[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 7, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H87-H92]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TSUNAMI WARNING, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2015
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 34) to authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection,
forecast, warning, research, and mitigation program of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 34
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 ``Tsunami Warning, Education,
and Research Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES TO THE TSUNAMI WARNING AND EDUCATION ACT.
Except as otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this
Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the
reference shall be considered to be made to a section or
other provision of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33
U.S.C. 3201 et seq.).
SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF PURPOSES OF TSUNAMI WARNING AND
EDUCATION ACT.
Section 3 (33 U.S.C. 3202) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``research,'' after
``warnings,'';
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) to enhance and modernize the existing United States
Tsunami Warning System to increase the accuracy of forecasts
and warnings, to maintain full coverage of tsunami detection
assets, and to reduce false alarms;'';
(3) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
``(3) to improve and develop standards and guidelines for
mapping, modeling, and assessment efforts to improve tsunami
detection, forecasting, warnings, notification, mitigation,
resiliency, response, outreach, and recovery;'';
(4) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) as
paragraphs (5), (6), and (8), respectively;
(5) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) to improve research efforts related to improving
tsunami detection, forecasting, warnings, notification,
mitigation, resiliency, response, outreach, and recovery;'';
(6) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``and increase'' and inserting ``,
increase, and develop uniform standards and guidelines for'';
and
(B) by inserting ``, including the warning signs of locally
generated tsunami'' after ``approaching'';
(7) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking ``,
including the Indian Ocean; and'' and inserting a semicolon;
and
(8) by inserting after paragraph (6), as so redesignated,
the following:
``(7) to foster resilient communities in the face of
tsunami and other coastal hazards; and''.
SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF TSUNAMI FORECASTING AND WARNING
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 4 (33 U.S.C.
3203) is amended by striking ``Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea,
and Gulf of Mexico region'' and inserting ``Atlantic Ocean
region, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico''.
(b) Components.--Subsection (b) of such section 4 is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``established'' and
inserting ``supported or maintained'';
(2) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``and safeguarding port
and harbor operations'' after ``communities'';
(3) in paragraph (7)--
(A) by inserting ``, including graphical warning
products,'' after ``warnings'';
(B) by inserting ``, territories,'' after ``States''; and
(C) by inserting ``and Wireless Emergency Alerts'' after
``Hazards Program''; and
(4) in paragraph (8), by inserting ``and commercial and
Federal undersea communications cables'' after ``observing
technologies''.
(c) Tsunami Warning System.--Subsection (c) of such section
4 is amended to read as follows:
``(c) Tsunami Warning System.--The program under this
section shall operate a tsunami warning system that--
``(1) is capable of forecasting tsunami, including
forecasting tsunami arrival time and inundation estimates,
anywhere in the Pacific and Arctic Ocean regions and
providing adequate warnings;
``(2) is capable of forecasting and providing adequate
warnings in areas of the Atlantic Ocean, including the
Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, that are determined--
``(A) to be geologically active, or to have significant
potential for geological activity; and
``(B) to pose significant risks of tsunami for States along
the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or
Gulf of Mexico; and
``(3) supports other international tsunami forecasting and
warning efforts.''.
(d) Tsunami Warning Centers.--Subsection (d) of such
section 4 is amended to read as follows:
``(d) Tsunami Warning Centers.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall support or
maintain centers to support the tsunami warning system
required by subsection (c). The Centers shall include--
``(A) the National Tsunami Warning Center, located in
Alaska, which is primarily responsible for Alaska and the
continental United States;
``(B) the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, located in
Hawaii, which is primarily responsible for Hawaii, the
Caribbean, and other areas of the Pacific not covered by the
National Center; and
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``(C) any additional forecast and warning centers
determined by the National Weather Service to be necessary.
``(2) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the
centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
``(A) Continuously monitoring data from seismological, deep
ocean, coastal sea level, and tidal monitoring stations and
other data sources as may be developed and deployed.
``(B) Evaluating earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic
eruptions that have the potential to generate tsunami.
