 
tsunami preparedness of at-risk areas in the United States and its 
territories.
    (b) Coordinating Committee.--In conducting the program under this 
section, the Administrator shall establish a coordinating committee 
comprising representatives of Federal, State, local, and tribal 
government officials. The committee shall--
            (1) recommend how funds appropriated for carrying out the 
        program under this section will be allocated;
            (2) ensure that areas described in section 3(c) in the 
        United States and its territories can have the opportunity to 
        participate in the program; and
            (3) provide recommendations to the National Weather Service 
        on how to improve the TsunamiReady program, particularly on 
        ways to make communities more tsunami resilient through the use 
        of inundation maps and other mitigation practices.
    (c) Program Components.--The program under this section shall--
            (1) use National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        inundation models to improve the quality and extent of 
        inundation mapping, including assessment of vulnerable inner 
        coastal areas;
            (2) promote and improve community outreach and education 
        networks and programs to ensure community readiness, including 
        the development of multi-hazard risk and vulnerability 
        assessment training and decision support tools, implementation 
        of technical training and public education programs, and 
        provide for certification of prepared communities;
            (3) integrate tsunami preparedness and mitigation programs 
        into ongoing hazard warning and risk management programs in 
        affected areas;
            (4) promote the adoption of tsunami warning and mitigation 
        measures by Federal, State, tribal, and local governments and 
        nongovernmental entities, including educational programs to 
        discourage development in high-risk areas; and
            (5) provide for periodic external review of the program.

SEC. 5. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration shall, in consultation with other agencies and academic 
institutions, establish or maintain a tsunami research program to 
develop detection, forecast, communication, and mitigation science and 
technology, including advanced sensing techniques, information and 
communication technology, data collection, analysis, and assessment for 
tsunami tracking and numerical forecast modeling. Such research program 
shall--
            (1) consider other appropriate research to mitigate the 
        impact of tsunamis;
            (2) coordinate with the National Weather Service on 
        technology to be transferred to operations; and
            (3) ensure that research and findings are available to the 
        scientific community.

SEC. 6. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NETWORK.

    (a) International Tsunami Warning System.--The Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National 
Weather Service, in coordination with other members of the United 
States Interagency Committee of the National Tsunami Mitigation 
Program, shall provide technical assistance and training to the 
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the World Meteorological 
Organization, and other international entities, as part of 
international efforts to develop a fully functional global tsunami 
forecast and warning system comprising regional tsunami warning 
networks, modeled on the International Tsunami Warning System of the 
Pacific.
    (b) International Tsunami Information Center.--The Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the 
National Weather Service, shall operate an International Tsunami 
Information Center to improve tsunami preparedness for all Pacific 
Ocean nations participating in the International Tsunami Warning System 
of the Pacific, and which may also provide such assistance to other 
nations participating in a global tsunami warning system established 
through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. As part of its 
responsibilities around the world, the Center shall--
            (1) monitor international tsunami warning activities around 
        the world;
            (2) assist member states in establishing national warning 
        systems, and make information available on current technologies 
        for tsunami warning systems;
            (3) maintain a library of materials to promulgate knowledge 
        about tsunamis in general and for use by the scientific 
        community; and
            (4) disseminate information, including educational 
        materials and research reports.
    (c) Detection Equipment; Technical Advice and Training.--In 
carrying out this section, the National Weather Service--
            (1) shall give priority to assisting nations in identifying 
        vulnerable coastal areas, creating inundation maps, obtaining 
        or designing real-time detection and reporting equipment, and 
        establishing communication and warning networks and contact 
        points in each vulnerable nation; and
            (2) may establish a process for transfer of detection and 
        communication technology to affected nations for the purposes 
        of establishing the international tsunami warning system.
    (d) Data-Sharing Requirement.--The National Weather Service may not 
provide assistance under this section for any nation unless that nation 
agrees to share relevant data or products associated with the 
development and operation of the tsunami warning network in that 
region.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration $30,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2006 through 2008 to carry out this Act. Of the amounts 
appropriated for any fiscal year authorized under this Act--
            (1) 70 percent shall be for the tsunami forecast and 
        warning systems under section 3 and international activities 
        under section 6;
            (2) 20 percent shall be for the tsunami hazard mitigation 
        program under section 4; and
            (3) 10 percent shall be for the tsunami research program 
        under section 5.
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