II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1485 

To improve hurricane preparedness by establishing the National Hurricane 

Research Initiative, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 21, 2009 

Mr. MARTINEZ (for himself and Mr. NELSON of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To improve hurricane preparedness by establishing the National Hurricane Research Initiative, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘National Hurricane Research Initiative Act of 2009’’. 

6 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

7 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Findings. 

Sec. 3. Sense of Congress. 

Sec. 4. Definitions. 


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Sec. 5. National Hurricane Research Initiative. 

Sec. 6. National Hurricane Research Task Force. 

Sec. 7. National Hurricane Research. 

Sec. 8. Authorization of appropriations. 

Sec. 9. Independent review. 

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) Hurricanes and other tropical cyclones have 

4 directly caused more than 2,000 deaths in the 

5 United States since 2003 and account for approxi6 mately 66 percent of insured losses due to natural 

7 hazards. 

8 (2) While the ability to understand and predict 

9 hurricanes and other tropical cyclones has improved 

10 since 1999, particularly with respect to storm track11 ing, much remains unknown concerning— 

12 (A) storm dynamics, rapid intensity 

13 change, and impact on extratropical cyclones; 

14 (B) the interactions of storms with natural 

15 and built environments; and 

16 (C) the impacts to and response of society 

17 to destructive storms. 

18 (3) Several expert assessments of the state of 

19 hurricane science and research needs have been pub20 lished, including— 

21 (A) the January 2007 report by the Na22 tional Science Board titled, ‘‘Hurricane WarnVerDate Nov 24 2008 23:54 Jul 21, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1485.IS S1485

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1 ing: The Critical Need for a National Hurricane 

2 Initiative’’; 

3 (B) the February 2007 report by the Of4 fice of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorolog5 ical Services and Supporting Research entitled, 

6 ‘‘Interagency Strategic Research Plan for Trop7 ical Cyclones: The Way Ahead’’; and 

8 (C) reports from the Hurricane Intensity 

9 Working Group of the National Science Advi10 sory Board of the National Oceanic and Atmos11 pheric Administration. 

12 (4) In the June 2005 publication, ‘‘Grand Chal13 lenges for Disaster Reduction’’, and in related 2008 

14 implementation plans for hurricane and coastal in15 undation hazards the Subcommittee on Disaster Re16 duction of the Committee on Environment and Nat17 ural Resources of the National Science and Tech18 nology Council prioritized Federal science and tech19 nology investments needed to reduce future loss of 

20 life and property caused, both directly and indirectly, 

21 by hurricanes and other coastal storms. 

22 (5) A National Hurricane Research Initiative 

23 complements the objectives of the National Wind24 storm Impact Reduction Program. 


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1 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with the 

3 findings of the expert assessments and strategies de4 scribed in paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 2, a National 

5 Hurricane Research Initiative should be established to ad6 dress the urgent and compelling need to undertake long7 term, coordinated, multi-entity hurricane research focused 

8 on— 

9 (1) conducting high priority scientific, engineer10 ing, and related social and behavioral studies; and 

11 (2) effectively applying the research results of 

12 such studies to mitigate the impacts of hurricanes 

13 on society. 

14 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

15 In this Act: 

16 (1) TASK FORCE.—The term ‘‘Task Force’’ 

17 means the National Hurricane Research Task Force 

18 established under section 6(a). 

19 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The term ‘‘eligible 

20 entities’’ means State, regional, and local govern21 ment agencies and departments, tribal governments, 

22 universities, research institutes, and nongovern23 mental organizations. 

24 (3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

25 has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the 


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1 Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 

2 (25 U.S.C. 479a). 

3 (4) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘‘Initiative’’ means 

4 the National Hurricane Research Initiative estab5 lished under section 5(a)(1). 

6 (5) NATIONAL WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION

7 PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘National Windstorm Impact 

8 Reduction Program’’ means the program established 

9 by section 204 of the National Windstorm Impact 

10 Reduction Act of 2004 (42 U.S.C. 15703). 

11 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any 

12 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

13 American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 

14 Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the 

15 Virgin Islands. 

16 (7) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘tribal 

17 government’’ means the governing body of an Indian 

18 tribe. 

19 (8) UNDER SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under 

20 Secretary’’ means the Under Secretary for Oceans 

21 and Atmosphere. 

