1.This Act may be cited as the
National Hurricane Research Initiative
Act of 2011
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The term eligible entities means Federal,
State, regional, and local government agencies and departments, tribal
governments, universities, research institutes, for-profit entities, and
nongovernmental organizations.
(2)The term Indian tribe has the meaning given
the term in section 102 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of
1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a).
(3)The
term Initiative means the National Hurricane Research Initiative
established under section 3(a)(1).
(4)The
term State means any State of the United States, the District of
Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
(5)The term tribal government means the
governing body of an Indian tribe.
(6)The term Under Secretary means the Under
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere.
3.National
Hurricane Research Initiative
(a)
(1)The Under Secretary shall establish an initiative to be
known as the National Hurricane Research Initiative for the
purposes described in paragraph (2). The Initiative shall consist of—
(A)the activities
carried out under this section; and
(B)the research
carried out under section 4.
(2)The
purposes described in this paragraph are as follows:
(A)To conduct
research, incorporating to the maximum extent practicable the needs of eligible
entities, to enable the following:
(i)Improvement of the
understanding and prediction of hurricanes and other tropical storms,
including—
(I)storm tracking and
prediction;
(II)forecasting of
storm formation, intensity, and wind and rain patterns, both within the tropics
and as the storms move poleward;
(III)storm surge
modeling, inland flood modeling, and coastal erosion;
(IV)the interaction
with and impacts of storms with the natural and built environment; and
(V)the impacts to and
response of society to destructive storms, including the socioeconomic impacts
requiring emergency management, response, and recovery.
(ii)Development of
infrastructure that is resilient to the forces associated with hurricanes and
other tropical storms.
(iii)Mitigation of
the impacts of hurricanes on coastal populations, the coastal built
environment, and natural resources, including—
(I)coral
reefs;
(II)mangroves;
(III)wetlands;
and
(IV)other natural
systems that can reduce hurricane wind and flood forces.
(iv)Improvement of
communication with the public about hurricane forecasts and risks associated
with hurricanes to reduce the harmful impacts of hurricanes and improve the
response of society to destructive storms.
(B)To provide
training for the next generation of hurricane researchers and
forecasters.
(b)
(1)Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Under Secretary shall, in coordination with the Director of the
National Science Foundation, develop a detailed, 5-year implementation plan for
the Initiative that—
(A)incorporates the
priorities for Federal science and technology investments set forth in the June
2005 publication, Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, and in
related 2008 implementation plans for hurricane and coastal inundation hazards
of the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the Committee on Environment and
Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council;
(B)to the extent
practicable and as appropriate, establishes strategic goals, benchmarks,
milestones, and a set of systematic criteria and performance metrics by which
the overall effectiveness of the Initiative may be evaluated on a periodic
basis, including evaluation of mechanisms for the effective transition of
research to operations and the application of research results for reducing
hurricane losses and related public benefits; and
(C)identifies
opportunities to leverage the results of the research carried out under section
4 with other Federal and non-Federal hurricane research, coordination, and
loss-reduction initiatives, such as—
(i)the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Program established by section 204(a) of the
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 15703);
(ii)the National
Flood Insurance Program established under chapter 1 of the National Flood
Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4011 et seq.);
(iii)the initiatives
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.);
(iv)wind hazard
mitigation initiatives carried out by a State;
(v)the Science
Advisory Board, Social Science Working Group, and Hurricane Forecast
Improvement Project of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
and
(vi)the Working Group
for Tropical Cyclone Research of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for
Meteorological Services and Supporting Research.
(2)Not
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under
Secretary shall make the implementation plan required by paragraph (1)
available for review by the following:
(A)The Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(B)The Secretary of
Homeland Security.
(C)The Director of
the National Institute for Standards and Technology.
(D)The Commanding
General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
(E)The Commander of
the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.
(F)The Associate
Administrator for Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
(G)The Director of
the U.S. Geological Survey.
(H)The Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(I)The Director of
the National Economic Council.
(3)The
Under Secretary shall revise the implementation plan required by paragraph (1)
not less frequently than once every 5 years.
(c)
(1)Establishment of
research objectivesThe Under Secretary shall, in consultation
with the Director of the National Science Foundation, establish objectives for
research carried out pursuant to section 4 that are—
(A)consistent with
the purposes described in subsection (a)(2); and
(B)based on the
findings of the expert assessments and strategies published in the
following:
(i)The June 2005
publication entitled, Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, and
the related 2008 implementation plans for hurricane and coastal inundation
hazards of the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the Committee on
Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology
Council.
