[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 18, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10737-S10740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2000

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 760, S. 1639.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1639) to authorize appropriations for carrying 
     out the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, for the 
     National Weather Service and Related Agencies, and for the 
     United States Fire Administration for fiscal years 2000, 
     2001, and 2002.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation with an amendment, as follows:
  [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
in italic.)

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Earth, Wind, and Fire 
     Authorization Act of 2000''.

               TITLE I--EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION ACT

     SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Federal Emergency Management Agency.--Section 12(a)(7) 
     of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 
     7706(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' after ``1998''; and
       (2) by striking ``1999.'' and inserting ``1999; $19,861,000 
     for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, of which 
     $450,000 shall be used to support the National Earthquake 
     Hazard Reduction Program-eligible efforts of an established 
     multi-state consortium to reduce the unacceptable threat of 
     earthquake damages in the New madrid seismic region through 
     efforts to enhance preparedness, response, recovery, and 
     mitigation; $20,953,000 for the fiscal year ending September 
     30, 2002; and $22,105,000 for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2003.''.
       (b) United States Geological Survey.--Section 12(b) of the 
     Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706(b)) 
     is amended--
       (1) by inserting after ``operated by the Agency.'' the 
     following: ``There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Secretary of the Interior for purposes of carrying out, 
     through the Director of the United States Geological Survey, 
     the responsibilities that may be assigned to the Director 
     under this Act $47,360,000 for fiscal year 2001; $49,965,000 
     for fiscal year 2002; and $52,713,000 for fiscal year 
     2003.'';
       (2) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1);
       (3) by striking ``1999,'' at the end of paragraph (2) and 
     inserting ``1999;''; and
       (4) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) $9,000,000 of the amount authorized to be 
     appropriated for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(4) $9,250,000 of the amount authorized to be 
     appropriated for fiscal year 2002; and
       ``(5) $9,500,000 of the amount authorized to be 
     appropriated for fiscal year 2003,''.
       (c) National Science Foundation.--Section 12(c) of the 
     Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706(c)) 
     is amended--
       (1) by striking ``1998, and'' and inserting ``1998,''; and
       (2) by striking ``1999.'' and inserting ``1999, and (5) 
     $19,000,000 for engineering research and $11,900,000 for 
     geosciences research for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2001. There are authorized to be appropriated to the National 
     Science Foundation $20,045,000 for engineering research and 
     $12,555,000 for geosciences research for fiscal year 2002 and 
     $21,147,000 for engineering research and $13,246,000 for 
     geosciences research for fiscal year 2003.''.
       (d) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--
     Section 12(d) of the Eearthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 
     1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706(d)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``1998, and''; and inserting ``1998,''; and
       (2) by striking ``1999.'' and inserting ``1999, $2,332,000 
     for fiscal year 2001, $2,460,000 for fiscal year 2002, and 
     $2,595,300 for fiscal year 2003.''.

     SEC. 102. REPEALS.

       Section 10 and subsections (e) and (f) of section 12 of the 
     Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7705d and 
     7706 (e) and (f)) are repealed.

     SEC. 103. ADVANCED NATIONAL SEISMIC RESEARCH AND MONITORING 
                   SYSTEM.

       The Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 
     7701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
     new section:

     ``SEC. 13. ADVANCED NATIONAL SEISMIC RESEARCH AND MONITORING 
                   SYSTEM.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Director of the United States 
     Geological Survey shall establish and operate an Advanced 
     National Seismic Research and Monitoring System. The purpose 
     of such system shall be to organize, modernize, standardize, 
     and stabilize the national, regional, and urban seismic 
     monitoring systems in the United States, including sensors, 
     recorders, and data analysis centers, into a coordinated 
     system that will measure and record the full range of 
     frequencies and amplitudes exhibited

[[Page S10738]]

     by seismic waves, in order to enhance earthquake research and 
     warning capabilities.
       ``(b) Management Plan.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of the enactment of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction 
     Authorization Act of 2000, the Director of the United States 
     Geological Survey shall transmit to the Congress a 5-year 
     management plan for establishing and operating the Advanced 
     National Seismic Research and Monitoring System. The plan 
     shall include annual cost estimates for both modernization 
     and operation, milestones, standards, and performance goals, 
     as well as plans for securing the participation of all 
     existing networks in the Advanced National Seismic Research 
     and Monitoring System and for establishing new, or enhancing 
     existing, partnerships to leverage resources.
       ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       ``(1) Expansion and modernization.--In addition to amounts 
     appropriated under section 12(b), there are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior, to be used by 
     the Director of the United States Geological Survey to 
     establish the Advanced National Seismic Research and 
     Monitoring System--
       ``(A) $33,500,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(B) $33,700,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(C) $35,100,000 for fiscal year 2003;
       ``(D) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       ``(E) $33,500,000 for fiscal year 2005.
       ``(2) Operation.--In addition to amounts appropriated under 
     section 12(b), there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
     Secretary of the Interior, to be used by the Director of the 
     United States Geological Survey to operate the Advanced 
     National Seismic Research and Monitoring System--
       ``(A) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
       ``(B) $10,300,000 for fiscal year 2002.''.

     SEC. 104. NETWORK FOR EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING SIMULATION.

       The Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 
     7701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
     new section:

     ``SEC. 14. NETWORK FOR EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING SIMULATION.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The Director of the National Science 
     Foundation shall establish a Network for Earthquake 
     Engineering Simulation that will upgrade, link, and integrate 
     a system of geographically distributed experimental 
     facilities for earthquake engineering testing of full-sized 
     structures and their components and partial-scale physical 
     models. The system shall be integrated through net-working 
     software so that integrated models and databases can be used 
     to create model-based simulation, and the components of the 
     system shall be interconnected with a computer network and 
     allow for remote access, information sharing, and 
     collaborative research.
       ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to 
     amounts appropriated under section 12(c), there are 
     authorized to be appropriated, out of funds otherwise 
     authorized to be appropriated to the National Science 
     Foundation, $28,200,000 for fiscal year 2001 for the Network 
     for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. In addition to amounts 
     appropriated under section 12(c), there are authorized to be 
     appropriated to the National Science Foundation for the 
     Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation--
       ``(1) $24,400,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(2) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
       ``(3) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.''.

     SEC. 105. BUDGET COORDINATION.

       Section 5 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 
     (42 U.S.C. 7704) is amended--
       (1) by striking subparagraph (A) of subsection (b)(1) and 
     redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (F) of subsection 
     (b)(1) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively;
       (2) by striking ``in this paragraph'' in the last sentence 
     of paragraph (1) of subsection (b) and inserting ``in 
     subparagraph (E)''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection;
       ``(c) Budget Coordination.--
       ``(1) Guidance.--The Agency shall each year provide 
     guidance to the other Program agencies concerning the 
     preparation of requests for appropriations for activities 
     related to the Program, and shall prepare, in conjunction 
     with the other Program agencies, an annual Program budget to 
     be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget.
       ``(2) Reports.--Each Program agency shall include with its 
     annual request for appropriations submitted to the Office of 
     Management and Budget a report that--
       ``(A) identifies each element of the proposed Program 
     activities of the agency;
       ``(B) specifies how each of these activities contributes to 
     the Program; and
       ``(C) states the portion of its request for appropriations 
     allocated to each element of the Program.''.

     SEC. 106. REPORT ON AT-RISK POPULATIONS.

       Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, and after a period for public comment, the Director 
     of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall transmit to 
     the Congress a report describing the elements of the Program 
     that specifically address the needs of at-risk populations, 
     including the elderly, persons with disabilities, non-
     English-speaking families, single-parent households, and the 
     poor. Such report shall also identify additional actions that 
     could be taken to address those needs and make 
     recommendations for any additional legislative authority 
     required to take such actions.

     SEC. 107. PUBLIC ACCESS TO EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION.

       Section 5(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction 
     Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704(b)(2)(A)(ii)) is amended by 
     inserting ``, and development of means of increasing public 
     access to available locality-specific information that may 
     assist the public in preparing for or responding to 
     earthquakes'' after ``and the general public''.

     SEC. 108. LIFELINES.

       Section 4(6) of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 
     1977 (42 U.S.C. 7703(6)) is amended by inserting ``and 
     infrastructure'' after ``communication facilities''.

 TITLE II--NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND RELATED AGENCIES AUTHORIZATION 
                                  ACT

     SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

       For purposes of this title, the term--
       (1) ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
       (2) ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Commerce.

     SEC. 202. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

       (a) Operations, Research, and Facilities.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to enable the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out 
     the Operations, Research, and Facilities activities of the 
     National Weather Service $634,872,000 for fiscal year 2001, 
     $669,790,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $706,628,000 for 
     fiscal year 2003, to remain available until expended. Of such 
     amounts--
       (1) $466,471,000 for fiscal year 2001, $492,127,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $519,194,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Local Warnings and Forecasts;
       (2) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $1,055,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $1,113,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Advanced Hydrological Prediction System;
       (3) $619,000 for fiscal year 2001, $653,000 for fiscal year 
     2002, and $689,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Susquehanna River Basin Flood Systems;
       (4) $35,596,000 for fiscal year 2001, $37,554,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $39,619,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Aviation Forecasts;
       (5) $5,250,000 for fiscal year 2001, $5,539,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $5,843,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) Facilities Maintenance;
       (6) $38,001,000 for fiscal year 2001, $40,091,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $42,296,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Central Forecast Guidance;
       (7) $3,068,000 for fiscal year 2001, $3,237,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $3,415,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Atmospheric and Hydrological Research;
       (8) $38,802,000 for fiscal year 2001, $40,936,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $43,188,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD);
       (9) $7,423,000 for fiscal year 2001, $7,831,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $8,262,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS); and
       (10) $38,642,000 for fiscal year 2001, $40,767,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $43,010,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System 
     (AWIPS).
       (b) Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to enable the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out 
     the Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction activities of 
     the National Weather Service $75,360,000 for fiscal year 
     2001, $77,754,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $71,012,000 for 
     fiscal year 2003 to remain available until expended. Of such 
     amounts--
       (1) $9,580,000 for fiscal year 2001, $16,798,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $15,931,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD).
       (2) $5,125,000 for fiscal year 2001, $5,125,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $5,125,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS).
       (3) $17,300,000 for fiscal year 2001, $17,300,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $9,645,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System 
     (AWIPS);
       (4) $13,085,000 for fiscal year 2001, $17,505,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $19,285,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Center Computer Facilities Upgrades;
       (5) $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $7,000,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Radiosonde Replacement;
       (6) $9,526,000 for fiscal year 2001, $9,526,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $9,526,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Construction;
       (7) $6,244,000 for fiscal year 2001, $4,500,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     NOAA Weather Radio Expansion; and
       (8) $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2001 shall be for the 
     Evansville Infrastructure Protection.

     SEC. 203. ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH.

       (a) Operations, Research, and Facilities.--
       (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary to enable the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration to carry out the Atmospheric Research 
     Operations, Research, and Facilities environmental research 
     and development activities of the Office of Oceanic and 
     Atmospheric Research $201,963,000 for fiscal year 2001, 
     $213,071,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $224,790,000 for 
     fiscal year 2003 to remain available until expended.
       (2) Climate and air quality research.--Of the amounts 
     authorized under paragraph (1), $154,356,000 for fiscal year 
     2001, $162,846,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $171,802,000 for 
     fiscal year 2003 shall be for Climate and Air Quality 
     Research, of which--
       (A) $14,986,000 for fiscal year 2001, $15,813,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $16,683,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Interannual and Seasonal Climate Research;
       (B) $30,525,000 for fiscal year 2001, $32,204,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $33,975,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Long-Term Climate and Air Quality Research;