``(C) Evaluating deep ocean buoy data and tidal monitoring
stations for indications of tsunami resulting from
earthquakes and other sources.
``(D) To the extent practicable, utilizing a range of
models to predict tsunami arrival times and flooding
estimates.
``(E) Disseminating forecasts and tsunami warning bulletins
to Federal, State, and local government officials and the
public.
``(F) Coordinating with the tsunami hazard mitigation
program conducted under section 5 to ensure ongoing sharing
of information between forecasters and emergency management
officials.
``(G) Making data gathered under this Act and post-warning
analyses conducted by the National Weather Service or other
relevant Administration offices available to researchers.
``(3) Fail-safe warning capability.--The tsunami warning
centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph (1)
shall maintain a fail-safe warning capability and ability to
perform back-up duties for each other.
``(4) Coordination with national weather service.--The
National Weather Service shall coordinate with the centers
supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph (1) to ensure
that regional and local forecast offices--
``(A) have the technical knowledge and capability to
disseminate tsunami warnings for the communities they serve;
and
``(B) leverage connections with local emergency management
officials for optimally disseminating tsunami warnings and
forecasts.
``(5) Uniform operating procedures.--The Administrator
shall--
``(A) develop uniform operational procedures for the
centers supported or maintained pursuant to paragraph (1),
including the use of software applications, checklists,
decision support tools, and tsunami warning products that
have been standardized across the program supported under
this section;
``(B) ensure that processes and products of the warning
system operated pursuant to subsection (c)--
``(i) reflect industry best practices;
``(ii) conform to the maximum extent practicable with
internationally recognized standards for information
technology; and
``(iii) conform to the maximum extent practicable with
other warning products and practices of the National Weather
Service;
``(C) ensure that future adjustments to operational
protocols, processes, and warning products--
``(i) are made consistently across the warning system
operated pursuant to subsection (c); and
``(ii) are applied in a uniform manner across such warning
system; and
``(D) disseminate guidelines and metrics for evaluating and
improving tsunami forecast models.
``(6) Available resources.--The Administrator, through the
National Weather Service, shall ensure that resources are
available to fulfill the obligations of this Act. This
includes ensuring supercomputing resources are available to
run such computer models as are needed for purposes of the
tsunami warning system operated pursuant to subsection
(c).''.
(e) Transfer of Technology; Maintenance and Upgrades.--
Subsection (e) of such section 4 is amended to read as
follows:
``(e) Transfer of Technology; Maintenance and Upgrades.--In
carrying out this section, the Administrator shall--
``(1) develop requirements for the equipment used to
forecast tsunami, including--
``(A) provisions for multipurpose detection platforms;
``(B) reliability and performance metrics; and
``(C) to the maximum extent practicable, requirements for
the integration of equipment with other United States and
global ocean and coastal observation systems, the global
Earth observing system of systems, the global seismic
networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System;
``(2) develop and execute a plan for the transfer of
technology from ongoing research conducted as part of the
program supported or maintained under section 6 into the
program under this section; and
``(3) ensure that the Administration's operational tsunami
detection equipment is properly maintained.''.
(f) Federal Cooperation.--Subsection (f) of such section 4
is amended to read as follows:
``(f) Federal Cooperation.--When deploying and maintaining
tsunami detection technologies under the program under this
section, the Administrator shall--
``(1) identify which assets of other Federal agencies are
necessary to support such program; and
``(2) work with each agency identified under paragraph
(1)--
``(A) to acquire the agency's assistance; and
``(B) to prioritize the necessary assets.''.
(g) Unnecessary Provisions.--Such section 4 is further
amended by striking subsections (g) through (k).
SEC. 5. MODIFICATION OF NATIONAL TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 5 (33 U.S.C. 3204) is amended by
striking subsections (a) through (d) and inserting the
following:
``(a) Program Required.--The Administrator, in consultation
with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency and the heads of such other agencies as the
Administrator considers relevant, shall conduct a community-
based tsunami hazard mitigation program to improve tsunami
preparedness and resiliency of at-risk areas in the United
States and the territories of the United States.