(ii)The January 2007
report by the National Science Board entitled, Hurricane Warning: The
Critical Need for a National Hurricane Initiative.
(iii)The February
2007 report by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological
Services and Supporting Research entitled, Interagency Strategic Research
Plan for Tropical Cyclones: The Way Ahead.
(iv)Reports from the
Hurricane Intensity Working Group of the National Science Advisory Board of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(2)The objectives required by paragraph (1) shall
provide for 3 areas of concentration as follows:
(A)Fundamental
hurricane research, which may include research to support continued development
and maintenance of community weather research and forecast models, including
advanced methods of observing storm structure and assimilating observations
into the models, in which the agency or institution hosting the models ensures
broad access and use of the model by the civilian research community.
(B)Technology
assessment and development.
(C)Research on
integration, transition, and application of research results.
(d)National
workshops and conferencesThe Under Secretary may, in
coordination with the Director of the National Science Foundation, carry out a
series of national workshops and conferences that assemble a broad collection
of scientific disciplines—
(1)to address
hurricane-related research questions; and
(2)to encourage
researchers to work collaboratively to carry out the purposes described in
subsection (a)(2).
(e)The Under Secretary shall facilitate the establishment
of a public Internet Web site for the Initiative—
(1)to foster
collaboration and interactive dialogues among the Under Secretary, the Director
of the National Science Foundation, and the public;
(2)to enhance public
access to Initiative documents and products, including—
(A)reports and
publications of the Initiative;
(B)the most recent
5-year implementation plan developed under subsection (b); and
(C)each annual
cross-cut budget and report submitted to Congress under subsection (f);
and
(3)that includes a
publicly accessible clearinghouse of Federal research and development centers
engaged in research and development efforts that are complementary to the
Initiative.
(f)Annual Cross-Cut
Budget and Report
(1)Requirement for
annual cross-cut budget and reportBeginning with the first
fiscal year beginning after the date the Under Secretary completes the
implementation plan required by subsection (b), the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall, in conjunction with the Under Secretary,
the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget, submit to Congress each year, together with documents
submitted to Congress in support of the budget of the President for the fiscal
year beginning in such year (as submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31,
United States Code)—
(A)a coordinated
annual report for the Initiative for the last fiscal year ending before the
date on which the report is submitted; and
(B)a cross-cut budget
for the Initiative for the first fiscal year beginning after the date on which
the report is submitted.
(2)The
report required by paragraph (1)(A) shall—
(A)document the
grants and contracts awarded to eligible entities under section 4;
(B)for each eligible
entity that receives a grant or contract under section 4, identify what major
activities were undertaken with such funds, grants, and contracts; and
(C)for each research
activity or group of activities in an area of concentration described in
subsection (c)(2), as appropriate, identify any accomplishments, which may
include full or partial achievement of any strategic goals, benchmarks,
milestones, or systematic criteria and performance metrics established for the
implementation plan under subsection (b)(1)(B).
4.National
Hurricane Research
(a)National Science
Foundation competitive grant research program
(1)The Director of the National Science Foundation shall, in
coordination with the Under Secretary, establish a program to award grants to
eligible entities to carry out research that is consistent with the research
objectives established under section 3(c)(1).
(2)The
National Science Foundation shall select grant recipients under this section
through its merit review process.
(b)National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration research program
(1)The Under Secretary shall, in coordination with the
Director of the National Science Foundation, carry out a program of research
that is consistent with the research objectives established under section
3(c)(1).
(2)Research carried out under paragraph (1) may be
carried out through—
(A)intramural
research;
(B)awarding grants to
eligible entities to carry out research;
(C)contracting with
eligible entities to carry out research; or
(D)entering into
cooperative agreements to carry out research.
(3)Demonstration
projects authorizedResearch carried out under this subsection
may include demonstration projects.
(c)To
the maximum extent practicable, each entity carrying out research under this
section shall collaborate with existing Federal and federally funded research
centers operating in related fields, for-profit organizations, and
international, regional, State, local, and tribal governments—
(1)to gather and
share experiential information; and
(2)to advance
scientific and engineering knowledge, technology transfer, and technology
commercialization in the course of conduct of hurricane-related research and
its application to mitigating the impacts of hurricanes and other tropical
storms on society.
1.This Act may be cited as the
National Hurricane Research Initiative
Act of 2011
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The term eligible entities means Federal,
State, regional, and local government agencies and departments, tribal
governments, universities, research institutes, for-profit entities, and
nongovernmental organizations.