22 SEC. 5. NATIONAL HURRICANE RESEARCH INITIATIVE. 

23 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, in col25 laboration with the Director of the National Science 


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1 Foundation, shall establish an initiative to be known 

2 as the ‘‘National Hurricane Research Initiative’’ for 

3 the purposes described in paragraph (2). The Initia4 tive shall consist of— 

5 (A) the activities of the Under Secretary 

6 under this section; 

7 (B) the activities of the Task Force under 

8 section 6; and 

9 (C) the research carried out under section 

10 7. 

11 (2) PURPOSES.—The purposes described in this 

12 paragraph are as follows: 

13 (A) To improve understanding and pre14 diction of hurricanes and other tropical storms, 

15 including— 

16 (i) storm tracking and prediction; 

17 (ii) forecasting of storm formation, in18 tensity, and wind and rain patterns, both 

19 within the tropics and as the storms move 

20 poleward; 

21 (iii) storm surge modeling, inland 

22 flood modeling, and coastal erosion; 

23 (iv) the interaction with and impacts 

24 of storms with the natural and built envi25 ronment; and 


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1 (v) the impacts to and response of so2 ciety to destructive storms, including the 

3 socio-economic impacts requiring emer4 gency management, response, and recov5 ery. 

6 (B) To develop infrastructure that is resil7 ient to the forces associated with hurricanes 

8 and other tropical storms. 

9 (C) To mitigate the impacts of hurricanes 

10 on coastal populations, the coastal built envi11 ronment, and natural resources, including— 

12 (i) coral reefs; 

13 (ii) mangroves; 

14 (iii) wetlands; and 

15 (iv) other natural systems that can re16 duce hurricane wind and flood forces. 

17 (D) To provide training for the next gen18 eration of hurricane researchers and fore19 casters. 

20 (b) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

22 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

23 Under Secretary shall develop a detailed, 5-year im24 plementation plan for the Initiative that— 


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1 (A) incorporates the priorities for Federal 

2 science and technology investments set forth in 

3 the June 2005 publication, ‘‘Grand Challenges 

4 for Disaster Reduction’’, and in related 2008 

5 implementation plans for hurricane and coastal 

6 inundation hazards of the Subcommittee on 

7 Disaster Reduction of the Committee on Envi8 ronment and Natural Resources of the National 

9 Science and Technology Council; 

10 (B) to the extent practicable and as appro11 priate, establishes benchmarks, milestones, 

12 goals, and performance measures to track 

13 progress of the research carried out under the 

14 Initiative and the application of research results 

15 for reducing hurricane losses and related public 

16 benefits, as recommended by the Task Force 

17 under section 6(f)(2); and 

18 (C) identifies opportunities to leverage the 

19 results of the research carried out under section 

20 7 with other Federal and non-Federal hurricane 

21 research, coordination, and loss-reduction initia22 tives, such as— 

23 (i) the National Windstorm Impact 

24 Reduction Program established by section 


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1 204(a) of the National Windstorm Impact 

2 Reduction Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 15703); 

3 (ii) the National Flood Insurance Pro4 gram established under chapter 1 of the 

5 National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 

6 U.S.C. 4011 et seq.); 

7 (iii) the initiatives of the Robert T. 

8 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 

9 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); 

10 (iv) wind hazard mitigation initiatives 

11 carried out by a State; 

12 (v) the Hurricane Forecast Improve13 ment Project of the National Oceanic and 

14 Atmospheric Administration; and 

15 (vi) the Working Group for Tropical 

16 Cyclone Research of the Office of the Fed17 eral Coordinator for Meteorological Serv18 ices and Supporting Research. 

19 (2) REVIEW.—Not later than 18 months after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under 

21 Secretary shall ensure that the implementation plan 

22 required by paragraph (1) is reviewed by— 

23 (A) the Director of the National Science 

24 Foundation; 

25 (B) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 


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1 (C) the Director of the National Institute 

2 for Standards and Technology; 

3 (D) the Commanding General of the U.S. 

4 Army Corps of Engineers; 

5 (E) the Commander of the Naval 

6 Meterorology and Oceanography Command; 

7 (F) the Associate Administrator for 

8 Science Mission Directorate of the National 

9 Aeronautics and Space Administration; and 

10 (G) the Director of the U.S. Geological 

11 Survey. 

12 (3) REVISIONS.—The Under Secretary shall re13 vise the implementation plan required by paragraph 

14 (1) not less frequently than once every 5 years to 

15 address and respond to the findings and rec16 ommendations of the Task Force. 

