[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 23 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 23

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 6, 2015

Mr. Neugebauer (for himself, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Smith of Texas, 
  Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Bucshon, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. 
   Hultgren, and Ms. Esty) 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 2015''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Director.--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''.
    (b) Lifelines.--Section 203 of the National Windstorm Impact 
Reduction Act of 2004 (42 U.S.C. 15702) is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
        paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(2) Lifelines.--The term `lifelines' means public works 
        and utilities, including transportation facilities and 
        infrastructure, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power and 
        communication facilities and infrastructure, and water supply 
        and sewage treatment facilities.''.

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--
                    ``(A) engineering and the atmospheric sciences to 
                improve the understanding of the behavior of windstorms 
                and their impact on buildings, structures, and 
                lifelines; and
                    ``(B) economic and social factors influencing 
                windstorm risk reduction measures.
            ``(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--
                    ``(A) support--
                            ``(i) the development of risk assessment 
                        tools and effective mitigation techniques;
                            ``(ii) windstorm-related data collection 
                        and analysis;
                            ``(iii) public outreach and information 
                        dissemination; and
                            ``(iv) promotion of the adoption of 
                        windstorm preparedness and mitigation measures, 
                        including for households, businesses, and 
                        communities, consistent with the Agency's all-
                        hazards approach; and
                    ``(B) work closely with national standards and 
                model building code organizations, in conjunction with 
                the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to 
                promote the implementation of research results and 
                promote better building practices within the building 
                design and construction industry, including architects, 
                engineers, contractors, builders, and inspectors.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c), and 
        by striking subsections (e) and (f); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (c), as so redesignated, 
        the following new subsections:
    ``(d) Budget Activities.--The Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, the Director of the National Science 
Foundation, the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall each include in their agency's annual budget request to 
Congress a description of their agency's projected activities under the 
Program for the fiscal year covered by the budget request, along with 
an assessment of what they plan to spend on those activities for that 
fiscal year.
    ``(e) 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 2015, 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 2015, 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.''.

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, engineering, 
        and social 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, 2017.
    ``(g) Conflict of Interest.--An Advisory Committee member shall 
recuse himself from any Advisory Committee activity in which he has an 
actual pecuniary interest.''.

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) $5,332,000 for fiscal year 2015;
            ``(2) $5,332,000 for fiscal year 2016; and
            ``(3) $5,332,000 for fiscal year 2017.
    ``(b) National Science Foundation.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for carrying out this 
title--
            ``(1) $9,682,000 for fiscal year 2015;
            ``(2) $9,682,000 for fiscal year 2016; and
            ``(3) $9,682,000 for fiscal year 2017.
    ``(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) $4,120,000 for fiscal year 2015;
            ``(2) $4,120,000 for fiscal year 2016; and
            ``(3) $4,120,000 for fiscal year 2017.
    ``(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) $2,266,000 for fiscal year 2015;
            ``(2) $2,266,000 for fiscal year 2016; and
            ``(3) $2,266,000 for fiscal year 2017.''.
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