``(b) Program Components.--The Program conducted pursuant
to subsection (a) shall include the following:
``(1) Technical and financial assistance to coastal States,
territories, tribes, and local governments to develop and
implement activities under this section.
``(2) Integration of tsunami preparedness and mitigation
programs into ongoing State-based hazard warning, resilience
planning, and risk management activities, including
predisaster planning, emergency response, evacuation
planning, disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, and community
development and redevelopment programs in affected areas.
``(3) Activities to promote the adoption of tsunami
resilience, preparedness, warning, and mitigation measures by
Federal, State, territorial, tribal, and local governments
and nongovernmental entities, including educational and risk
communication programs to discourage development in high-risk
areas.
``(4) Activities to support the development of regional
tsunami hazard and risk assessments, using inundation models
that meet programmatic standards for accuracy. Such regional
risk assessments may include the following:
``(A) The sources, sizes, and histories of tsunami in that
region.
``(B) Inundation models and maps of critical infrastructure
and socioeconomic vulnerability in areas subject to tsunami
inundation.
``(C) Maps of evacuation areas and evacuation routes.
``(D) Evaluations of the size of populations that will
require evacuation, including populations with special
evacuation needs.
``(5) Activities to support the development of community-
based outreach and education programs to ensure community
readiness and resilience, including the following:
``(A) The development, implementation, and assessment of
technical training and public education programs, including
education programs that address unique characteristics of
distant and near-field tsunami.
``(B) The development of decision support tools.
``(C) The incorporation of social science research into
community readiness and resilience efforts.
``(D) The development of evidence-based education
guidelines.
``(6) Dissemination of guidelines and standards for
community planning, education, and training products,
programs, and tools, including standards for--
``(A) mapping products;
``(B) inundation models; and
``(C) effective emergency exercises.
``(c) Authorized Activities.--In addition to activities
conducted under subsection (b), the program conducted
pursuant to subsection (a) may include the following:
``(1) Multidisciplinary vulnerability assessment research,
education, and training to help integrate risk management and
resilience objectives with community development planning and
policies.
``(2) Risk management training for local officials and
community organizations to enhance understanding and
preparedness.
``(3) Development of practical applications for existing or
emerging technologies, such as modeling, remote sensing,
geospatial technology, engineering, and observing systems.
``(4) Risk management, risk assessment, and resilience data
and information services, including--
``(A) access to data and products derived from observing
and detection systems; and
``(B) development and maintenance of new integrated data
products to support risk management, risk assessment, and
resilience programs.
``(5) Risk notification systems that coordinate with and
build upon existing systems and actively engage
decisionmakers, local and State government agencies, business
communities, nongovernmental organizations, and the media.
``(d) No Preemption.--
``(1) Designation of at-risk areas.--The establishment of
national standards for inundation models under this section
shall not prevent States, territories, tribes, and local
governments from designating additional areas as being at
risk based on knowledge of local conditions.
``(2) No new regulatory authority.--Nothing in this Act may
be construed as establishing new regulatory authority for any
Federal agency.''.
(b) Report on Accreditation of TsunamiReady Program.--Not
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration shall submit to the Committee on Commerce,
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Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives a report on which authorities and activities
would be needed to have the TsunamiReady program of the
National Weather Service accredited by the Emergency
Management Accreditation Program.
SEC. 6. MODIFICATION OF TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM.
Section 6 (33 U.S.C. 3205) is amended--
(1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by striking ``The
Administrator shall'' and all that follows through
``establish or maintain'' and inserting the following:
``(a) In General.--The Administrator shall, in consultation
with such other Federal agencies, State and territorial
governments, and academic institutions as the Administrator
considers appropriate, the coordinating committee under
section 11(b), and the panel under section 8(a), support or
maintain'';
(2) by striking ``and assessment for tsunami tracking and
numerical forecast modeling. Such research program shall--''
and inserting the following: ``assessment for tsunami
tracking and numerical forecast modeling, and standards
development.
