[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1674 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 422
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 1674
[Report No. 109-698]
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
September 28, 2006
Additional sponsors: Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. Baird, Mr. Case, Ms. Bordallo,
Mr. McDermott, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Jackson-Lee
of Texas, Mr. Costa, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Miller of North Carolina, Mr.
Gordon, Ms. Hooley, Mr. Meeks of New York, Mr. Honda, Mr. Fitzpatrick
of Pennsylvania, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Schwarz of Michigan, Mr. Shays, Mr.
Reichert, and Mr. Farr
September 28, 2006
Reported with an amendment, 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 April
18, 2005]
_______________________________________________________________________
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;
(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 are determined--
(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. NATIONAL 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 Administrator may establish subcommittees to
address region-specific issues. 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 inundation models that meet a standard of accuracy
defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
to improve the quality and extent of inundation mapping,
including assessment of vulnerable inner coastal and nearshore
areas, in a coordinated and standardized fashion to maximize
resources and the utility of data collected;
(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, and with the Coordinating Committee established under
section 4(b), 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;
(3) include social science research to develop and assess
community warning, education, and evacuation materials; and
(4) 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 Hazard 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, in cooperation with the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission, 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, when
deciding to provide assistance under this section, may take into
consideration the data sharing policies and practices of nations
proposed to receive such assistance, with a goal to encourage all
nations to support full and open exchange of data.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this Act--
(1) $26,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which--
(A) 62 percent shall be for the tsunami forecast
and warning systems under section 3 and international
activities under section 6;
(B) 30 percent shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 4; and
(C) 8 percent shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 5;
(2) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which--
(A) 66 percent shall be for the tsunami forecast
and warning systems under section 3 and international
activities under section 6;
(B) 26 percent shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 4; and
(C) 8 percent shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 5; and
(3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which--
(A) 66 percent shall be for the tsunami forecast
and warning systems under section 3 and international
activities under section 6;
(B) 26 percent shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 4; and
(C) 8 percent shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 5.
Union Calendar No. 422
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 1674
[Report No. 109-698]
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 28, 2006
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed