[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 109 (Monday, July 14, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H6144-H6147]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION ACT REAUTHORIZATION OF 2014
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 1786) to reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Program, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1786
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 2014''.
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
[[Page H6145]]
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 2014, 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 2014, 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, 2016.
``(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 2014; and
``(2) $5,332,000 for fiscal year 2015.
``(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 2014; and
``(2) $9,682,000 for fiscal year 2015.
``(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 2014; and
``(2) $4,120,000 for fiscal year 2015.
``(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 2014; and
``(2) $2,266,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1786, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1786, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act
Reauthorization of 2014, introduced by my Texas colleague, Congressman
Randy Neugebauer, reauthorizes the activities of the National Windstorm
Impact Reduction Program through 2015.
This important program supports Federal research and development
efforts to help mitigate the loss of life and property due to wind-
related hazards.
Millions of Americans live in areas vulnerable to hurricanes,
tornadoes, and other windstorms.
According to the latest data in the National Science and Technology
Council's biennial report to Congress, in 2011, windstorms in the U.S.
caused an estimated $11 billion in total direct property losses,
injured nearly 7,000 people, and took nearly 700 lives.
In Texas, we are all too familiar with the harm that excessive wind
can cause. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Storm Prediction Center, 179 tornadoes and 1,586
windstorms were reported in Texas in just the last 2 years. The effects
of these disasters can be felt for years.
Initially established in 2004, the National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Program supports activities to improve our understanding of
windstorms and their impacts and helps to develop and encourage the
implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures.
H.R. 1786 establishes the National Institute of Standards and
Technology as the lead agency for the program, improves coordination
and planning of agency activities in a fiscally responsible way, and
improves transparency for how much money is being spent on windstorm
research.
I want to thank Representative Neugebauer for his continued efforts
to support this program. He and Representative Frederica Wilson worked
together to ensure that H.R. 1786 was reported out of the Science
Committee with bipartisan support.
[[Page H6146]]
I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, March 11, 2014.
Hon. Lamar Smith,
Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 1786, the
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of,
2013, as ordered reported by the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology on February 28, 2014. Thank you for working
with us to incorporate mutually agreeable changes to
provisions within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite the House's consideration of H.R.
1786, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will
forgo further action on this bill. However, this is
conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing
consideration of the bill does not prejudice the Committee
with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future
jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in
the bill or similar legislation that fall within the
Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I request you urge the
Speaker to name members of the Committee to any conference
committee named to consider such provisions.
I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming
this understanding, and would request that you insert our
exchange of letters on this matter into the committee report
on H.R. 1786 and the Congressional Record during
consideration of this bill on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
Congress of the United States, Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology,
Washington, DC, March 11, 2014.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster, Thank you for agreeing to be
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 1786, the
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of
2013, and for working with us to incorporate mutually
agreeable changes to provisions within the Rule X
jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure.
I agree that forgoing further action on this bill does not
in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of your
Committee, or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on
this bill or similar legislation in the future. I would
support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate
number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving
this legislation.
I will insert copies of this exchange in the report filed
on H.R. 1786 as well as in the Congressional Record during
consideration of this bill on the House floor. I appreciate
your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward
to continuing to work with the Transportation Committee as
the bill moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Lamar Smith,
Chairman.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1786, legislation that would
reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, or NWIRP.
As an Illinoisan, I know firsthand that windstorms are a threat to
American lives and the economy. Last November, Illinois was struck by
24 tornadoes on one day, resulting in seven fatalities, hundreds of
injuries, and significant economic damage.
While we cannot stop a hurricane or tornado from happening, there is
much we can do to save both lives and property when windstorms and
other natural disasters happen. In addition to responding quickly and
with sufficient resources in the aftermath of a natural disaster, we
must also invest in preparedness and resilience. Studies of FEMA's
predisaster mitigation program have shown that for every dollar we
invest in mitigation activities, we save $3 to $4 in recovery costs.
{time} 1530
NWIRP is primarily a mitigation program. It has the potential to
lessen the loss of life and economic damage by supporting research and
development on windstorms and their impacts and helping to ensure that
this research is translated into improved building codes and emergency
plans. But NWIRP needs investments to reach that potential.
I was pleased that when this bill was considered in the Science,
Space, and Technology Committee, we worked in a bipartisan manner to
make several improvements to this bill. I want to thank my colleagues,
Chairman Smith and Mr. Neugebauer, for working across the aisle in a
smooth and productive process.
We worked together to increase the authorization for FEMA, the NWIRP
agency tasked with translating the research conducted at other agencies
into effective mitigation tools and techniques and helping communities
across the Nation implement mitigation measures through outreach and
partnership.
In addition, we worked together to add language to the bill
addressing human factors in reducing windstorm impacts. This is not
just a building engineering problem; it is also a social science and
human response problem. People in the path of a windstorm have to make
smart decisions, no matter what structure they are in. In order to
design effective strategies to prepare for, respond to, and recover
from a disaster, we must take into account research in how people make
decisions and respond to warnings during natural disasters.
We must also understand how different groups of people may respond
differently so that we can tailor outreach and warnings appropriately.
I was pleased we were able to strengthen the legislation by adding this
important language on human factors.