``(b) Responsibilities.--The research program supported or
maintained pursuant to subsection (a) shall--'';
(3) in subsection (b), as designated by paragraph (2)--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) consider other appropriate research to mitigate the
impact of tsunami, including the improvement of near-field
tsunami detection and forecasting capabilities, which may
include use of new generation Deep-ocean Assessment and
Reporting of Tsunamis and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration supercomputer capacity to develop a rapid
tsunami forecast for all United States coastlines;'';
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by striking ``include'' and inserting ``conduct''; and
(ii) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(C) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (5); and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
``(4) develop the technical basis for validation of tsunami
maps, numerical tsunami models, digital elevation models, and
forecasts; and''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Pilot Project.--The Administrator may, pursuant to
subsection (b), develop a pilot project for near-field
tsunami forecast development for the Cascadia region along
the west coast of the United States using new generation
Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis, upcoming and
existing cable networks, and new National Centers for
Environmental Protection modeling capability.''.
SEC. 7. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NETWORK.
Section 7 (33 U.S.C. 3206) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) Support for Development of International Tsunami
Warning System.--The Administrator shall, in coordination
with the Secretary of State and in consultation with such
other agencies as the Administrator considers relevant,
provide technical assistance and training to the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization,
the World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations,
and such other international entities as the Administrator
considers appropriate, as part of the international efforts
to develop a fully functional global tsunami forecast and
warning system comprised of regional tsunami warning
networks.'';
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``shall'' and inserting
``may''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``establishing'' and
inserting ``supporting''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) by striking ``establish'' and inserting ``support'';
and
(ii) by striking ``establishing'' and inserting
``supporting''.
SEC. 8. TSUNAMI SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY PANEL.
(a) In General.--The Act is further amended--
(1) by redesignating section 8 (33 U.S.C. 3207) as section
9; and
(2) by inserting after section 7 (33 U.S.C. 3206) the
following:
``SEC. 8. TSUNAMI SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY PANEL.
``(a) Designation.--The Administrator shall designate an
existing working group within the Science Advisory Board of
the Administration to serve as the Tsunami Science and
Technology Advisory Panel to provide advice to the
Administrator on matters regarding tsunami science,
technology, and regional preparedness.
``(b) Membership.--
``(1) Composition.--The working group designated under
subsection (a) shall be composed of no fewer than 7 members
selected by the Administrator from among individuals from
academia or State agencies who have academic or practical
expertise in physical sciences, social sciences, information
technology, coastal resilience, emergency management, or such
other disciplines as the Administrator considers appropriate.
``(2) Federal employment.--No member of the working group
designated pursuant to subsection (a) may be a Federal
employee.
``(c) Responsibilities.--Not less frequently than once
every 4 years, the working group designated under subsection
(a) shall--
``(1) review the activities of the Administration, and
other Federal activities as appropriate, relating to tsunami
research, detection, forecasting, warning, mitigation,
resiliency, and preparation; and
``(2) submit to the Administrator and such others as the
Administrator considers appropriate--
``(A) the findings of the working group with respect to the
most recent review conducted pursuant to paragraph (1); and
``(B) such recommendations for legislative or
administrative action as the working group considers
appropriate to improve Federal tsunami research, detection,
forecasting, warning, mitigation, resiliency, and
preparation.
``(d) Reports to Congress.--Not less frequently than once
every 4 years, the Administrator shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
of the House of Representatives a report on the findings and
recommendations received by the Administrator under
subsection (c)(2).''.
SEC. 9. REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF TSUNAMI WARNING AND
EDUCATION ACT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
Congress a report on the implementation of the Tsunami
Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.).
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include the following:
(1) A detailed description of the progress made in
implementing sections 4(d)(6), 5(b)(6), and 6(b)(4) of the
Tsunami Warning and Education Act.
(2) A description of the ways that tsunami warnings and
warning products issued by the Tsunami Forecasting and
Warning Program established under section 4 of the Tsunami
Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3203) can be
standardized and streamlined with warnings and warning
products for hurricanes, coastal storms, and other coastal
flooding events.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 9 of the Act, as redesignated by section 8(a)(1) of
this Act, is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Administrator to carry out this Act $27,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2015 through 2017, of which--
``(1) not less than 27 percent of the amount appropriated
for each fiscal year shall be for activities under the
National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program under section 5;
and
``(2) not less than 8 percent of the amount appropriated
for each fiscal year shall be for the Tsunami Research
Program under section 6.''.
