National Landslide Loss Reduction Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Landslide Loss Reduction 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) While landslides can and do occur in every State and 
        territory of the United States, the type, including sink holes, 
        ground fissures, and subsidence, the severity, and frequency of 
        landslides vary from place to place, depending on the terrain, 
        geology, seismicity and climate.
            (2) Landslides in the United States cause an estimated 
        $3,000,000,000 in damage each year, and that estimation could 
        be improved through better tracking of landslide occurrences 
        and losses.
            (3) The most recent official estimate of deaths from 
        landslides in the United States was in 1985, and it found that 
        landslides kill an estimated 25 to 50 people each year.
            (4) On March 22, 2014, a massive landslide near Oso, 
        Washington, killed 43 people, engulfed 42 homes, and severely 
        damaged public infrastructure and private property.
            (5) There is no collective landslide inventory for most 
        counties, States, or the United States, nor is there an agreed-
        upon methodology for creating one, since the availability of 
        Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), a powerful tool for 
        creating landslide inventories, is uneven and the quality is 
        highly variable.
            (6) Because landslide hazard analysis continues to evolve, 
        developing analysis methods is an important element of 
        technical assistance for nongovernmental entities and State and 
        local governments.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL LANDSLIDE HAZARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting through 
the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall establish a 
national program to identify landslide hazards and reduce losses from 
landslides through activities under this section.
    (b) USGS Program Activities.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Director of the United States Geological Survey, shall--
            (1) develop a national strategy for research on landslides 
        and landslide hazards;
            (2) develop and maintain a landslide hazard assessment 
        system to identify, map, and assess landslide hazards;
            (3) in coordination with the State Geological Surveys, USGS 
        shall conduct Federal-State working groups to establish 
        regional priorities for identifying, mapping, and assessing 
        landslide hazards as well as develop and implement guidelines 
        for geologists and geological and geotechnical engineers;
            (4) develop and maintain a national landslide hazard 
        inventory database;
            (5) compile, maintain, and evaluate data on--
                    (A) the nationwide impact of landslides on health 
                and safety, the economy, and the environment; and
                    (B) landslide hazard stabilization and reduction of 
                losses from landslides; and
            (6) in coordination with the Assistant Administrator for 
        Weather Services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration and Director, National Weather Service, the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 
        State Geological Surveys, develop and disseminate guidelines 
        and training materials for planners and decisionmakers on the 
        use of the landslide hazard assessment system and on reducing 
        losses from landslides.
    (c) National Weather Service Activities.--The Secretary of 
Commerce, acting through the Assistant Administrator for Weather 
Services for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and 
Director, National Weather Service, in consultation with others 
qualified to provide advice, as necessary, shall develop and 
disseminate landslide-related curricula and training modules for State 
and local elected and appointed officials and Federal, State, local, 
and tribal emergency managers.
    (d) Interagency Coordinating Committee on Landslides.--
            (1) In general.--There is established an Interagency 
        Coordinating Committee on Landslides (in this subsection 
        referred to as the ``Committee'') chaired by the Director of 
        the United States Geological Survey.
            (2) Membership.--The Committee shall be composed of the 
        Directors, or their designees, of--
                    (A) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
                    (B) the National Science Foundation;
                    (C) the National Institute of Standards and 
                Technology;
                    (D) the Office of Science and Technology Policy;
                    (E) the National Weather Service; and
                    (F) the Office of Management and Budget.
            (3) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet not less than 3 
        times a year at the call of the chair.
            (4) Purpose and duties.--The Committee shall--
                    (A) oversee the planning, management, and 
                coordination of the program established under 
                subsection (a);
                    (B) develop, not later than 6 months after the date 
                of the enactment of this Act, and update periodically--
                            (i) a strategic plan that establishes goals 
                        and priorities for such program; and
                            (ii) a detailed management plan to 
                        implement such strategic plan; and
                    (C) develop a coordinated interagency budget for 
                such program.
