[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2608 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
1st Session
H. R. 2608
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 2, 2003
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
Section 4 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42
U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraphs:
``(8) The term `Interagency Coordinating Committee' means
the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards
Reduction established under section 5(a).
``(9) The term `Advisory Committee' means the Advisory
Committee established under section 5(a)(5).''.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM.
Section 5 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42
U.S.C. 7704(b)) is amended--
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--There is established the National
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.
``(2) Program activities.--The activities of the Program
shall be designed to--
``(A) develop effective measures for earthquake
hazards reduction;
``(B) promote the adoption of earthquake hazards
reduction measures by Federal, State, and local
governments, national standards and model code
organizations, architects and engineers, building
owners, and others with a role in planning and
constructing buildings, structures, and lifelines
through--
``(i) grants, contracts, cooperative
agreements, and technical assistance;
``(ii) development of standards,
guidelines, and voluntary consensus codes for
earthquake hazards reduction for buildings,
structures, and lifelines; and
``(iii) development and maintenance of a
repository of information, including technical
data, on seismic risk and hazards reduction;
and
``(C) improve the understanding of earthquakes and
their effects on communities, buildings, structures,
and lifelines, through interdisciplinary research that
involves engineering, natural sciences, and social,
economic, and decisions sciences.
``(3) Interagency coordinating committee on earthquake
hazards reduction.--
``(A) In general.--There is established an
Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake
Hazards Reduction chaired by the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology
(referred to in this subsection as the `Director').
``(B) Membership.--The committee shall be composed
of the directors of--
``(i) the Federal Emergency Management
Agency;
``(ii) the United States Geological Survey;
``(iii) the National Science Foundation;
``(iv) the Office of Science and Technology
Policy; and
``(v) the Office of Management and Budget.
``(C) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not less
than 3 times a year at the call of the Director.
``(D) Purpose and duties.--The Interagency
Coordinating Committee shall oversee the planning,
management, and coordination of the Program. The
Interagency Coordinating Committee shall--
``(i) develop, not later than 6 months
after the date of enactment of this Act, and
update periodically--
``(I) a strategic plan that
establishes goals and priorities for
the Program activities described under
subsection (a)(2); and
``(II) a detailed management plan
to implement such strategic plan; and
``(ii) develop a coordinated interagency
budget for the Program that will ensure
appropriate balance among the Program
activities described under subsection (a)(2),
and submit such budget to the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget at the time
designated by that office for agencies to
submit annual budgets.
``(4) Annual report.--The Interagency Coordinating
Committee shall transmit, at the time of the President's budget
request to Congress, an annual report to the Committee on
Science and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate. Such report shall include--
``(A) the Program budget for the current fiscal
year for each agency that participates in the Program,
and for each major goal established for the Program
activities under subparagraph (3)(A);
``(B) the proposed Program budget for the next
fiscal year for each agency that participates in the
Program, and for each major goal established for the
Program activities under subparagraph (3)(A);
``(C) a description of the activities and results
of the Program during the previous year, including an
assessment of the effectiveness of the Program in
furthering the goals established in the strategic plan
under (3)(A);
``(D) a description of the extent to which the
Program has incorporated the recommendations of the
Advisory Committee;
``(E) a description of activities, including
budgets for the current fiscal year and proposed
budgets for the next fiscal year, that are carried out
by Program agencies and contribute to the Program, but
are not included in the Program; and
``(F) a description of the activities, including
budgets for the current fiscal year and proposed
budgets for the following fiscal year, related to the
grant program carried out under subsection
(b)(2)(A)(i).
``(5) Advisory committee.--
``(A) In general.--The Director shall establish an
Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction
consisting of non-Federal members, including
representatives of research and academic institutions,
industry standards development organizations, State and
local government, and financial communities who are
qualified to provide advice on earthquake hazards
reduction. The recommendations of the Advisory
Committee shall be considered by Federal agencies in
implementing the Program.
``(B) Assessment.--The Advisory Committee shall
assess--
``(i) trends and developments in the
science and engineering of earthquake hazards
reduction;
``(ii) effectiveness of the Program in
carrying out the activities under (a)(2);
``(iii) the need to revise the Program; and
``(iv) the management, coordination,
implementation, and activities of the Program.
``(C) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act and at least once every 2
years thereafter, the Advisory Committee shall report
to the Director on its findings of the assessment
carried out under subparagraph (B) and its
recommendations for ways to improve the Program. In
developing recommendations, the Committee shall
consider the recommendations of the United States
Geological Survey Scientific Earthquake Studies
Advisory Committee.