17 (c) RESEARCH.— 

18 (1) ESTABLISHMENT OF RESEARCH OBJEC19 TIVES.—The Under Secretary shall, in consultation 

20 with the Director of the National Science Founda21 tion, establish objectives for research carried out 

22 pursuant to section 7 that are based on the findings 

23 of the expert assessments and strategies described in 

24 paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 2. 


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1 (2) COORDINATION.—In carrying out the provi2 sions of this subsection, the Under Secretary shall 

3 coordinate with the Task Force to the extent prac4 ticable. 

5 (d) NATIONAL WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES.— 

6 The Under Secretary, in coordination with the Director 

7 of the National Science Foundation and the Task Force, 

8 shall carry out a series of national workshops and con9 ferences that assemble a broad collection of scientific dis10 ciplines— 

11 (1) to address hurricane-related research ques12 tions; and 

13 (2) to encourage researchers to work collabo14 ratively to carry out the purposes described in sub15 section (a)(2). 

16 (e) PUBLIC INTERNET WEBSITE.—The Under Sec17 retary, in coordination with the Task Force, shall facilitate 

18 the establishment of a public Internet website for the Ini19 tiative— 

20 (1) to foster collaboration and interactive dia21 logues among the Under Secretary, the Director of 

22 the National Science Foundation, the Task Force, 

23 and the public; and 

24 (2) to enhance public access to Initiative docu25 ments and products, including— 


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1 (A) information about the members of the 

2 Task Force, including their affiliation and con3 tact information; 

4 (B) meeting agenda and minutes of the 

5 Task Force; 

6 (C) reports and publications of the Initia7 tive; 

8 (D) the most recent 5-year implementation 

9 plan developed under subsection (b); and 

10 (E) the most recent annual report sub11 mitted to Congress under subsection (f). 

12 (f) ANNUAL REPORT.— 

13 (1) REQUIREMENT FOR ANNUAL CROSSCUT

14 BUDGET AND REPORT.—The Under Secretary, in 

15 conjunction with members of the Task Force who 

16 represent Federal agencies, the Office of Science and 

17 Technology Policy, and the Office of Management 

18 and Budget, shall submit to Congress each year, to19 gether with documents submitted to Congress in 

20 support of the budget of the President for the fiscal 

21 year beginning in such year (as submitted pursuant 

22 to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code), a 

23 coordinated annual report for the Initiative for the 

24 fiscal year in which the report is submitted and the 

25 last fiscal year ending before such submittal. 


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1 (2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para2 graph (1) shall— 

3 (A) document the funds transferred by the 

4 Under Secretary to the heads of other Federal 

5 agencies under section 8(b); 

6 (B) document the grants and contracts 

7 awarded to eligible entities under section 7; 

8 (C) for each agency that receives funds 

9 under section 8(b) and eligible entity that re10 ceives a grant or contract under section 7, iden11 tify what major activities were undertaken with 

12 such funds, grants, and contracts; and 

13 (D) for each research activity or group of 

14 activities described in section 7(c), as appro15 priate, identify any accomplishments, which 

16 may include full or partial achievement of 

17 benchmarks, milestones, goals, performance 

18 measure targets established for the implementa19 tion plan under subsection (b)(1)(B). 

20 SEC. 6. NATIONAL HURRICANE RESEARCH TASK FORCE. 

21 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

22 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 

23 shall establish a task force to be known as the ‘‘National 

24 Hurricane Research Task Force’’ to facilitate and coordiVerDate Nov 24 2008 00:51 Jul 22, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1485.IS S1485

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1 nate the efforts of Federal agencies and eligible entities 

2 in support of the Initiative. 

3 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force shall be com4 posed of the following: 

5 (1) The Under Secretary, or the Under Sec6 retary’s designee. 

7 (2) The Director of the National Science Foun8 dation, or the Director’s designee. 

9 (3) The Director of the National Institute of 

10 Standards and Technology, or the Director’s des11 ignee. 

12 (4) The Secretary of Homeland Security, or the 

13 Secretary’s designee. 

14 (5) The Commanding General of the U.S. Army 

15 Corps of Engineers, or the Commanding General’s 

16 designee. 

17 (6) The Director of the United States Geologi18 cal Survey, or the Director’s designee. 

19 (7) The Administrator of the National Aero20 nautics and Space Administration, or the Adminis21 trator’s designee. 

