This bill reauthorizes and updates the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. It makes many changes to the 1977 Act. The bill adds Tribal governments to many program activities and definitions. It directs agencies to study, map, and share information about earthquake hazards, including tsunamis and secondary hazards. It requires more work on earthquake early warning, earthquake forecasts for aftershocks when appropriate, and coordination with the Federal Communications Commission for timely emergency broadcasts in the predominant languages of affected regions. The bill adds work on inventories and seismic performance evaluations of high-risk buildings and lifeline infrastructure, and it asks agencies to provide technical assistance to State, local, and Tribal governments on creating inventories and on cost-effective retrofit options. It updates the law to focus on post-earthquake "functional recovery" of buildings and infrastructure and to implement recommendations from recent FEMA and NIST reports.
The bill directs federal agencies to expand research, warnings, mapping, and technical help related to earthquakes. Agencies named in the bill include the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Actions in the bill include improving early warning systems, issuing forecasts for aftershocks when appropriate, creating or improving inventories of high-risk buildings and critical infrastructure, and supporting retrofit guidance. The bill also asks agencies to support Tribal governments and provide evacuation planning assistance for earthquake-related hazards.
The bill specifies authorization levels for several agencies for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 (each year listed):
The bill text emphasizes improving public safety and community resilience by expanding scientific understanding, early warning, mapping, and post-earthquake recovery planning. It highlights recent agency reports and statistics (including a FEMA/USGS estimate of $14,700,000,000 in annualized earthquake losses and $107,800,000,000,000 in total economic exposure) and directs agencies to act on recommendations to improve reoccupancy and functional recovery of buildings. The bill frames these changes as necessary to protect high-risk buildings and to support State, local, and Tribal partners.
No publicly available information.