            (5) Annual report.--The Committee shall transmit an annual 
        report to Congress which shall include--
                    (A) the budget developed under paragraph (4)(C), 
                reported by agency and by each goal established under 
                paragraph (4)(B)(i);
                    (B) a description of the activities of the 
                Committee under this subsection and the results of such 
                activities during the previous year; and
                    (C) a description of the extent to which any 
                recommendations of the Advisory Committee have been 
                implemented.
            (6) Advisory committee.--
                    (A) In general.--The Director of the United States 
                Geological Survey shall establish an Advisory Committee 
                on Landslides (in this subsection referred to as the 
                ``Advisory Committee'').
                    (B) Membership.--There shall be at least 11 members 
                of the Advisory Committee, none of whom may be an 
                individual described in subparagraphs (A) through (F) 
                of section 7342(a)(1) of title 5, United States Code. 
                The Advisory Committee shall include representatives 
                of--
                            (i) State geologists;
                            (ii) research and academic institutions who 
                        are qualified to provide advice on landslide 
                        hazards reduction and represent all related 
                        scientific, architectural, and engineering 
                        disciplines;
                            (iii) industry standards development 
                        organizations; and
                            (iv) State, local, and tribal emergency 
                        management agencies.
                    (C) Recommendations.--The Advisory Committee may 
                submit recommendations to the Committee, which shall 
                consider any recommendations so submitted.
    (e) Grant Programs.--
            (1) Cooperative landslide hazard mapping and assessment 
        program.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior 
                shall make grants, administered through the United 
                States Geological Survey, on a competitive basis to 
                support the efforts of State and local governments to 
                map and assess landslide hazards within the 
                jurisdictions of such governments.
                    (B) Priority.--
                            (i) In general.--The Secretary shall 
                        consult annually with State Geological Surveys 
                        to establish priorities for the grant program 
                        established under this paragraph.
                            (ii) Matching fund prioritization.--The 
                        Secretary shall prioritize a grant for a 
                        project under this paragraph to an entity that 
                        provides such assurances as the Secretary 
                        considers necessary that the entity will 
                        receive up to 50 percent of the total cost of 
                        the project from non-Federal sources.
                    (C) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
                $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 and each fiscal year 
                thereafter to carry out this paragraph.
            (2) Partnerships for landslide loss reduction program.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior, 
                working with the National Science Foundation, shall 
                make grants, on a competitive basis, to support efforts 
                by institutions of higher education, State and local 
                governments, and nongovernmental entities to research 
                landslides.
                    (B) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated $10,400,000 for fiscal 
                year 2017 and each fiscal year thereafter to carry out 
                this paragraph.
            (3) Annual reports.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
        annually submit to Congress a report on the grants awarded 
        under this subsection with respect to a year, including the 
        following information:
                    (A) A list of activities under such grants during 
                such year.
                    (B) The results of such activities.

Summary: National Landslide Loss Reduction Act This bill requires the US Geological Survey (USGS) to establish a national program to identify landslide hazards and reduce losses from landslides. The USGS shall: develop a national strategy for research on landslides and landslide hazards. Develop and maintain a landslide hazard assessment system and a national landslide hazard inventory database. In coordination with state geological surveys, conduct federal-state working groups to establish regional priorities for identifying, mapping, and assessing hazards and develop and implement guidelines for geologists and geological and geotechnical engineers. Compile, maintain, and evaluate data on landslide hazard stabilization and reduction of losses and on the nationwide impact of landslides on health and safety, the economy, and the environment. And in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Weather Service (NWS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and state geological surveys, develop and disseminate guidelines and training materials for planners and decision makers on the use of the system and reducing losses from landslides. NOAA and the NWS shall develop and disseminate landslide-related curricula and training modules for state and local officials and emergency managers. The bill establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Landslides and an Advisory Committee on Landslides. The Department of the Interior shall make grants to support: (1) state and local government efforts to map and assess landslide hazards. And (2) efforts by institutions of higher education, state and local governments, and nongovernmental entities to research landslides.