(2)The term Indian tribe has the meaning given
the term in section 102 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of
1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a).
(3)The
term Initiative means the National Hurricane Research Initiative
established under section 3(a)(1).
(4)The
term State means any State of the United States, the District of
Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
(5)The term tribal government means the
governing body of an Indian tribe.
(6)The term Under Secretary means the Under
Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere.
3.National Hurricane
Research Initiative
(a)
(1)The Under Secretary shall establish an initiative to be
known as the National Hurricane Research Initiative for the
purposes described in paragraph (2). The Initiative shall consist of—
(A)the activities carried
out under this section; and
(B)the research carried out
under section 4.
(2)The
purposes described in this paragraph are as follows:
(A)To conduct research,
incorporating to the maximum extent practicable the needs of eligible entities,
to enable the following:
(i)Improvement of the
understanding and prediction of hurricanes and other tropical storms,
including—
(I)storm tracking and
intensity predictive studies, including hurricane modeling programs at the
mesoscale and convective scale conducted by eligible entities, to improve
hurricane track accuracy and intensity prediction;
(II)forecasting of storm
formation, intensity, and wind and rain patterns, both within the tropics and
as the storms move poleward;
(III)storm surge modeling,
inland flood modeling, and coastal erosion;
(IV)the interaction with and
impacts of storms with the natural and built environment; and
(V)the impacts to and
response of society to destructive storms, including the socioeconomic impacts
requiring emergency management, response, and recovery.
(ii)Development of
infrastructure that is resilient to the forces associated with hurricanes and
other tropical storms.
(iii)Mitigation of the
impacts of hurricanes on coastal populations, the coastal built environment,
and natural resources, including—
(I)coral reefs;
(II)mangroves;
(III)wetlands; and
(IV)other natural systems
that can reduce hurricane wind and flood forces.
(iv)Improvement of
communication with the public about hurricane forecasts and risks associated
with hurricanes to reduce the harmful impacts of hurricanes and improve the
response of society to destructive storms.
(B)To provide training for
the next generation of hurricane researchers and forecasters.
(b)
(1)Not later than 540 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Under Secretary shall, in consultation with the Director of
the National Science Foundation, develop a detailed, 5-year implementation plan
for the Initiative that—
(A)incorporates the
priorities for Federal science and technology investments set forth in the June
2005 publication, Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, and in
related 2008 implementation plans for hurricane and coastal inundation hazards
of the Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the Committee on Environment and
Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council;
(B)to the extent practicable
and as appropriate, establishes strategic goals, benchmarks, milestones, and a
set of systematic criteria and performance metrics by which the overall
effectiveness of the Initiative may be evaluated on a periodic basis, including
evaluation of mechanisms for the effective transition of research to operations
and the application of research results for reducing hurricane losses and
related public benefits; and
(C)identifies opportunities
to leverage the results of the research carried out under section 4 with other
Federal and non-Federal hurricane research, coordination, and loss-reduction
initiatives, such as—
(i)the National Windstorm
Impact Reduction Program established by section 204(a) of the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 15703);
(ii)the National Flood
Insurance Program established under chapter 1 of the National Flood Insurance
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4011 et seq.);
(iii)the initiatives of the
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121
et seq.);
(iv)wind hazard mitigation
initiatives carried out by a State;
(v)the Science Advisory
Board, Social Science Working Group, and Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
(vi)the Working Group for
Tropical Cyclone Research of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for
Meteorological Services and Supporting Research.
(2)Not
later than 540 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under
Secretary shall make the implementation plan required by paragraph (1)
available for review by the following:
(A)The Director of the
National Science Foundation.
(B)The Secretary of Homeland
Security.
(C)The Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(D)The Commanding General of
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
(E)The Commander of the
Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command.
(F)The Associate
Administrator for Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration.
(G)The Director of the U.S.
Geological Survey.
(H)The Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(I)The Director of the
National Economic Council.
(3)The
Under Secretary shall revise the implementation plan required by paragraph (1)
not less frequently than once every 5 years.
(c)
(1)Establishment of
research objectivesThe Under Secretary shall, in consultation
with the Director of the National Science Foundation, establish objectives for
research carried out pursuant to section 4 that are—
(A)consistent with the
purposes described in subsection (a)(2); and
(B)based on the findings of
the expert assessments and strategies published in the following:
(i)The June 2005 publication
entitled, Grand Challenges for Disaster Reduction, and the related
2008 implementation plans for hurricane and coastal inundation hazards of the
Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction of the Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources of the National Science and Technology Council.