[[Page S10739]]

       (C) $67,095,000 for fiscal year 2001, $70,785,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $74,678,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Climate and Global Change;
       (D) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $5,275,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $5,565,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment 
     (GLOBE); and
       (E) $12,750,000 for fiscal year 2001, $13,451,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $14,191,000 for fiscal year 2003 for 
     High Performance Computing and Communications.
       (3) Atmospheric programs.--Of the amounts authorized under 
     paragraph (1), $47,607,000 for fiscal year 2001, $50,225,000 
     for fiscal year 2002, and $52,988,000 for fiscal year 2003 
     shall be for Atmospheric Programs, of which--
       (A) $37,075,000 for fiscal year 2001, $39,114,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $41,265,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Weather Research;
       (B) $4,350,000 for fiscal year 2001, $4,589,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $4,842,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Wind Profiler; and
       (C) $6,182,000 for fiscal year 2001, $6,522,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $6,881,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Solar-Terrestrial Services and Research.
       (b) Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to enable the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out 
     the Atmospheric Research Procurement, Acquisition, and 
     Construction environmental research and development 
     activities of the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research 
     $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $7,000,000 for fiscal year 
     2002, and $7,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, for the 
     Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Supercomputer.

     SEC. 204. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE, DATA AND 
                   INFORMATION SERVICE.

       (a) Operations, Research, and Facilities.--
       (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary to enable the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration to carry out the Operations, Research, and 
     Facilities environmental research and development and related 
     activities of the National Environmental Satellite, Data and 
     Information Service $108,201,000 for fiscal year 2001, 
     $114,152,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $120,430,000 for 
     fiscal year 2003 to remain available until expended.
       (2) Satellite observing systems.--Of the amounts authorized 
     under paragraph (1), $63,412,000 for fiscal year 2001, 
     $66,900,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $70,579,000 for fiscal 
     year 2003 shall be for Satellite Observing Systems, of 
     which--
       (A) $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2001, $5,803,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $6,122,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN);
       (B) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2001, $4,220,000 for fiscal 
     year 2002, and $4,452,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall be for 
     Ocean Remote Sensing; and
       (C) $53,912,000 for fiscal year 2001, $56,877,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $60,005,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for Environmental Observing Services.
       (3) Environmental data management systems.--Of the amounts 
     authorized under paragraph (1), $44,879,000 for fiscal year 
     2001, $47,252,000 for fiscal year 2002, and $49,851,000 for 
     fiscal year 2003 shall be for Environmental Data Management 
     Systems.
       (b) Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to enable the 
     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out 
     the Procurement, Acquisition, and Construction environmental 
     research and development and related activities of the 
     National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information 
     Service $445,828,000 for fiscal year 2001, $515,271,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $554,945,000 for fiscal year 2003 to 
     remain available until expended of such amounts--
       (1) $136,965,000 for fiscal year 2001, $136,965,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $103,010,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for the procurement and launch of, and supporting ground 
     systems for, Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES), 
     K, L, M, N, and N'.
       (2) $76,654,000 for fiscal year 2001, $156,731,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $236,471,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for the procurement and launch of, and supporting ground 
     systems for, the National Polar-Orbiting Operational 
     Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS).
       (3) $323,209,000 for fiscal year 2001, $221,575,000 for 
     fiscal year 2002, and $215,464,000 for fiscal year 2003 shall 
     be for the procurement and launch of, and supporting ground 
     systems for, Geo-stationary Operational Environment NEXT 
     follow-on Satellites (GOES N-Q).

