[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14130-14134]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          TSUNAMI WARNING, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT OF 2014

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 5309) 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. 5309

       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 2014''.

     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, as part of the National Centers for 
     Environmental Prediction, 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, the 
     continental United States, and the Caribbean;

[[Page 14131]]

       ``(B) the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, located in 
     Hawaii, which is primarily responsible for Hawaii and other 
     areas of the Pacific not covered by the National Center; and
       ``(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.

[[Page 14132]]

       ``(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, 
     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 the 
     Ocean Exploration Advisory 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

[[Page 14133]]

     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, 
     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 to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5309, 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. 5309, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research 
Act of 2014, amends and strengthens the Tsunami Warning and Education 
Act of 2006. It reauthorizes an important program at the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and sharpens its focus on 
tsunami detection, forecasts, and warnings.
  The recent absence of tsunami disasters here in the U.S. does not 
mean we should stand by as spectators. The threat is very real. The 
tsunami resulting from the 2011 earthquake in Japan caused massive 
destruction and is a vivid reminder of the need for enhanced early 
warning capabilities.
  Tsunamis pose a similar threat to America's coastline. They 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 modernizes and enhances the accuracy of forecasts, 
improves standards and guidelines for mapping and modeling tsunamis, 
and supports research efforts related to tsunami science.
  H.R. 5309 expands outreach responsibilities of the NOAA administrator 
to coordinate with State and local emergency managers to improve 
tsunami education and awareness. This will help develop resilient 
communities in the face of tsunamis and other coastal hazards.
  This bill strengthens scientific research on these phenomena, fosters 
outreach programs, and advances technological forecasts to better 
understand and respond to disasters when they occur.
  I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher), the 
vice chairman of the Science Committee; our Environment Subcommittee 
ranking member, Ms. Bonamici of Oregon; and the ranking member of the 
full committee, Ms. Johnson of Texas, for their initiative on this 
bipartisan legislation.
  I really want to single out the gentlewoman from Oregon for her 
efforts on this particular subject. She has engaged this subject for 
the last several months, has been instrumental in our getting here to 
the floor today, and it is her initiative that is going to benefit the 
country.
  So I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5309, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and 
Research Act of 2014.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Rohrabacher) for cosponsoring this bipartisan legislation with me. I 
also want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Science, 
Space, and Technology Committee, Mr. Smith and Ms. Johnson of Texas, 
for their support in moving this bill forward.
  I also would like to thank the hardworking staff, my personal staff, 
Mr. Rohrabacher's staff, and the dedicated committee staff on both 
sides of the aisle for their help with this bill.
  Finally, I would like to thank the State and local emergency 
management officials, coastal zone managers, and the many scientists 
and other experts who have contributed their ideas to the development 
of this bill.
  I have met with coastal community groups and emergency planners in my 
district who are working on a number of fronts to prepare their 
communities for earthquake and tsunami events.
  So much of our ability to prepare, respond, and recover from a 
tsunami will depend on awareness, planning, and mobilization at the 
local level. From the Federal agencies all the way down to local 
emergency managers, we all agree that adequately preparing communities 
across the country for the threat of natural disasters is of vital 
importance to the future of this country.
  The Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014 is an 
important step toward making sure that our coastal communities are 
ready to face the dangers posed by tsunami threats.
  In 2004, the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake in Southeast Asia triggered a 
deadly tsunami event that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of 
people from Indonesia to the coast of Madagascar, prompting Congress to 
enact the Tsunami Warning and Education Act of 2006.
  We were reminded of the significant threat that a tsunami poses to 
U.S. coastal communities 3 years ago when the Tohoku earthquake near 
Japan created a devastating tsunami event. That tsunami resulted in the 
tragic loss of human life and billions of dollars of economic damage, 
which made it one of the costliest natural disasters we have ever seen, 
and its damage reached as far as the west coast of the United States--
California and Oregon, to be specific.
  The events in Indonesia and Japan underscore the importance of this 
legislation and why we must prepare and protect our coastal communities 
from similar events.
  Maritime commercial activities, vibrant tourist industries, and more 
than 120 million Americans are all part of the rich coastal U.S. 
economy, an economy that contributed close to half of the entire U.S. 
GDP in 2011.
  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. Likewise, more than 13 million Americans work at our 
commercial ports. They help to move the more than $1 trillion worth of 
goods and products to the shelves of our local stores.
  These examples show that investing in the resiliency of coastal 
communities is important to the economic health of not just these 
regions, but to the Nation. Ensuring that these coastal communities, 
big and small, have the resources and knowledge necessary to protect 
these critical aspects from the threat of a tsunami and be prepared, 
should one occur, is simply good and prudent policy.
  Because this body collectively provides assistance when there is a 
natural disaster, like Superstorm Sandy,