SEC. 11. OUTREACH RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, in coordination with State
and local emergency managers, shall develop and carry out
formal outreach activities to improve tsunami education and
awareness and foster the development of resilient
communities. Outreach activities may include--
(1) the development of outreach plans to ensure the close
integration of tsunami warning centers supported or
maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of the Tsunami Warning
and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3203(d)) with local Weather
Forecast Offices of the National Weather Service and
emergency managers;
(2) working with appropriate local Weather Forecast Offices
to ensure they have the technical knowledge and capability to
disseminate tsunami warnings to the communities they serve;
and
(3) evaluating the effectiveness of warnings and of
coordination with local Weather Forecast Offices after
significant tsunami events.
(b) Coordinating Committee of the National Tsunami Hazard
Mitigation Program.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall convene a
coordinating committee to assist the Administrator in the
conduct of the program required by section 5(a) of the
Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3204(a)).
(2) Composition.--The coordinating committee shall be
composed of members from each of the States at risk from
tsunami, and any other such representatives as the
Administrator considers appropriate to represent Federal,
State, tribal, territorial, and local governments.
(3) Subcommittees.--The Administrator may approve the
formation of subcommittees to address specific program
components or regional issues.
(4) Responsibilities.--The coordinating committee shall--
(A) provide feedback on how funds should be prioritized to
carry out the program required by section 5(a) of the Tsunami
Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3204(a));
(B) ensure that areas described in section 4(c) of the
Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3203(c)) in the
United States and its territories have the opportunity to
participate in the program;
(C) provide recommendations to the Administrator on how to
improve and continuously advance the TsunamiReady program,
[[Page H90]]
particularly on ways to make communities more tsunami
resilient through the use of inundation maps and models and
other hazard mitigation practices; and
(D) ensure that all components of the program required by
section 5(a) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33
U.S.C. 3204(a)) are integrated with ongoing State-based
hazard warning, risk management, and resilience activities,
including--
(i) integrating activities with emergency response plans,
disaster recovery, hazard mitigation, and community
development programs in affected areas; and
(ii) integrating information to assist in tsunami
evacuation route planning.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) 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 in which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 34, 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. 34, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research
Act of 2015, amends and strengthens the Tsunami Warning and Education
Act of 2006. It reauthorizes important work at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and refocuses the program on tsunami
detection, forecasts, and research.
I want to thank the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and the
gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for their bipartisan work
on this bill. A virtually identical bill passed the House by a voice
vote this past September in the previous Congress.
I now join the ranking member of the Science Committee, Ms. Johnson,
in cosponsoring the bill before us today.
Despite the recent absence of tsunami disasters here in the U.S., the
threat is still very real. The massive destruction from the tsunami
caused by the 2011 earthquake in Japan is a vivid reminder of the need
for enhanced early warning capabilities.
We face a similar threat here at home. Tsunamis have the ability to
injure Americans, damage property, and harm the economy.
This bill updates the Tsunami Forecasting and Warning Program
operated by NOAA. It will enhance the accuracy of forecasts, modernize
and improve the standards and guidelines for mapping and modeling
tsunamis, and support enhanced research efforts related to tsunami
science.
H.R. 34 also requires the NOAA Administrator to coordinate with State
and local emergency managers to improve tsunami education and awareness
in our coastal communities. This will help develop effective response
and resilience in the face of tsunamis and other coastal hazards.
This bill prioritizes fundamental scientific research on these
phenomena, strengthens outreach programs, and advances technological
forecasts to better understand and predict disasters.
I again thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) and Ms.
Bonamici for their work on this bipartisan legislation.
Mr. Speaker, before I conclude, I would like to recognize our general
counsel, Katy Flynn, sitting to my left, for her great service to the
Science Committee. She will be taking her talents to the Homeland
Security Committee next week to provide counsel for my friend and Texas
colleague, Chairman Michael McCaul.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of
Representatives,
Washington, DC, January 7, 2015.