     SEC. 205. MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated $17,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 2001, $17,935,000 for fiscal year 2002, and 
     $18,921,000 for fiscal year 2003 for Minority Serving 
     Institutions in the Atmospheric, Environmental, and Oceanic 
     Sciences.

     SEC. 206. INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.

       The Administrator shall make available through the Internet 
     home page of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration the abstracts relating to all research grants 
     and awards made with funds authorized by this Act. Nothing in 
     this section shall be construed to require or permit the 
     release of any information prohibited by law or regulation 
     from being released to the public.

            TITLE III--FIRE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT

     SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 17(g)(1) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control 
     Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2216(g)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (G);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (H) 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(I) $69,753,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(J) $46,096,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
       ``(K) $47,479,000, for fiscal year 2003.''.
     None of the funds authorized for fiscal years 2001 and 2002 
     may be obligated unless the Administrator has verified to the 
     Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate that the obligation of funds is consistent with the 
     strategic plan transmitted under section 302 of this Act.

     SEC. 302. STRATEGIC PLAN.

       (a) Requirement.--Not later than April 30, 2000, the 
     Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall 
     prepare and transmit to the Committee on Science of the House 
     of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
     and Transportation of the Senate a 5-year strategic plan of 
     program activities for the United States Fire Administration.
       (b) Contents of Plan.--The plan required by subsection (a) 
     shall include--
       (1) a comprehensive mission statement covering the major 
     functions and operations of the United States Fire 
     Administration in the areas of training; research, 
     development, test and evaluation; new technology and non-
     developmental item implementation; safety; counterterrorism; 
     data collection and analysis; and public education;
       (2) general goals and objectives, including those related 
     to outcomes, for the major functions and operations of the 
     United States Fire Administration;
       (3) a description of how the goals and objectives 
     identified under paragraph (2) are to be achieved, including 
     operational processes, skills and technology, and the human, 
     capital, information, and other resources required to meet 
     those goals and objectives;
       (4) an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of, 
     opportunities for, and threats to the United States Fire 
     Administration;
       (5) an identification of the fire-related activities of the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
     Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies, and a 
     discussion of how those activities can be coordinated with 
     and contribute to the achievement of the goals and objectives 
     identified under paragraph (2);
       (6) a description of objective, quantifiable performance 
     goals needed to define the level of performance achieved by 
     program activities in training, research, data collection and 
     analysis, and public education, and how these performance 
     goals relate to the general goals and objectives in the 
     strategic plan;
       (7) an identification of key factors external to the United 
     States Fire Administration and beyond its control that could 
     affect significantly the achievement of the general goals and 
     objectives;
       (8) a description of program evaluations used in 
     establishing or revising general goals and objectives, with a 
     schedule for future program evaluations;
       (9) a plan for the timely distribution of information and 
     educational materials to State and local firefighting 
     services, including volunteer, career, and combination 
     services throughout the United States;
       (10) a description of how the strategic plan prepared under 
     this section will be incorporated into the strategic plan and 
     the performance plans and reports of the Federal Emergency 
     Management Agency;
       (11)(A) a description of the current and planned use of the 
     Internet for the delivery of training courses by the National 
     Fire Academy, including a listing of the types of courses and 
     a description of each course's provisions for real time 
     interaction between instructor and students, the number of 
     students enrolled, and the geographic distribution of 
     students, for the most recent fiscal year;
       (B) an assessment of the availability and actual use by the 
     National Fire Academy of Federal facilities suitable for 
     distance education applications, including facilities with 
     teleconferencing capabilities; and
       (C) an assessment of the benefits and problems associated 
     with delivery of instructional courses using the Internet, 
     including limitations due to network bandwidth at training 
     sites, the availability of suitable course materials, and the 
     effectiveness of such courses in terms of student 
     performance;
       (12) timeline for implementing the plan; and
       (13) the expected costs for implementing the plan.

     SEC. 303. RESEARCH AGENDA.