22 (8) One member shall be appointed by the Sec23 retary of Defense, who shall be a representative of 

24 the Office of Naval Research or the Chief of Naval 

25 Operations. 


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1 (9) The Federal Coordinator for Meteorological 

2 Services and Supporting Research. 

3 (10) The Director of the Office of Science and 

4 Technology Policy, or the Director’s designee. 

5 (11) The Director of the Office of Management 

6 and Budget, or the Director’s designee. 

7 (12) The Chair of the Executive Committee of 

8 the Federal Geographic Data Committee, or the 

9 Chair’s designee. 

10 (13) Such other members from Federal agen11 cies as the chairpersons of the Task Force jointly 

12 consider appropriate. 

13 (14) Members who are not employees of the 

14 Federal Government, selected jointly by the chair15 persons of the Task Force in consultation with the 

16 National Academy of Sciences and the National 

17 Academy of Engineering, as follows: 

18 (A) At least 3 members who are prominent 

19 in the fields of hurricane science, engineering, 

20 social science, or related fields. 

21 (B) At least 1 member who represents a 

22 State government agency responsible for emer23 gency management and response. 


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1 (C) At least 3 members who represent the 

2 views of local governments, tribal governments, 

3 and nongovernmental organizations. 

4 (D) At least 2 members who represent pri5 vate sector interests engaged in hurricane re6 search, preparedness, response, or recovery. 

7 (E) At least 1 member who represents a 

8 State floodplain or coastal zone manager. 

9 (F) Such other members as may be appro10 priate. 

11 (c) CHAIRPERSONS.—The concurrent chairpersons of 

12 the Task Force shall be the following: 

13 (1) The Under Secretary, or the Under Sec14 retary’s designee under subsection (b)(1). 

15 (2) The Director of the National Science Foun16 dation, or the Director’s designee under subsection 

17 (b)(2). 

18 (3) The Director of the National Institute of 

19 Standards and Technology, or the Director’s des20 ignee under subsection (b)(3). 

21 (d) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 120 days 

22 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Task Force 

23 shall hold its first meeting. 


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1 (e) MEETINGS.—The Task Force shall meet at the 

2 call of the chairpersons of the Task Force, but not less 

3 frequently than twice each year. 

4 (f) DUTIES.—The duties of the Task Force are as 

5 follows: 

6 (1) To provide assistance to the Under Sec7 retary with the development of the 5-year implemen8 tation plan required by section 5(b). 

9 (2) Not later than 270 days after the date of 

10 the enactment of this Act and in consideration of the 

11 expert findings referred to in section 2(3)— 

12 (A) to develop and furnish to the Under 

13 Secretary findings and recommendations, as ap14 propriate, for monitoring research progress and 

15 for a set of benchmarks, milestones, goals, and 

16 performance measures to track the transition 

17 and application of research results for reducing 

18 hurricane losses and related public benefits 

19 under the Initiative; 

20 (B) to identify interim and long-term goals 

21 of the research program under section 7; and 

22 (C) to prioritize the activities of the Initia23 tive over a 10-year period. 

24 (3) To improve communication and coordina25 tion among Federal agencies with respect to hurriVerDate Nov 24 2008 23:54 Jul 21, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1485.IS S1485

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1 cane-related research, developments in hurricane 

2 forecasting and operations, and best practices for 

3 applying results of Initiative research to reduce loss 

4 of life and property damage resulting from hurri5 canes. 

6 (4) To identify opportunities to leverage the ac7 tivities and products of the Initiative with the Na8 tional Windstorm Impact Reduction Program and 

9 other Federal and non-Federal hurricane research, 

10 coordination, and loss reduction programs. 

11 (5) To recommend a model described in section 

12 7(c)(1)(A) and monitor progress on development of 

13 such model. 

14 (6) To make recommendations to the Under 

15 Secretary and the Director of the National Science 

16 Foundation on research priorities and content and 

17 structure of the program established under section 

18 7(a)(1). 

19 (7) To make recommendations on national hur20 ricane research observation and data requirements. 

21 (8) To assess opportunities to leverage the ca22 pabilities of the following stakeholders: 

23 (A) Federal, State, and local governments. 

24 (B) Tribal governments. 

25 (C) Academic and research institutions. 


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1 (D) Entities from the private sector. 

2 (E) Nongovernmental organizations. 

3 (9) To evaluate the extent to which the stake4 holders described in paragraph (8) have been en5 gaged as partners and collaborators in the Initiative. 

6 (10) To assist the Under Secretary in facili7 tating the development of the annual report required 

8 by section 5(f). 

