Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2017

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 9, 2017.  Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2017 (Sec. 2) This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) develop a plan for the purchase and installation of an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and (2) identify the funds necessary for its implementation. Such zone is the landward-dipping fault that is approximately 684 miles long, separates the Juan de Fuca and North America plates, and stretches along the western coast of the United States from Cape Mendocino, California, to Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. (Sec. 3) The President shall establish an Earthquake and Tsunami Task Force for the purpose of developing a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on how the nation should prepare and plan for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully adapt to an earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami event in such zone. Such recommendations shall include recommendations on: (1) administrative or legislative changes and funding required to implement the strategy, and (2) the order of priority for implementation of the strategy. The Task Force shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies for developing recommendations for a federal research strategy to advance scientific understanding of a zone earthquake and resulting tsunami preparedness. (Sec. 4) FEMA shall be responsible for the nation's efforts to reduce the loss of life and property, and to protect the nation, from an earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami event by developing the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully adapt to such an event. (Sec. 5) The bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize recipients to use hazard mitigation assistance to conduct activities to help reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering in any area affected by earthquake hazards, including making improvements to:  regional seismic networks in support of building a capability for earthquake early warning;  geodetic networks in support of building a capability for earthquake early warning; and  seismometers, Global Positioning System receivers, and associated infrastructure in support of building a capability for earthquake early warning.  

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; DEFINITION.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Pacific Northwest 
Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2017''.
    (b) Cascadia Subduction Zone Defined.--In this Act, the term 
``Cascadia Subduction Zone'' means the landward-dipping fault that is 
approximately 684 miles long, separates the Juan de Fuca and North 
America plates, and stretches along a portion of the western coast of 
the United States beginning off Cape Mendocino, California, along the 
State of Oregon, the State of Washington, to Northern Vancouver Island, 
British Columbia.

SEC. 2. EARTHQUAKE EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR CASCADIA SUBDUCTION ZONE.

    (a) Plan for Purchase and Installation.--
            (1) Development and funding.--The Administrator of the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency shall--
                    (A) develop a plan for the purchase and 
                installation of an earthquake early warning system for 
                the Cascadia Subduction Zone; and
                    (B) identify the funds necessary for implementation 
                of the plan.
            (2) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
        submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a copy of the 
        plan.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report that summarizes the actions 
taken to implement the plan.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on 
        Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
            (2) Earthquake early warning system.--The term ``earthquake 
        early warning system'' includes--
                    (A) improvements to regional and geodetic networks 
                that support building a capability for an earthquake 
                early warning system; and
                    (B) seismometers, Global Positioning System 
                receivers, and associated infrastructure.

SEC. 3. EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI TASK FORCE.

