[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 876 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 876
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 7, 2019
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
to carry out a plan for the purchase and installation of an earthquake
early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone, 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; DEFINITION.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Pacific Northwest
Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019''.
(b) Cascadia Subduction Zone Defined.--In this Act, the term
``Cascadia Subduction Zone'' means the landward-dipping fault that is
approximately 684 miles long, separates the Juan de Fuca and North
America plates, and stretches along a portion of the western coast of
the United States beginning off Cape Mendocino, California, along the
State of Oregon, the State of Washington, to Northern Vancouver Island,
British Columbia.
SEC. 2. EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR CASCADIA SUBDUCTION ZONE.
(a) Plan for Purchase and Installation.--
(1) Development and funding.--The Administrator of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall--
(A) develop a plan for the purchase and
installation of an earthquake early warning system for
the Cascadia Subduction Zone; and
(B) identify the funds necessary for implementation
of the plan.
(2) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a copy of the
plan.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report that summarizes the actions
taken to implement the plan.
(c) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
(2) Earthquake early warning system.--The term ``earthquake
early warning system'' includes--
(A) improvements to regional and geodetic networks
that support building a capability for an earthquake
early warning system; and
(B) seismometers, Global Positioning System
receivers, and associated infrastructure.
SEC. 3. EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI TASK FORCE.
(a) In General.--The President shall establish an Earthquake and
Tsunami Task Force for the purpose of developing a comprehensive
strategy and recommendations on how the Nation should prepare and plan
for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully
adapt to a covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
(b) Task Force.--
(1) Membership.--The membership of the Task Force shall
include a cross section of subject matter experts representing
the following:
(A) Relevant Federal agencies.
(B) The States of Oregon, Washington, and
California.
(C) Indian tribes, local governments, and private
sector representatives that may be impacted by a
covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
(D) Universities, academia, and research
institutions with expertise in topics relevant to the
work of the Task Force.
(2) Chairperson.--The Administrator (or the Administrator's
designee) shall serve as the chairperson of the Task Force.
(3) Detailed employees.--Members of the Task Force may
detail employees to assist the Administrator (or the
Administrator's designee) in fulfilling the responsibilities of
the Task Force.
(c) Comprehensive Strategy.--
(1) Strategy.--The comprehensive strategy to be developed
under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(A) A description of how Federal agencies will
coordinate to develop the ability to prepare and plan
for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and
more successfully adapt to the impacts of a covered
event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
(B) A strategy to ensure collaboration between the
Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy,
the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, and other
Federal agencies, as appropriate, for purposes of--
(i) completing a needs assessment of
Federal facilities in need of hardening for a
covered event; and
(ii) developing a strategic plan to
mitigate and retrofit Federal, State, tribal,
and local critical assets for freight, energy,
and transit purposes to withstand a covered
event and to help save lives during and
immediately after a covered event.
(C) A strategy--
(i) to assist State, tribal, and local
governments in developing and implementing a
coordinated and comprehensive plan to
prioritize Federal, State, tribal, local, and
private investments and activities to develop
the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate
against, respond to, recover from, and more
successfully adapt to the impacts of a covered
event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone; and
(ii) to link any existing statewide
mitigation plan with such a coordinated and
comprehensive plan.
(D) With respect to the strategy described in
subparagraph (C), an examination of the feasibility of
the public sector, the private sector, and individuals
to acquire earthquake insurance.
(E) An identification of funding opportunities to
implement the comprehensive strategy and any
recommendations made by the Task Force, including--
(i) existing funding opportunities across
Federal agencies and other sources; and
(ii) potential new funding opportunities.
(F) An identification of barriers to obtaining
funding for the implementation of the comprehensive
strategy and recommendations on how to remove the
barriers.
(G) A strategy for appropriate Federal agencies to
collaborate with and assist State, tribal, and local
governments in developing recommendations for cost-
effective mitigation alternatives for aging State,
tribal, and locally owned critical infrastructure.
(H) A strategy for assisting State, tribal, and
local governments in developing a recovery plan prior
to a covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone that
addresses how State, tribal, and local governments may
want to rebuild after the event.
(I) An identification of the steps taken to date to
develop an onshore and offshore earthquake early
warning system and a description of the purpose and
scope of such a system.
(J) An evaluation of the types of offshore
earthquake early warning systems and recommendations
and a cost estimate for an earthquake early warning
system appropriate for the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
(K) Recommendations on how an earthquake early
warning system should operate, including whether and
how the system should interface with the private
sector.
(L) A description of appropriate roles and
responsibilities for Federal, State, local, and tribal
governments, including who should operate and maintain
an earthquake early warning system, the cost of the
system, and possible funding sources for the system.
(M) A plan on how to integrate an earthquake early
warning system into existing and new public alert
warning systems and technologies, including mobile
systems.
(2) Use of existing plans.--In developing the comprehensive
strategy, the Task Force may use existing plans, studies, and
other resources.
(d) Recommendations.--The recommendations to be developed by the
Task Force under subsection (a) shall include recommendations on--
(1) potential administrative or legislative changes
required to implement the comprehensive strategy;
(2) the funding required to implement the comprehensive
strategy and the recommendations; and
(3) the order of priority for implementation of the
comprehensive strategy.
(e) National Academies.--
(1) Collaboration.--The Task Force shall work
simultaneously and collaboratively with the National Academies.
(2) Agreement.--The Task Force shall enter into an
agreement with the National Academies under which the National
Academies shall develop recommendations for a Federal research
strategy to advance scientific understanding of a Cascadia
Subduction Zone earthquake and resulting tsunami preparedness,
including the following:
(A) Geologic conditions, ground motions, and
tsunami hazards.
(B) Implications of an effective automated early
warning system.
(C) Effects of mega-earthquake and tsunami events
on the built and natural environment.
(D) Social and behavioral factors for effective
disaster preparedness and response.
(E) Cost-effective mitigation alternatives for
legacy and aging infrastructure.
(F) Strategic planning for freight, energy, and
transit network robustness.
(G) Tools that help communities invest their
resources for the greatest benefit.
(H) Any other topics identified as necessary by the
Task Force or the National Academies.
(f) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the
Senate a report of the Task Force that includes the following:
(1) The comprehensive strategy to be developed under
subsection (a).
(2) The recommendations to be developed under subsections
(a), (d), and (e).
(g) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(2) Covered event.--The term ``covered event'' means an
earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami event.
(3) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Federal
interagency task force to be established under subsection (a).
Passed the House of Representatives February 6, 2019.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.