9 (11) To review such report and provide com10 ments to the Under Secretary. 

11 (12) To submit to the National Science and 

12 Technology Council and to Congress, together with 

13 documents submitted to Congress in support of the 

14 budget of the President for the 2012 fiscal year (as 

15 submitted pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, 

16 United States Code), a report containing a com17 prehensive review of the progress of the Initiative in 

18 meeting the needs of the United States to under19 stand hurricanes, their impacts on natural and built 

20 environment, and methods to mitigate such impacts. 

21 (g) ADVISORY BODIES.— 

22 (1) AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH.—The Task 

23 Force may establish such advisory bodies as the 

24 Task Force considers necessary to assist the Task 

25 Force in its duties under subsection (f). 


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1 (2) CRITERIA.—An advisory body established 

2 under paragraph (1) shall represent a broad variety 

3 of private and public interests. 

4 (h) ADVISORS TO THE TASK FORCE.—The Task 

5 Force may seek advice and input from any interested, 

6 knowledgeable, or affected party as the Task Force con7 siders necessary to carry out the duties under subsection 

8 (f). 

9 (i) COMPENSATION.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—All members of the Task 

11 Force who are officers or employees of the United 

12 States shall serve without compensation in addition 

13 to that received for their services as officers or em14 ployees of the United States. 

15 (2) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the 

16 Task Force shall be allowed travel expenses, includ17 ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates author18 ized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 

19 chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while 

20 away from their homes or regular places of business 

21 in the performance of services for the Task Force. 

22 (j) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT23 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairpersons may procure tem24 porary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of 

25 title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals which 


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1 do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of 

2 basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 

3 under section 5316 of such title. 

4 (k) VOLUNTEER SERVICES.—Notwithstanding sec5 tion 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Commission 

6 may accept and use voluntary and uncompensated services 

7 as the Commission determines necessary. 

8 (l) EXEMPTION FROM FACA NOTICE REQUIREMENT

9 FOR TASK FORCE ADVISORY BODIES.—An advisory body 

10 established by the Task Force under subsection (g) shall 

11 not be subject to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory 

12 Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 10(a)(2)). 

13 (m) TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE.—The Task 

14 Force shall terminate on September 30, 2018. 

15 SEC. 7. NATIONAL HURRICANE RESEARCH. 

16 (a) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION COMPETITIVE

17 GRANT RESEARCH PROGRAM.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 

19 Science Foundation, in coordination with the Under 

20 Secretary, shall establish a program to award grants 

21 to eligible entities to carry out— 

22 (A) research described in subsection (c); or 

23 (B) other research that is consistent with 

24 the research objectives established under section 

25 5(c)(1). 


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1 (2) SELECTION.—The National Science Foun2 dation shall select grant recipients under this section 

3 through its merit review process. 

4 (b) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN5 ISTRATION RESEARCH PROGRAM.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 

7 carry out a program of research described in sub8 section (c) or other research that is consistent with 

9 the research objectives established under section 

10 5(c)(1). 

11 (2) RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—Research carried 

12 out under paragraph (1) may be carried out 

13 through— 

14 (A) intramural research; 

15 (B) awarding grants to eligible entities to 

16 carry out research; 

17 (C) contracting with eligible entities to 

18 carry out research; or 

19 (D) entering into cooperative agreements 

20 to carry out research. 

21 (c) RESEARCH.—The research described in this sub22 section is research that is consistent with the purposes de23 scribed in section 5(a)(2) and is described by one or more 

24 of the following: 


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1 (1) FUNDAMENTAL HURRICANE RESEARCH.— 

2 Fundamental hurricane research, which may consist 

3 of the following: 

4 (A) COMMUNITY RESEARCH MODELS.—Re5 search to support continued development and 

6 maintenance of community weather research 

7 and forecast models recommended by the Task 

8 Force under section 6(f)(5), including advanced 

9 methods of observing storm structure and as10 similating observations into the models, in 

11 which the agency or institution hosting the 

12 models ensures broad access and use of the 

13 model by members of the Task Force and the 

14 civilian research community. 

15 (B) PREDICTING HURRICANE INTENSITY

16 AND STRUCTURE.—Research to improve under17 standing and prediction of— 

18 (i) storm formation and tracking with 

19 extended time scale to weeks in advance; 

20 (ii) rapid changes in storm size, mo21 tion, structure, and intensity; 

22 (iii) the internal dynamics of storms; 

23 (iv) the transition to extratropical 

24 characteristics as storms move poleward; 

25 and 


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1 (v) the interactions of storms with en2 vironmental conditions, including the at3 mosphere, ocean, and land surface. 

