[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 179-184]
[From the U.S. 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

[[Page 180]]

     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
       ``(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

[[Page 181]]

     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, 
     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

[[Page 182]]

     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, 
     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.

[[Page 183]]

  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.
  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.

                              {time}  1430

  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,

[[Page 184]]

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 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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