Often, in a compromise like this one, you do not get everything you
would like. I would have liked to see increases in the authorization
levels across the board. This bill includes a lower total authorization
level than what was authorized for this program in fiscal year 2008.
Nevertheless, I understand the need to reauthorize this important
program.
Finally, I want to thank my colleagues on the Transportation and
Infrastructure Committee, which I also serve on, for working with us on
this bill since we share jurisdiction over this program.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to
support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer), who is a member of the Science Committee
and also a sponsor of this legislation.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Chairman Smith's support of
this legislation, as well as Ms. Johnson, the ranking member.
I rise today in support of H.R. 1786, the National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Act. This is a very important piece of legislation because
what we know is that tornadoes and tornadic-type winds have caused a
huge amount of destruction and loss of life in our country.
Last year alone, there were over 1,300 recorded tornadoes in our
country, causing over 70 deaths and over 1,500 injuries. These storms
not only cost lives, but they also damaged property. The average is
about $4 million a year, except in 2011, when we saw a bad year for
tornadoes. The damage was over $28 billion. That is not just a natural
disaster; it is national disaster as well.
Back in 1970, I had an opportunity firsthand to find out exactly how
devastating these tornadoes can be. In my hometown of Lubbock, Texas, a
tornado ripped through our community and killed 26 of our citizens.
Fortunately, I was not injured. It was in an area that I lived at that
time, and I had the opportunity to see firsthand the tremendous amount
of devastation that can happen from these storms.
Very quickly, after that storm in 1970, Dr. Ernst Kiesling, with
Texas Tech University, began to study these tornadic winds and to look
at ways to build structures more effectively, to build shelters, and to
really study the impacts that these storms have on building materials
and what materials hold up the best.
We have been talking about statistics, but it is really about the
lives of people that are impacted by these storms. When someone loses
their home, they not only rebuild their home, but, in many cases, they
are going to have to rebuild their lives, which is one of the primary
reasons that I introduced this important piece of legislation.
What does it do? Basically, it begins to, as I mentioned earlier what
was going on at Texas Tech, not only study the building materials and
different types of wind activity and the material
[[Page H6147]]
in the structure and construction techniques that are used to apply
those materials, but also to begin to have a better ability to predict
how these storms form and, in the future, be able to give more warning,
but just doing the research overall of how we can do better at
predicting and also helping the American people do mitigation against
these kinds of storms and understand the mechanics of them.
Basically, what this NWIRP does is take four agencies and pool them
together in how they spend money for this important research. It takes
NOAA, the National Science Foundation, FEMA, and the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, or NIST, and basically makes sure that
they are coordinating and sharing that information.
What is so important about using Federal tax dollars to do that
research is to make sure that we are transforming that out into the
general public. And so as we learn about these techniques and we begin
to make suggestions of how building codes, building standards, and
building techniques can be improved in the future, we thereby save
lives and property down the road. That is an important part of this.
What we learned is that for every dollar that we spend in mitigation,
we save $4 in response down the road. And so not only is this a piece
of legislation that will help save lives and property, but a really
novel idea of saving the American taxpayers money at the same time.
This is a commonsense piece of legislation that is bipartisan. It
passed out of the committee in a bipartisan way. It will save lives; it
will save money; and it will save property. I encourage my colleagues
to support this important piece of legislation.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Home and
Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 1786, the ``National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014.''
I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice
Johnson for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, Houston is vulnerable to hurricanes that traverse the
Gulf of Mexico and we have experienced powerful storms during the past
decade.
Hurricane Ike heavily impacted Houston and nearby city of Galveston
in 2008, causing $27.8 billion in damage, and killing 20.
Tropical storms in Texas are also known for being heavy rain
producers as well as wind surge threats. For example, tropical storm
Allison in 2001 dumped as much as 35 to 40 inches of rain, killing 41
people and causing $9 billion in damage.
We are currently in the 2014 hurricane season and forecasters are
expecting one to two major hurricanes.
This bill amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004
to revise provisions governing the National Windstorm Impact Reduction
Program (NWIRP) as well as designates the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) as the entity with primary
responsibility for Program planning and coordination.
Congress, under the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004,
designated four agencies to compromise the National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Program including the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Science
Foundation (NSF)
The federal agencies which compromised the Interagency Coordinating
Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction will have the following
respective responsibilities.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will have
the primary responsibility for planning and coordinating the program,
carry 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.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) will support research in
engineering and atmospheric sciences and economic and social factors
influencing windstorm risk reduction measures.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will
support atmospheric sciences research to improve the understanding of
the behavior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, structures,
and lifelines.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will support the
development of risk assessment tools and effective mitigation
techniques, conduct public outreach and information dissemination, and
promote the adoption of windstorm preparedness and mitigation measures.
The bill will also require the Committee to submit a progress report
to Congress and to develop a coordinated budget for the Program which
must be submitted at the time of the President's annual budget
submission.
Finally, the bill allows the Director of NIST to establish an
Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction which shall be
composed of at least 7 members. This advisory committee will offer
assessments and practices of wind storm impact mitigation.
This coordinated effort will greatly increase the efficiency and
effectiveness of federal efforts to save lives in Houston and around
the country as well as mitigate property loss.
The reasons for supporting this bill are obvious, and I ask my
colleagues in the House to vote for its passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 1786, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________