Hon. Lamar Smith,
Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 34, the Tsunami
Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015. As you are
aware, there are certain provisions in the legislation that
fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite the House's consideration of H.R. 34,
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo
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 Congressional
Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology,
Washington, DC, January 7, 2015.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Shuster: Thank you for your letter regarding
H.R. 34, the ``Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act
of 2015''. I appreciate your support in bringing this
legislation before the House of Representatives, and
accordingly, understand that the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure will forego action on the bill.
The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology concurs
with the mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration
of H.R. 34 at this time, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure does not waive any jurisdiction over the
subject matter contained in this bill or similar legislation
in the future. In addition, should a conference on this bill
be necessary, I would support your request to have the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure represented on
the conference committee.
I will insert copies of this exchange 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.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 34, the Tsunami Warning,
Education, and Research Act of 2015.
I want to thank Mr. Rohrabacher for working with me to advance this
bipartisan legislation. I also thank the chairman and ranking member of
the Science Committee, Mr. Smith and Ms. Johnson, for their support in
making this bill an early priority in the 114th Congress. I would also
like to thank the State and local emergency management officials,
coastal zone managers, and the many scientists and other experts who
lent their expertise and experience to the development of this bill.
Coastal community groups and emergency planners in my district are
working hard to prepare their communities for earthquake and tsunami
events, and I am grateful that they took some time to provide their
input on this legislation.
Last month marked the 10th anniversary of the Sumatra-Andaman
earthquake in Southeast Asia. That earthquake triggered a tsunami event
that claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people from Indonesia to
Madagascar. Following that tragic event, Congress enacted the Tsunami
Warning and Education Act to begin preparing our communities for the
considerable threat posed by such an event. We were again reminded of
the severe dangers that a tsunami represents for our coastal
communities almost 4 years ago when the Tohoku earthquake near Japan
created a devastating tsunami that resulted in the tragic loss of human
lives and billions of dollars in economic damage, damage that reached
as far as the west coast of the United States.
The events in Indonesia and Japan underscore the importance of this
legislation, which reauthorizes and extends U.S. efforts to prepare and
protect our coastal communities from similar events.
Our ability to prepare, respond to, and recover from a tsunami
depends in large part on the hard work done at the local level. The
Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act will support local
efforts, and it is an important step toward making sure our
constituents are ready to face the dangers posed by tsunami threats.
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Maritime commerce, vibrant tourism, and more than 120 million
Americans are all part of the rich coastal U.S. economy, an economy
that contributes significantly to the U.S. GDP. The commercial fishing
industry alone supports about 1 million jobs, and the international
trade associated with coastal and marine fisheries contributes close to
$70 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Ensuring that coastal
communities, big and small, have the resources and knowledge necessary
to protect these critical assets from the threat of tsunami and be
prepared should it occur is simply good and prudent policy.
My coastal constituents are keenly aware of the threat that a tsunami
poses to their communities, and cities up and down coasts have
responded by installing warning sirens and developing evacuation
routes. But as we learn more about which areas will be hardest hit and
which technologies can provide the most accurate warning, a coordinated
effort is required to update preparation and response.
In Tillamook County, Oregon, for example, just outside my district,
they recently decided they are going to be using social media and
phones to warn residents. Seaside, a small coastal town in my district,
has been identified as the most vulnerable community to tsunami on the
Oregon coast, and local leaders and organizations there are proactively
educating residents and visitors about tsunami evacuation routes,
storage supply locations, and emergency communication systems.
At the Federal level, we must do our part to help communities
understand the risks and seriousness of the threats they face, and work
with them to be prepared, which is why I sponsored this bill along with
my colleague from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
In Oregon, we know that a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami will
occur some day in the Cascadia subduction zone. The question is not a
matter of if, but when. Although no one can predict when the Cascadia
fault will rupture, we can and we must prepare.