       (a) Requirement.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United 
     States Fire Administration, in consultation with the Director 
     of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Director of 
     the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
     representatives of trade, professional, and nonprofit 
     associations, State and local firefighting services, and 
     other appropriate entities, shall prepare and transmit to the 
     Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate a report describing the United States Fire 
     Administration's research agenda and including a plan for 
     implementing that agenda.
       (b) Contents of Report.--The report required by subsection 
     (a) shall--
       (1) identify research priorities;
       (2) describe how the proposed research agenda will be 
     coordinated and integrated with the programs and capabilities 
     of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
     Department of Defense, and other Federal agencies;
       (3) identify potential roles of academic, trade, 
     professional, and non-profit associations, and

[[Page S10740]]

     other research institutions in achieving the research agenda;
       (4) provide cost estimates, anticipated personnel needs, 
     and a schedule for completing the various elements of the 
     research agenda;
       (5) describe ways to leverage resources through 
     partnerships, cooperative agreements, and other means; and
       (6) discuss how the proposed research agenda will enhance 
     training, improve State and local firefighting services, 
     impact standards and codes, increase firefighter and public 
     safety, and advance firefighting techniques.
       (c) Use in Preparing Strategic Plan.--The research agenda 
     prepared under this section shall be used in the preparation 
     of the strategic plan required by section 302.

     SEC. 304. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.

       The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 33. SURPLUS AND EXCESS FEDERAL EQUIPMENT.

       ``The Administrator shall make publicly available, 
     including through the Internet, information on procedures for 
     acquiring surplus and excess equipment or property that may 
     be useful to State and local fire, emergency, and hazardous 
     material handling service providers.''.

     SEC. 305. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILITIES.

       The Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as 
     amended by section 304, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 34. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH FEDERAL FACILITIES.

       ``The Administrator shall make publicly available, 
     including through the Internet, information on procedures for 
     establishing cooperative agreements between State and local 
     fire and emergency services and Federal facilities in 
     their region relating to the provision of fire and 
     emergency services.''.

     SEC. 306. NEED FOR ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN COUNTERTERRORISM.

       (a) In General.--The administrator of the United States 
     Fire Administration shall conduct an assessment of the need 
     for additional capabilities for Federal counterterrorism 
     training of emergency response personnel.
       (b) Contents of Assessment.--The assessment conducted under 
     this section shall include--
       (1) a review of the counterterrorism training programs 
     offered by the United States Fire Administration and other 
     Federal agencies;
       (2) an estimate of the number and types of emergency 
     response personnel that have, during the period between 
     January 1, 1994, and October 1, 1999, sought training 
     described in paragraph (1), but have been unable to receive 
     that training as a result of the oversubscription of the 
     training capabilities; and
       (3) a recommendation on the need to provide additional 
     Federal counterterrorism training centers, including--
       (A) an analysis of existing Federal facilities that could 
     be used as counterterrorism training facilities; and
       (B) a cost-benefit analysis of the establishment of such 
     counterterrorism training facilities.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall prepare and 
     submit to the Congress a report on the results of the 
     assessment conducted under this section.

     SEC. 307. WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE FIRE SAFETY 
                   RESEARCH PROGRAM.

       From the funds authorized to be appropriated by section 
     301, $1,000,000 may be expended for the Worcester Polytechnic 
     Institute fire safety research program.


                           Amendment No. 4323

    (Purpose: To authorize appropriations for earthquake reduction 
                  activities, and for other purposes)

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, Senator Frist has an amendment at the 
desk, and I ask for its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Alabama [Mr. Sessions], for Mr. Frist, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 4323.

  (The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under 
``Amendments Submitted.'')
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
amendment be agreed to, the committee amendment, as amended, be agreed 
to, the bill, as amended, be read the third time and passed, the motion 
to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements relating to 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4323) was agreed to.
  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute, as amended, 
was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1639), as amended, was read the third time and passed.
  (The bill will be printed in a future edition of the Record.)

                          ____________________