[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 21046-21047]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 
                                  2003

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 771, H.R. 2608.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2608) to reauthorize the National Earthquake 
     Hazards Reduction Program, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I wish to speak in relation to the H.R. 
2608, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization 
Act, which passed with a substitute amendment by unanimous consent.
  Earthquakes are some of the world's most dangerous natural hazards. 
They can seem to strike with sudden unpredictability, and can affect a 
large area causing damage miles away from the epicenter. The National 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, NEHRP, was created in 1977 to 
conduct basic research about earthquakes and develop strategies, such 
as stricter building codes, to mitigate the effects of them. The NEHRP 
program is composed of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, 
in the Department of Homeland Security's Emergency Preparedness and 
Response, EP&R, Directorate; the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, NIST; the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS; and the National 
Science Foundation, NSF.
  The 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Parkfield, California last 
week demonstrated both the dangers of earthquakes and the success of 
the NEHRP program. Because of the strong building codes and 
preparations developed by NEHRP and taken by the people of Parkfield, 
there were no fatalities.
  This bill would authorize the NEHRP program from Fiscal Year, FY, 
2005 through FY 2009. In addition, it would make a number of reforms to 
the program, including designating NIST as the program's lead agency 
and establishing an Interagency Coordinating Committee and an Advisory 
Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction to improve the program's 
coordination and implementation.
  This bill also would require the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy to establish a National Windstorm Impact 
Reduction Program consisting of representatives from NIST, NSF, FEMA, 
and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA. The 
purpose of this program would be to improve our understanding of 
windstorms and how they affect our communities. We recently witnessed 
the devastation to Florida by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and 
Jeanne. Congress should recognize the importance of windstorm research 
to develop ways to reduce future damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, and 
other such phenomena.
  Finally, the bill would authorize funding for the Federal Aviation 
Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation from FY 2005 
through FY 2009. SpaceShipOne demonstrated yesterday that we are at the 
beginning of a new age in space travel, in which private citizens will 
be able to finance, operate, and travel in their own vehicles. It is 
vital that this office be adequately funded to ensure that the 
government plays an appropriate oversight role in this promising field.
  Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for their support of this 
legislation, and ask unanimous consent that my statement be printed in 
the Record.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the 
substitute amendment to H.R. 2608, the National Earthquake Hazards 
Reduction Program Reauthorization Act. I fully support this amendment. 
The first two titles in this substitute amendment were distinct bills, 
each extremely important to fighting the respective hazard. I want to 
thank Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Hutchison for their work in bring 
the wind title to the committee's attention.
  Earthquakes are deadly natural hazards that arrive without warning 
and can claim thousands of lives. For example, a 6.6 magnitude 
earthquake in Iran last year killed 30,000 people, while a similar 
magnitude quake in California killed two people. Thousands of lives 
have been saved as a result of the fine research conducted through the 
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. I support the earthquake 
title of the substitute amendment, but I want to reiterate

[[Page 21047]]

that the National Institute of Standards and Technology needs greater 
funding if it is to fulfill its new role as the lead agency in this 
program. I hope that my colleagues will see to it that this excellent 
agency has the resources it needs to continue to develop standards that 
protect the public.
  Building codes work. The hurricanes we've seen in the past month 
prove that. According to the St. Petersburg Times, houses built before 
the building codes were revised in 1992, as a result of Hurricane 
Andrew, were blown off their foundations. Houses built after new 
building codes were in place are still standing. These disasters cost 
the country several billion dollars in damage each year. By 
establishing a national program to improve design and engineering to 
protect against windstorms, we can save not only money, but more 
importantly lives.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the 
windstorm impact reduction bill, a bill included in the earthquake bill 
before the Senate for consideration today. The windstorm bill, 
supported in the Senate by me and Senator Hutchison and by 
Representatives Moore and Neugebauer in the House, sets up a national 
program to reduce the loss of life and property due to windstorms.
  It is an understatement to say that the four hurricanes that hit 
Florida--Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne--in the last 6 
weeks demonstrate the great need for this legislation. More than 70 
lives were lost, and homes, businesses, roads and bridges were 
devastated by the hurricanes. It is estimated that the losses from 
these hurricanes will surpass the $20 billion in losses from Hurricane 
Andrew in 1992, the costliest hurricane ever.
  It is imperative that the amount of destruction suffered by the State 
of Florida never be repeated again. This bill will give us the tools to 
protect our communities from future material losses and to reduce human 
suffering. An interagency working group consisting of representatives 
of the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be 
responsible for planning and managing this program.
  The program will have three goals: No. 1, improved understanding of 
windstorms; No. 2, windstorm impact assessment; and No. 3, windstorm 
impact reduction. We will achieve these goals through data collection 
and analysis, outreach, technology transfer, and research and 
development.
  As a result of this program, we will translate existing and future 
information and research findings into cost-effective and affordable 
practices for design and construction professionals, and State and 
local officials. And this Interagency group will provide biennial 
updates of their progress to Congress so we know what progress has been 
made and what more needs to be done.
  We'll also get a broad cross-section of interests involved through an 
advisory committee--so that real life issues are addressed and on-site 
expertise is utilized. Any my hope is that the devastation of 
Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne will never be experienced 
again in my State of Florida or in any other State.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the McCain 
substitute amendment which is at the desk be agreed to; the bill, as 
amended, be read a third time and passed; the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; and that any 
statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3983) was agreed to.
  (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of 
Amendments.'')
  The bill (H.R. 2608), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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