This legislation will help to ensure that local and regional
decision-makers have the tools and information they need to develop
mitigation and response plans to this ever present threat, and to
communicate these plans to the public in an effective and efficient
manner.
For distant tsunami events, this bill will advance research efforts
related to improving forecasting, detection, and notification. It adds
port and harbor operations as entities to be safeguarded by tsunami
forecasting capabilities.
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This bill will also support research needed to improve our
understanding of local tsunami events. A local tsunami--one that is
generated just off the coast--has a travel time of less than 30
minutes. This is the kind of tsunami most likely to have widespread and
devastating impacts on the U.S. coast and on the Caribbean.
In the 10 years since tragedy struck in the Indian Ocean region, we
have made significant strides in our understanding of how to prepare
for, mitigate, and respond to a tsunami.
I have no doubt that the progress we have made, in large part through
NOAA's efforts under the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, has
enhanced the safety of our community and has the potential to save
lives. This good work must be continued, and our bipartisan bill will
provide ongoing assistance to protect our coastal communities from the
impact of a tsunami.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting
this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), an original cosponsor of this
legislation and a senior member of the Science Committee.
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 34,
the Tsunami Warning, Education and Research Act of 2015. I would like
to thank my fellow partner in this endeavor, Representative Suzanne
Bonamici, for her tireless work on this. She has done a great job. She
has done her constituents and our committee proud for the hard work
that she has put into this.
In the end, if indeed we succeed and this bill becomes law and the
things we are trying to do are accomplished and hundreds of lives are
saved, we can sit back and say: ``It was a job well done. We have saved
Americans and some lives overseas. That is what God wanted us to do
with our time here in Washington, D.C.'' Thank you for letting me be
part of your effort to accomplish this.
I would also like to thank Chairman Lamar Smith and Ranking Member
Eddie Bernice Johnson. Chairman Lamar Smith has been a wonderful leader
who has demonstrated the type of bipartisan effort that can really get
things accomplished, and I am proud to be on his team as well.
We have seen time and time again what tsunamis can do. That is what
this legislation is all about. We need to learn more about them. We
need to be more accurate in forecasting and reducing the impacts on our
communities.
This legislation will help us make sure that all of our coastal
communities--especially those in my district in California, which are
some of the best coastal beaches in all of the United States of
America--are adequately prepared and properly warned about this danger.
H.R. 34 will strengthen our tsunami warning system's ability to
forecast a tsunami arrival, thus bringing damages down. It will
establish a working group to provide advice on tsunami science and
technology. This legislation does all of this in a fiscally responsible
manner, and I am proud to ask my colleagues to join me in support of
it.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 4 minutes to my
colleague from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), who also represents some coastline
in our great State.
Mr. DeFAZIO. I thank the gentlewoman. I also congratulate the chair,
the ranking member, and others who support this needed legislation.
Mr. Speaker, this bill will bring new focus to NOAA's ongoing efforts
on deploying early detection systems, research, and working with
potentially affected communities, better educating the public and
designating evacuation routes and putting other measures in place that
can mitigate damage or loss of life in the case of a tsunami.
The Cascadia Subduction fault is not as well known to most Americans
as the San Andreas in California, but the Cascadia Subduction fault,
which starts just south of my district off of northern California has
the potential for an even more devastating earthquake and much more
probability of a devastating tsunami than anything caused by the San
Andreas and other major faults.
This bill is good in the focus it brings. The gentleman who spoke
before me from California said it does it in a fiscally responsible
way. Well, I would only disagree with that in that it is not fiscally
responsible to underfund these efforts at NOAA.
We should be moving forward with all dispatch to use existing
technology which is on the shelf and being deployed by Japan, Southeast
Asia, off of South America, and being used on land in Mexico and places
like Romania for early detection systems.
We are researching and thinking about what we want to do. There are
off-the-shelf technologies that will work for remote sensing. What will
that mean? If you have remote sensors off the southern Oregon coast
close to this fault, that means in the case of a major earthquake--
which could be Category 9--you would have a warning further and further
up the coast, a longer warning.