(ii)The January 2007 report
by the National Science Board entitled, Hurricane Warning: The Critical
Need for a National Hurricane Initiative.
(iii)The February 2007
report by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and
Supporting Research entitled, Interagency Strategic Research Plan for
Tropical Cyclones: The Way Ahead.
(iv)Reports from the
Hurricane Intensity Working Group of the National Science Advisory Board of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(2)The objectives required by paragraph (1) shall
provide for 3 areas of concentration as follows:
(A)Fundamental hurricane
research, which may include research to support continued development and
maintenance of community weather research and forecast models, including
advanced methods of observing storm structure and assimilating observations
into the models, in which the agency or institution hosting the models ensures
broad access and use of the model by the civilian research community.
(B)Technology assessment and
development.
(C)Research on integration,
transition, and application of research results.
(d)National workshops and
conferencesThe Under Secretary may, in coordination with the
Director of the National Science Foundation, carry out a series of national
workshops and conferences that assemble a broad collection of scientific
disciplines—
(1)to address
hurricane-related research questions; and
(2)to encourage researchers
to work collaboratively to carry out the purposes described in subsection
(a)(2).
(e)The Under Secretary shall facilitate the establishment of a
public Internet Web site for the Initiative—
(1)to foster collaboration
and interactive dialogues among the Under Secretary, the Director of the
National Science Foundation, and the public;
(2)to enhance public access
to Initiative documents and products, including—
(A)reports and publications
of the Initiative;
(B)the most recent 5-year
implementation plan developed under subsection (b); and
(C)each annual cross-cut
budget and report submitted to Congress under subsection (f); and
(3)that includes a publicly
accessible clearinghouse of Federal research and development centers engaged in
research and development efforts that are complementary to the
Initiative.
(f)Biennial Cross-Cut
Budget and Report
(1)Requirement for
biennial cross-cut budget and reportBeginning with the first
fiscal year beginning after the date the Under Secretary completes the
implementation plan required by subsection (b), the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall, in conjunction with the Under Secretary,
the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget, submit to Congress once every 2 years, together with
documents submitted to Congress in support of the budget of the President for
the fiscal year beginning in such year (as submitted pursuant to section 1105
of title 31, United States Code)—
(A)a coordinated biennial
report for the Initiative for the last 2 fiscal years ending before the date on
which the report is submitted; and
(B)a cross-cut budget for
the Initiative for the first fiscal year beginning after the date on which the
report is submitted.
(2)The
report required by paragraph (1)(A) shall—
(A)document the grants and
contracts awarded to eligible entities under section 4;
(B)for each eligible entity
that receives a grant or contract under section 4, identify what major
activities were undertaken with such funds, grants, and contracts; and
(C)for each research
activity or group of activities in an area of concentration described in
subsection (c)(2), as appropriate, identify any accomplishments, which may
include full or partial achievement of any strategic goals, benchmarks,
milestones, or systematic criteria and performance metrics established for the
implementation plan under subsection (b)(1)(B).
4.National Hurricane
Research
(a)National Science
Foundation competitive grant research program
(1)The Director of the National Science Foundation shall, in
coordination with the Under Secretary, establish a program to award grants to
eligible entities to carry out research that is consistent with the research
objectives established under section 3(c)(1).
(2)The
National Science Foundation shall select grant recipients under this section
through its merit review process.
(b)National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration research program
(1)The Under Secretary shall, in coordination with the
Director of the National Science Foundation, carry out a program of research
that is consistent with the research objectives established under section
3(c)(1).
(2)Research carried out under paragraph (1) may be
carried out through—
(A)intramural
research;
(B)awarding grants to
eligible entities to carry out research;
(C)contracting with eligible
entities to carry out research; or
(D)entering into cooperative
agreements to carry out research.
(3)Demonstration projects
authorizedResearch carried out under this subsection may include
demonstration projects.
(c)To
the maximum extent practicable, each entity carrying out research under this
section shall collaborate with existing Federal and federally funded research
centers operating in related fields, for-profit organizations, and
international, regional, State, local, and tribal governments—
(1)to gather and share
experiential information; and
(2)to advance scientific and
engineering knowledge, technology transfer, and technology commercialization in
the course of conduct of hurricane-related research and its application to
mitigating the impacts of hurricanes and other tropical storms on
society.
November 14, 2012
Reported with an amendment