[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3272 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3272

To reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 27, 2011

Mr. Neugebauer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the 
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, 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 ``National Windstorm Impact Reduction 
Act Reauthorization of 2011''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 203(1) of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 
2004 (42 U.S.C. 15702(1)) is amended by striking ``Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy'' and inserting ``Director of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology''.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION PROGRAM.

    Section 204 of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 
(42 U.S.C. 15703) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsections (a), (b), and (c) and inserting 
        the following:
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established the National Windstorm 
Impact Reduction Program, the purpose of which is to achieve major 
measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from 
windstorms through a coordinated Federal effort, in cooperation with 
other levels of government, academia, and the private sector, aimed at 
improving the understanding of windstorms and their impacts and 
developing and encouraging the implementation of cost-effective 
mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.
    ``(b) Responsibilities of Program Agencies.--
            ``(1) Lead agency.--The National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology shall have the primary responsibility for planning 
        and coordinating the Program. In carrying out this paragraph, 
        the Director shall--
                    ``(A) ensure that the Program includes the 
                necessary components to promote the implementation of 
                windstorm risk reduction measures by Federal, State, 
                and local governments, national standards and model 
                building code organizations, architects and engineers, 
                and others with a role in planning and constructing 
                buildings and lifelines;
                    ``(B) support the development of performance-based 
                engineering tools, and work with appropriate groups to 
                promote the commercial application of such tools, 
                including through wind-related model building codes, 
                voluntary standards, and construction best practices;
                    ``(C) request the assistance of Federal agencies 
                other than the Program agencies, as necessary to assist 
                in carrying out this Act;
                    ``(D) coordinate all Federal post-windstorm 
                investigations; and
                    ``(E) when warranted by research or investigative 
                findings, issue recommendations to assist in informing 
                the development of model codes, and provide information 
                to Congress on the use of such recommendations.
            ``(2) National institute of standards and technology.--In 
        addition to the lead agency responsibilities described under 
        paragraph (1), the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology shall be responsible for carrying out research and 
        development to improve model building codes, voluntary 
        standards, and best practices for the design, construction, and 
        retrofit of buildings, structures, and lifelines.
            ``(3) National science foundation.--The National Science 
        Foundation shall support research in engineering and the 
        atmospheric sciences to improve the understanding of the 
        behavior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, 
        structures, and lifelines.
            ``(4) National oceanic and atmospheric administration.--The 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall support 
        atmospheric sciences research to improve the understanding of 
        the behavior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, 
        structures, and lifelines.
            ``(5) Federal emergency management agency.--The Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency shall support the development of 
        risk assessment tools and effective mitigation techniques, 
        windstorm-related data collection and analysis, public 
        outreach, information dissemination, and implementation of 
        mitigation measures consistent with the Agency's all-hazards 
        approach.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c);
            (3) by inserting after subsection (c), as so redesignated, 
        the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Interagency Coordinating Committee on Windstorm Impact 
Reduction.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established an Interagency 
        Coordinating Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction, chaired 
        by the Director.
            ``(2) Membership.--In addition to the chair, the Committee 
        shall be composed of--
                    ``(A) the heads of--
                            ``(i) the Federal Emergency Management 
                        Agency;
                            ``(ii) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration;
                            ``(iii) the National Science Foundation;
                            ``(iv) the Office of Science and Technology 
                        Policy; and
                            ``(v) the Office of Management and Budget; 
                        and
                    ``(B) the head of any other Federal agency the 
                chair considers appropriate.
            ``(3) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not less than 2 
        times a year at the call of the Director of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology.
            ``(4) General purpose and duties.--The Committee shall 
        oversee the planning and coordination of the Program.
            ``(5) Strategic plan.--The Committee shall develop and 
        submit to Congress, not later than one year after the date of 
        enactment of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act 
        Reauthorization of 2011, a Strategic Plan for the Program that 
        includes--
                    ``(A) prioritized goals for the Program that will 
                mitigate against the loss of life and property from 
                future windstorms;
                    ``(B) short-term, mid-term, and long-term research 
                objectives to achieve those goals;
                    ``(C) a description of the role of each Program 
                agency in achieving the prioritized goals;
                    ``(D) the methods by which progress towards the 
                goals will be assessed; and
                    ``(E) an explanation of how the Program will foster 
                the transfer of research results into outcomes, such as 
                improved model building codes.
            ``(6) Progress report.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        date of enactment of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction 
        Act Reauthorization of 2011, the Committee shall submit to the 
        Congress a report on the progress of the Program that 
        includes--
                    ``(A) a description of the activities funded under 
                the Program, a description of how these activities 
                align with the prioritized goals and research 
                objectives established in the Strategic Plan, and the 
                budgets, per agency, for these activities;
                    ``(B) the outcomes achieved by the Program for each 
                of the goals identified in the Strategic Plan;
                    ``(C) a description of any recommendations made to 
                change existing building codes that were the result of 
                Program activities; and
                    ``(D) a description of the extent to which the 
                Program has incorporated recommendations from the 
                Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction.
            ``(7) Coordinated budget.--The Committee shall develop a 
        coordinated budget for the Program, which shall be submitted to 
        the Congress at the time of the President's budget submission 
        for each fiscal year.''; and
            (4) by striking subsections (e) and (f).

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION.

    Section 205 of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 
(42 U.S.C. 15704) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 205. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall establish an Advisory Committee on 
Windstorm Impact Reduction, which shall be composed of at least 7 
members, none of whom may be employees of the Federal Government, 
including representatives of research and academic institutions, 
industry standards development organizations, emergency management 
agencies, State and local government, and business communities who are 
qualified to provide advice on windstorm impact reduction and represent 
all related scientific, architectural, and engineering disciplines. The 
recommendations of the Advisory Committee shall be considered by 
Federal agencies in implementing the Program.
    ``(b) Assessments.--The Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact 
Reduction shall offer assessments on--
            ``(1) trends and developments in the natural and 
        engineering sciences and practices of windstorm impact 
        mitigation;
            ``(2) the priorities of the Program's Strategic Plan;
            ``(3) the coordination of the Program; and
            ``(4) any revisions to the Program which may be necessary.
    ``(c) Compensation.--The members of the Advisory Committee 
established under this section shall serve without compensation.
    ``(d) Reports.--At least every 2 years, the Advisory Committee 
shall report to the Director on the assessments carried out under 
subsection (b) and its recommendations for ways to improve the Program.
    ``(e) Charter.--Notwithstanding section 14(b)(2) of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App), the Advisory Committee shall not 
be required to file a charter subsequent to its initial charter, filed 
under section 9(c) of such Act, before the termination date specified 
in subsection (f) of this section.
    ``(f) Termination.--The Advisory Committee shall terminate on 
September 30, 2014.''.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 207 of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 
(42 U.S.C. 15706) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 207. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Federal Emergency Management Agency.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for carrying 
out this title--
            ``(1) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            ``(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
            ``(3) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.
    ``(b) National Science Foundation.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for carrying out this 
title--
            ``(1) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            ``(2) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
            ``(3) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2014.
    ``(c) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology for carrying out this title--
            ``(1) $5,300,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            ``(2) $5,300,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
            ``(3) $5,300,000 for fiscal year 2014.
    ``(d) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration for carrying out this title--
            ``(1) $2,700,000 for fiscal year 2012;
            ``(2) $2,700,000 for fiscal year 2013; and
            ``(3) $2,700,000 for fiscal year 2014.''.
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