For people immediately adjacent or in the mid-Oregon coast, it could
definitely save lives and give people more time to get to high ground
by using known evacuation routes.
The further you move north, say to the city of Portland, a major
quake will have a major impact, but the shock waves would take 8 to 10
minutes or more to travel there. You could get people off the bridges.
You could shut down the light rail system. People with critical
manufacturing undertakings could shut down their lines, so they would
have less economic loss.
In my district, schools could be evacuated. We have many schools that
don't meet earthquake standards that will collapse. Given 3 to 5
minutes that we could have in Eugene, you could
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save the lives of hundreds and hundreds of kids.
But we are the United States of America. We can't afford it. Under
the budget priorities of the Republican Party, we can't afford to
deploy an early warning system off the United States of America. Now,
Mexico can afford it. Chile can afford it. Malaysia and Indonesia can
afford it. Japan can afford it. Romania and Mexico can afford it. We
can't.
Well, it is time to stop dragging our feet. This bill brings the
focus to NOAA, but it also brings focus on the fact that we aren't
giving them the money they need.
It brings focus to NOAA that will hopefully urge them to move more
quickly and not mess around trying to develop new technologies or
thinking about it, like some of our Federal agencies do. Use known,
off-the-shelf technologies that work and is being deployed elsewhere in
the world, and it is up to Congress to give them a budget adequate to
do this.
I hope we act soon. This bill today is the first step.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to again thank and
acknowledge my cosponsor, Mr. Rohrabacher from California, and the
chairman and ranking member of the Science, Space, and Technology
Committee for bringing this bill forward.
I want to again recognize that 10 years have passed since the tragedy
that befell the Indian Ocean region and also take a moment to remember
the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, a tsunami whose
effects were felt on the western coast of the United States.
We must be mindful of those lessons learned from past disasters and
give our constituents the necessary tools to prepare for future tsunami
events.
In Seaside, Oregon, the schools are in the tsunami inundation zone.
We must do what we can to support the vital research and advancements
in forecasting that will give local communities the resources they need
to prepare and be more resilient.
I urge adoption of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of
H.R. 34, the ``Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015''.
First, I want to thank the Ranking Member of the Environment
Subcommittee, Ms. Bonamici, for her work on this legislation and her
commitment to maintaining the health and vitality of the Nation's
oceans and coastal communities. I would also like to thank Mr.
Rohrabacher for joining her in this bipartisan effort, and Mr. Smith,
the Chairman of the Science Committee, for starting the 114th Congress
with a good bipartisan bill.
Over 120 million Americans call the United States coastline their
home. These coastal communities--from major cities to small towns--play
a vital role in sustaining the American economy. In fact, approximately
one-third of the U.S. gross domestic product has its origins in coastal
areas. That is why the bill we are considering today is so important.
It would allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to
continue to protect Americans and our coastal economies from the threat
of tsunamis.
This legislation is a perfect example of a familiar saying: an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Our tsunami warning program has
increased in effectiveness over the last decade, but we must remain
vigilant in our preparedness and continue to invest in the research and
development, and education and outreach, necessary to improve the
resiliency of our coastal communities to these destructive waves. We
were reminded in 2004 in Sumatra, and again in 2011 in Japan, of the
devastation that can be caused by a tsunami. Billions and billions of
dollars in economic damages and countless lives are at risk if we do
not maintain, and improve, our tsunami detection and forecasting
capabilities. Today's legislation advances NOAA's research efforts to
do just that and may ultimately add minutes of critical response time
to tsunami warnings. The bill also recognizes that the results of
NOAA's research must be translated into outreach and education
activities at the state and local level. The effective and timely
communication of threats is critical in mitigating the impacts of a
natural disaster. In addition, increased warning times are only
effective if people know how to respond. I am pleased that this
legislation emphasizes and supports local community preparedness.
Resiliency to natural disasters is an important part of strengthening
the nation's economic security. I want to ensure that our coastal
communities have the resources and tools they need to minimize the loss
of life and property caused by a tsunami. Reauthorizing NOAA's tsunami
activities is a key step in helping our communities continue to make
progress.
I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
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. 34.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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