[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8407 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8407
To direct the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
to establish a Commission on Hazard Risk Assessment Tools, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 21, 2026
Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida (for himself, Mr. Amo, and Mr. Miller of
Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
to establish a Commission on Hazard Risk Assessment Tools, 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 ``Advancing Consistent and Credible
Use of Risk Assessment Tools and Evaluation Act'' or the ``ACCURATE
Act''.
SEC. 2. COMMISSION ON HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT TOOLS.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the enactment of
this Act, the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology
shall establish a commission to be known as the ``Commission on Hazard
Risk Assessment Tools'' (in this section referred to as the
``Commission''). The Commission shall serve in an advisory capacity and
provide recommendations to the Under Secretary.
(b) Duties.--The duties of the Commission include the following:
(1) Identify hazard risk assessment tools and models needed
and procured by Federal Departments and agencies, including--
(A) hazard maps;
(B) flood maps;
(C) return period maps;
(D) hazard scores;
(E) hazard ratings; and
(F) risk scores.
(2) Identify the sources of key data inputs and parameters
used in the development of hazard risk assessment tools and
models including--
(A) data related to the frequency and severity of
natural hazards;
(B) scientific data related to how the frequency
and severity of natural hazard affect, influence, shape
risks and offsets of the built environment described in
paragraph (C) and (D);
(C) data related to inventories of the built
environment, including buildings and infrastructure;
(D) data related to natural hazard exposures and
vulnerabilities of built environments including
infrastructure, economic activity and human
populations; and
(E) data related to the adaptation and hazard
mitigation practices used to offset the risk to and
impact of natural hazard exposures and vulnerabilities
of built environments.
(3) Develop and submit to the Under Secretary of Commerce
for Standards and Technology recommended standards and
specifications required to validate the quality control of
hazard risk assessment tools and models described in subsection
(1). Such standards and specifications shall address--
(A) The data inputs and parameters described in
subsection (2);
(B) Model assumptions; and
(C) Validation of model outputs.
(4) Develop and submit to the Under Secretary of Commerce
for Standards and Technology recommended standardized
methodologies and protocols for the collection, validation, and
analysis of the key data inputs and parameters identified in
subsection (3).
(5) Catalogue the quality, reliability, usability,
timeliness, accuracy, consistency, and transparency needs for
hazard risk assessment tools and models used by Federal
departments and agencies that currently procure or utilize such
tools, as determined by the Commission.
(6) Make recommendations to the Under Secretary of Commerce
for Standards and Technology regarding best practices for
Federal departments and agencies for procurement of hazard risk
assessment tools regarding the quality, reliability, usability,
timeliness, accuracy, consistency, and transparency of hazard
risk assessment tools and models. Such recommendations shall
include an evaluation of the Federal Acquisition Regulations
pertinent to such Federal departments and agencies to determine
whether the current requirements should be updated based upon
the recommended best practices guidance for the procurement of
hazard risk assessment tools.
(7) Review and action.--
(A) Not later than 180 days after receiving
recommendations from the Commission under this
subsection, the Under Secretary of Commerce for
Standards and Technology shall review such
recommendations and determine whether to adopt, modify,
or decline such standards, methodologies, or best
practices.
(B) The Under Secretary for Standards and
Technology may issue guidance, standards, or other
appropriate directives for use by Federal departments
and agencies based on such determinations.
(c) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall be comprised of
representatives from each of the following categories.
(A) A Federal department or agency responsible for
modeling natural hazards.
(B) A state or local emergency response
organization.
(C) FEMA.
(D) A state regulatory agency that utilizes or
procures hazard risk assessment tools or models.
(E) A Federal department or agency that utilizes or
procures hazard risk assessment tools or models.
(F) A non-governmental organization or national
association representing rural communities.
(G) A non-governmental organization or national
association representing urban communities.
(H) Insurance industry.
(I) Banking industry.
(J) Public utility industry.
(K) Construction industry.
(L) Real estate industry.
(M) Transportation/logistics.
(N) Risk management consultant/professional.
(O) Structural engineering.
(P) Institute of higher education (as such term is
defined in Section 101 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)) conducting research on hazard
risk assessment tools or modeling.
(Q) Institute of higher education utilizing
artificial intelligence (as such term is described in
the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of
2020 (15 U.S.C 9401)) to improve hazard risk assessment
tools or models.
(2) Chairperson.--The Commission shall be chaired by the
Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology or
their designee.
(3) Appointment.--The Chairperson of the Commission shall
appoint the members to satisfy the representational
requirements described in paragraph (1).
(4) Expertise.--Every member of the Commission appointed
shall all have expertise in at least one of the following
categories:
(A) Emergency management or response.
(B) Utilization or procurement of hazard risk
assessment products or models.
(C) Modeling of natural hazards.
(D) Community planning.
(E) Structural engineering with respect to natural
hazards.
(F) Research of hazard risk assessment products or
models.
(G) Utilizing artificial intelligence to improve
hazard risk assessment products or models.
(5) Balance.--When appointing the members of the Committee,
the Chairperson shall ensure at least one person with each of
the expertise described in paragraph (4) is represented.