``(D) Federal advisory committee act application.--
Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
App. U.S.C. 14) shall not apply to the Advisory
Committee.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``Federal Emergency
Management Agency'' and all that follows
through ``of the Agency'' and inserting
``National Institute of Standards and
Technology shall have the primary
responsibility for planning and coordinating
the Program. In carrying out this paragraph,
the Director of the Institute'';
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C)
and redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as
subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively;
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
the following:
``(B) support the development of performance-based
seismic engineering tools, and work with appropriate
groups to promote the commercial application of such
tools, through earthquake-related building codes,
standards, and construction practices;'';
(iv) by striking ``The principal official
carrying out the responsibilities described in
this paragraph shall be at a level no lower
than that of Associate Director.''; and
(v) in subparagraph (D), as redesignated by
clause (ii), by striking ``National Science
Foundation, the National Institutes of
Standards and Technology'' and inserting
``Federal Emergency Management Agency, the
National Science Foundation'';
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)--
(i) by striking ``In addition to the lead''
and all that follows through ``Agency'' and
inserting ``The Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (in this Act
referred to as the `Agency')''; and
(ii) by amending clause (iii) to read as
follows:
``(iii) assist the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, other Federal
agencies, and private sector groups in the
preparation and wide dissemination of building
codes and practices for structures and
lifelines, and aid in the development of
performance based codes for buildings,
structures, and lifelines that are cost
effective and affordable;'';
(C) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by inserting ``and other activities''
after ``shall conduct research'';
(ii) in subparagraphs (C) and (D), by
striking ``the Agency'' both places it appears
and inserting ``the Director of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology'';
(iii) in subparagraph (E), by striking
``establish, using existing facilities, a
Center for the International Exchange of
Earthquake Information'' and inserting
``operate, using the National Earthquake
Information Center, a forum for the
international exchange of earthquake
information'';
(iv) in subparagraph (F), by striking
``Network'' and inserting ``System''; and
(v) by inserting after subparagraph (H) the
following new subparagraphs:
``(I) work with other Program agencies to
coordinate Program activities with similar earthquake
hazards reduction efforts in other countries, to ensure
that the Program benefits from relevant information and
advances in those countries; and
``(J) maintain suitable seismic hazard maps in
support of building codes for structures and lifelines,
including additional maps needed for performance based
design approaches.'';
(D) in paragraph (4)--
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (D),
(E), and (F) as subparagraphs (E), (F), and
(H), respectively;
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (C)
the following:
``(D) support research that improves the safety and
performance of buildings, structures, and lifeline
systems using large-scale experimental and
computational facilities;'';
(iii) in subparagraph (F) (as so
redesignated), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon; and
(iv) by inserting after subparagraph (F)
(as so redesignated) the following:
``(G) include to the maximum extent practicable
diverse institutions, including Historically Black
Colleges and Universities and those serving large
proportions of Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-
Pacific Americans, and other underrepresented
populations; and''; and
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``The National''
and inserting ``In addition to the lead agency
responsibilities described under paragraph (1), the
National''; and
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``Agency'' and
inserting ``Interagency Coordinating Committee''.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Section 12 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42
U.S.C. 7706) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by adding after paragraph (7) the
following new paragraph:
``(8) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency for carrying out this Act $19,000,000 for
fiscal year 2004; $21,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and $23,000,000 for
fiscal year 2006. Of such amounts appropriated, not less than
$3,000,000 shall be made available each such fiscal year for supporting
the development of performance-based, cost-effective, and affordable
codes for buildings, structures, and lifelines.'';
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the United States
Geological Survey for carrying out this Act $80,000,000 for
fiscal year 2004, of which not less than $30,000,000 shall be
made available for completion of the Advanced National Seismic
Research and Monitoring System established under section 13;
$83,500,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which not less than
$30,000,000 shall be made available for completion of the
Advanced National Seismic Research and Monitoring System
established under section 13; $93,000,000 for fiscal year 2006,
of which not less than $36,000,000 shall be made available for
completion of the Advanced National Seismic Research and
Monitoring System established under section 13; such sums as
may be necessary for fiscal year 2007, of which not less than
$36,000,000 shall be made available for completion of the
Advanced National Seismic Research and Monitoring System
established under section 13; and such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal year 2008, of which not less than $36,000,000 shall
be made available for completion of the Advanced National
Seismic Research and Monitoring System established under
section 13.'';
(3) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the National
Science Foundation for carrying out this Act $39,000,000 for
fiscal year 2004; $44,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
$47,500,000 for fiscal year 2006.''; and
(4) in subsection (d) by adding at the end the following:
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for carrying out this Act
$8,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; $9,600,000 for fiscal year
2005; and $12,500,000 for fiscal year 2006. Of such amounts
appropriated, not less than $2,000,000 shall be made available
each such fiscal year for supporting the development of
performance-based, cost-effective, and affordable codes for
buildings, structures, and lifelines.''.
(b) Section 13 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42
U.S.C. 7707) is amended by striking subsection (c).
(c) Section 14(b) of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977
(42 U.S.C. 7708(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3) by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
``(4) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
``(5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, all of
which shall be available for operations and
maintenance; and
``(6) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, all of
which shall be available for operations and
maintenance.''.
Passed the House of Representatives October 1, 2003.
Attest:
JEFF TRANDAHL,
Clerk.