    (a) In General.--The President shall establish an Earthquake and 
Tsunami Task Force for the purpose of developing a comprehensive 
strategy and recommendations on how the Nation should prepare and plan 
for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully 
adapt to a covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
    (b) Task Force.--
            (1) Membership.--The membership of the Task Force shall 
        include a cross section of subject matter experts representing 
        the following:
                    (A) Relevant Federal agencies.
                    (B) The States of Oregon, Washington, and 
                California.
                    (C) Indian tribes, local governments, and private 
                sector representatives that may be impacted by a 
                covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
                    (D) Universities, academia, and research 
                institutions with expertise in topics relevant to the 
                work of the Task Force.
            (2) Chairperson.--The Administrator (or the Administrator's 
        designee) shall serve as the chairperson of the Task Force.
            (3) Detailed employees.--Members of the Task Force may 
        detail employees to assist the Administrator (or the 
        Administrator's designee) in fulfilling the responsibilities of 
        the Task Force.
    (c) Comprehensive Strategy.--
            (1) Strategy.--The comprehensive strategy to be developed 
        under subsection (a) shall include the following:
                    (A) A description of how Federal agencies will 
                coordinate to develop the ability to prepare and plan 
                for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and 
                more successfully adapt to the impacts of a covered 
                event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
                    (B) A strategy to ensure collaboration between the 
                Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, 
                the Coast Guard, the Corps of Engineers, and other 
                Federal agencies, as appropriate, for purposes of--
                            (i) completing a needs assessment of 
                        Federal facilities in need of hardening for a 
                        covered event; and
                            (ii) developing a strategic plan to 
                        mitigate and retrofit Federal, State, tribal, 
                        and local critical assets for freight, energy, 
                        and transit purposes to withstand a covered 
                        event and to help save lives during and 
                        immediately after a covered event.
                    (C) A strategy--
                            (i) to assist State, tribal, and local 
                        governments in developing and implementing a 
                        coordinated and comprehensive plan to 
                        prioritize Federal, State, tribal, local, and 
                        private investments and activities to develop 
                        the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate 
                        against, respond to, recover from, and more 
                        successfully adapt to the impacts of a covered 
                        event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone; and
                            (ii) to link any existing statewide 
                        mitigation plan with such a coordinated and 
                        comprehensive plan.
                    (D) With respect to the strategy described in 
                subparagraph (C), an examination of the feasibility of 
                the public sector, the private sector, and individuals 
                to acquire earthquake insurance.
                    (E) An identification of funding opportunities to 
                implement the comprehensive strategy and any 
                recommendations made by the Task Force, including--
                            (i) existing funding opportunities across 
                        Federal agencies and other sources; and
                            (ii) potential new funding opportunities.
                    (F) An identification of barriers to obtaining 
                funding for the implementation of the comprehensive 
                strategy and recommendations on how to remove the 
                barriers.
                    (G) A strategy for appropriate Federal agencies to 
                collaborate with and assist State, tribal, and local 
                governments in developing recommendations for cost-
                effective mitigation alternatives for aging State, 
                tribal, and locally owned critical infrastructure.
                    (H) A strategy for assisting State, tribal, and 
                local governments in developing a recovery plan prior 
                to a covered event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone that 
                addresses how State, tribal, and local governments may 
                want to rebuild after the event.
                    (I) An identification of the steps taken to date to 
                develop an onshore and offshore earthquake early 
                warning system and a description of the purpose and 
                scope of such a system.
                    (J) An evaluation of the types of offshore 
                earthquake early warning systems and recommendations 
                and a cost estimate for an earthquake early warning 
                system appropriate for the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
                    (K) Recommendations on how an earthquake early 
                warning system should operate, including whether and 
                how the system should interface with the private 
                sector.
                    (L) A description of appropriate roles and 
                responsibilities for Federal, State, local, and tribal 
                governments, including who should operate and maintain 
                an earthquake early warning system, the cost of the 
                system, and possible funding sources for the system.
                    (M) A plan on how to integrate an earthquake early 
                warning system into existing and new public alert 
                warning systems and technologies, including mobile 
                systems.
            (2) Use of existing plans.--In developing the comprehensive 
        strategy, the Task Force may use existing plans, studies, and 
        other resources.
    (d) Recommendations.--The recommendations to be developed by the 
Task Force under subsection (a) shall include recommendations on--
            (1) potential administrative or legislative changes 
        required to implement the comprehensive strategy;
            (2) the funding required to implement the comprehensive 
        strategy and the recommendations; and
            (3) the order of priority for implementation of the 
        comprehensive strategy.
    (e) National Academies.--
            (1) Collaboration.--The Task Force shall work 
        simultaneously and collaboratively with the National Academies.
            (2) Agreement.--The Task Force shall enter into an 
        agreement with the National Academies under which the National 
        Academies shall develop recommendations for a Federal research 
        strategy to advance scientific understanding of a Cascadia 
        Subduction Zone earthquake and resulting tsunami preparedness, 
        including the following:
                    (A) Geologic conditions, ground motions, and 
                tsunami hazards.
                    (B) Implications of an effective automated early 
                warning system.
                    (C) Effects of mega-earthquake and tsunami events 
                on the built and natural environment.
                    (D) Social and behavioral factors for effective 
                disaster preparedness and response.
                    (E) Cost-effective mitigation alternatives for 
                legacy and aging infrastructure.
                    (F) Strategic planning for freight, energy, and 
                transit network robustness.
                    (G) Tools that help communities invest their 
                resources for the greatest benefit.
                    (H) Any other topics identified as necessary by the 
                Task Force or the National Academies.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a report of the Task Force that includes the following:
            (1) The comprehensive strategy to be developed under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) The recommendations to be developed under subsections 
        (a), (d), and (e).
    (g) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
            (2) Covered event.--The term ``covered event'' means an 
        earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami event.
            (3) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Federal 
        interagency task force to be established under subsection (a).

SEC. 4. NATIONAL PREPARATION AND RESPONSE EFFORTS RELATING TO 
              EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS.

    The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall 
be responsible for the Nation's efforts to reduce the loss of life and 
property, and to protect the Nation, from an earthquake, tsunami, or 
combined earthquake and tsunami event by developing the ability to 
prepare and plan for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and 
more successfully adapt to such an event.

SEC. 5. ADDITIONAL HAZARD MITIGATION ACTIVITIES.

    Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) Use of Assistance.--Recipients of hazard mitigation 
assistance provided under this section and section 203 may use the 
assistance to conduct activities to help reduce the risk of future 
damage, hardship, loss, or suffering in any area affected by earthquake 
hazards, including--
            ``(1) improvements to regional seismic networks in support 
        of building a capability for earthquake early warning;
            ``(2) improvements to geodetic networks in support of 
        building a capability for earthquake early warning; and
            ``(3) improvements to seismometers, Global Positioning 
        System receivers, and associated infrastructure in support of 
        building a capability for earthquake early warning.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 27, 2017.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.