(6) Vacancies.--Within 30 days of a vacancy on the
Commission occurring, the Chairperson shall fill such vacancy
from the same category that created the vacancy and satisfied
the requirements described in this section.
(d) Conflict of Interest, Disclosure, and Recusal.--
(1) Conflict of interest reporting.--A member of the
Commission who is not designated a Special Government Employee
(SGE) shall disclose to the Chairpersons any real or potential
conflict of interest if such member has a direct financial
interest in any hazard risk assessment tools, model, or
modeling provider that is subject to review or validation
through the standards and specifications established in
subsection (b)(2).
(2) SGE.--A member of the Commission designated as a
special government employee shall be subject to applicable laws
as delineated under 18 USC 201 et Seq, Standards of Ethical
Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch.
(3) Disclosure protocols.--A member of the Commission
disclosing a conflict of interest in subsection (d)(1) shall
submit a written report to the Commission to disclose the
following:
(A) Direct financial interest.
(B) Affiliations with entities that have a direct
financial interest.
(C) Close relative or family member that have a
direct financial interest.
(4) Timing of disclosure.--Disclosure of conflict interest
under subsection (1) shall occur before any meeting in which
any hazard risk assessment tools, model or modeling provider is
reviewed or validated.
(5) Recusal.--Any member with a conflict described in
subsection (2) shall seek recusal from participation in
deliberations, decisions, or votes related to the review that
presents the conflict.
(e) Reports.--The Commission shall submit to the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(1) A report not later than 9 months after the convening of
the Commission that includes the following:
(A) A catalogue of public and private sector
sources of hazard risk assessment tools.
(B) An assessment of the extent to which Federal
departments and agencies utilize or purchase hazard
risk assessment tools or models produced by the private
sector.
(C) A list of the key inputs and parameters to
hazard risk assessment tools.
(2) A report not later than 9 months after the submission
of the report in subsection (1) that includes the results of
the Commission's duties outlined in section (b).
(3) A report not later than 18 months submission of the
report in subsection (2) that includes the following:
(A) An analysis of the results of the Commission's
duties listed under section (b) regarding the efficacy
of the standards and specifications in improving the
quality of the hazard risk assessment tools available.
(B) The identification of any standards or
specifications that improve the quality of the hazard
risk assessment tools available or any hazard risk
assessment tool that has not yet been subject to the
standards and specifications.
(C) Recommendations to address the deficiencies in
existing standards and specifications and how to set
standards and specifications for tools that did not
fall under the purview of the original standards and
specifications.
(f) Utilization of Hazard Risk Assessment Tools and Models.--
(1) Conditional application.--If the Under Secretary of
Commerce for Standards and Technology adopts standards,
methodologies, or guidance pursuant to subsection (b), Federal
departments and agencies identified by the Commission shall, to
the maximum extent practicable, incorporate such standards and
guidance when procuring or utilizing hazard risk assessment
tools and models from the private sector.
(2) Documentation.--(A) The purveyor of hazard risk
assessment tools and models purchased in paragraph (1) shall
document for Federal agencies, and provide such documentation,
how such hazard risk assessment tools and models conform to the
standards and specifications adopted or issued by the Under
Secretary of Commerce under subsection (b). In order to qualify
to sell hazard risk assessment tools and models that have
undergone a material change to Federal departments and
agencies, the purveyor shall document, and provide such
documentation, of how the changed hazard risk assessment tools
and models conform to the standards and specifications adopted
or issued by the Under Secretary of Commerce under subsection
(b)(7).
(3) Limited exceptions.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a
Federal department or agency may procure or utilize hazard risk
assessment tools or models that do not incorporate standards or
guidance issued under this subsection if:
(A) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards
and Technology has not issued applicable standards or
guidance for the specific use case; or
(B) such procurement or use is necessary to respond
to a national emergency.
(4) Notification.--If a Federal department or agency relies
on paragraph (3)(B), the agency shall, not later than 30 days
after such use, notify the appropriate congressional committees
and provide a brief justification, as well as what steps the
agency has taken to ensure that such a purchase or utilization
does not recur.
(g) Sunset.--The Commission terminates 5 years after the enactment
of this Act.
(h) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Built environment.--The term ``built environment''
means any man-made or modified structures, including associated
infrastructure, that provide people with living, working, and
recreational spaces.
(2) Hazard risk.--The term ``hazard risk'' means the
exposure of people, property, infrastructure, or economic
activity to loss or disruption resulting from variations in
natural hazards over a time period of at least one year.
(3) Hazard risk assessment tools.--The term ``hazard risk
assessment tools'' means products developed using hazard risk
information to create output including--
(A) hazard maps;
(B) flood maps;
(C) return period maps;
(D) hazard scores;
(E) hazard ratings; and
(F) risk scores.
(4) Natural hazards.--The term ``natural hazards'' means
extreme weather, water, or seismic events, including wildfire,
drought, flooding, damaging winds, tornadoes, precipitation,
earthquakes, and other natural phenomena, that have a high risk
of loss of life or property.
(5) Material change.--The term ``material change'' means a
model version update that changes underlying input data,
methodology, or assumptions, or updates losses or
categorization of properties or areas by more than ten percent.
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