[[Page 14134]]

for example, planning and preparation to avoid or minimize damage and 
destruction is important for all of us, whether or not we represent a 
coastal district.
  Oregonians are aware of the threat that a tsunami would pose to their 
communities, and cities up and down the coast have responded by 
installing warning sirens and developing evacuation routes, but as 
newer warning technologies develop and more is understood about the 
areas that will be hit the hardest, a coordinated effort is required to 
update preparation and response.
  In Tillamook County, Oregon, for example, they recently decided that 
warning sirens were not the way of the future, favoring the use of 
warning residents through social media and by phone instead.
  Seaside, a small coastal town in my district, has been identified as 
the most vulnerable community to tsunami on the Oregon coast. In 
Seaside, local leaders and organizations are proactively educating 
residents and visitors about tsunami evacuation routes, storage supply 
locations, and emergency communication systems.
  At the Federal level, we can help these 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, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
  H.R. 5309 will update and reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and 
Education Act and will help to ensure that local and regional 
decisionmakers 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 legislation will advance research 
efforts related to improving tsunami forecasting, protection, and 
notification which could mean extra minutes for emergency responders on 
the ground and translate into lives saved and tragedies avoided, and it 
adds ports and harbor operations as entities to be safeguarded by 
tsunami forecasting capabilities.
  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 about 30 minutes or 
less.
  That is the kind of tsunami most likely to have widespread and 
devastating impacts on the U.S. coast and on the Caribbean. In Oregon, 
we know that a catastrophic Cascadia earthquake and tsunami will occur 
someday. Although no one can predict the next time the Cascadia fault 
will rupture, we can and must prepare.
  At a recent Coastal Caucus event in Florence, Oregon, State-elected 
officials, tribal governments, community leaders, and business owners 
attended a panel discussion that focused on the threat posed by tsunami 
and how we are updating our response plans to reflect new 
understandings of subduction zone tsunami events. One thing everyone on 
the panel agreed on: it is not a matter of if, but when.
  We have already learned a lot about how to prepare for, mitigate, and 
respond to tsunamis. I have no doubt that the progress we have made 
through NOAA's efforts under the Tsunami Warning and Education Act has 
enhanced the safety of our communities and will save lives, and this 
good work must be continued.
  The coastlines of the United States already play an integral role in 
the economic prosperity of this country, and we must strengthen their 
preparedness and resiliency, so they can continue to play that role 
going forward. In this bipartisan bill, we recognize the need for 
continued protection of our coastal communities from the impacts of 
tsunami.
  In closing, I want to say that September is National Preparedness 
Month. It is a reminder to everyone to make disaster preparedness a 
priority.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I hope we can further this 
discussion and continue to find ways to build America's resiliency to 
tsunami and other natural disasters.
  Mr. Speaker, 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. 5309, the ``Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 
2014''.
  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 finally, I 
want to thank the Chairman of the Science Committee, Mr. Smith, for 
helping to move this bipartisan bill to the floor today.
  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, supporting commercial 
fishing enterprises, tourism, and maritime commerce. 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 reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and Education 
Act of 2006, and allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration to continue to protect Americans and our coastal 
economies from the threat of tsunami.
  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 
been effective over the last eight years, 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. Since the United States 
has not been struck by a major tsunami since 1964, I think it is useful 
to put the potential threat into perspective. I know I do not have to 
remind anyone of the amount of damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and 
Sandy. A single tsunami event in the United States could dwarf the 
devastation caused by either of those disasters.
  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. H.R. 5309 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. 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 by passing H.R. 5309 is a key step in helping to do just 
that.
  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. 5309.
  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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