4 (C) UNDERSTANDING AIR AND SEA INTER5 ACTIONS.—Research regarding observations, 

6 theory, and modeling to improve understanding 

7 of air and sea interaction in hurricanes and 

8 other high wind speed environments. 

9 (D) PREDICTING STORM SURGE, WAVES, 

10 RAINFALL, INLAND FLOODING, AND STRONG

11 WINDS PRODUCED BY HURRICANES.—Research 

12 to understand, model, and predict rainfall, 

13 coastal and riverline flooding, high winds, and 

14 the potential occurrence of tornadoes, including 

15 probabilistic modeling, mapping, and visualiza16 tion of risk. 

17 (E) RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HURRI18 CANES AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND

19 CHANGE.—Research to improve the under20 standing of the complex relationships between 

21 hurricanes and climate on seasonal to decadal 

22 time scales, such as research to determine the 

23 most effective methods to use observational in24 formation and numerical-model simulations to 

25 examine short-term and long-term impacts of 


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1 climate on changes in storm intensity, geo2 graphic distribution, and frequency. 

3 (F) RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HURRI4 CANES AND ECOSYSTEMS.—Research to im5 prove the understanding of how hurricanes af6 fect ecosystems, landscapes, and natural re7 sources and to develop assessments for hurri8 cane vulnerability and risk, including— 

9 (i) how ecosystems have been influ10 enced by past hurricanes and the ability 

11 and capacity of ecosystems to recover from 

12 the effects of hurricanes; 

13 (ii) how ecosystem management prac14 tices can minimize disruptions to eco15 system functions and dependent economic 

16 uses as a result of hurricanes; and 

17 (iii) the role of natural features, such 

18 as barrier islands, wetlands, and 

19 mangroves, in— 

20 (I) acting as natural buffers to 

21 wind and flood forces; and 

22 (II) improving coastal resiliency. 

23 (2) TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOP24 MENT.—Technology assessment and development, 

25 which may consist of the following: 


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1 (A) IMPROVED OBSERVATION OF HURRI2 CANES AND TROPICAL STORMS.—Research to 

3 improve hurricane and tropical storm observa4 tions and to improve the understanding of the 

5 complex nature of storms and their interaction 

6 with the natural and built environment through 

7 development and application of new tech8 nologies, such as— 

9 (i) mobile radars and advanced air10 borne observing technologies; 

11 (ii) global positioning system tech12 nology; 

13 (iii) unmanned vehicles; 

14 (iv) satellite-based sensors; 

15 (v) ground-based and aerial wireless 

16 sensors; and 

17 (vi) other geospatial technologies and 

18 geospatial data, including bathymetry and 

19 elevation. 

20 (B) COMPUTATIONAL CAPABILITY.—Re21 search and development of robust computa22 tional capabilities and facilities required to con23 duct numerical and other types of modeling 

24 that support the scientific studies and research 

25 carried out under the Initiative as well as data 


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1 acquisition and modeling during hurricane 

2 events, including research to improve under3 standing of the efficient utility of multiple mod4 els that— 

5 (i) require sharing and interoper6 ability of databases, computing environ7 ments, networks, visualization tools, and 

8 analytic systems that improve on such 

9 technologies that are available on the date 

10 of the enactment of this Act; and 

11 (ii) are used for transitioning hurri12 cane research assets into operational prac13 tice. 

14 (C) TECHNOLOGIES FOR DISASTER RE15 SPONSE AND RECOVERY.—Research to improve 

16 damage assessments after a hurricane and 

17 emergency communications during hurricane re18 sponse and recovery, including improvements 

19 to— 

20 (i) communications networks for gov21 ernment agencies and nongovernmental en22 tities; 

23 (ii) network interoperability; 

24 (iii) cyber-security during hurricane or 

25 storm related emergencies; and 


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1 (iv) use of models, remote sensing, 

2 and statistically based ground sampling to 

3 support effective and rapid damage assess4 ment to scale disaster response and recov5 ery needs. 

6 (3) RESEARCH INTEGRATION, TRANSITION, AND

7 APPLICATION.—Research on integration, transition, 

8 and application of research results, which may con9 sist of the following: 

10 (A) TRANSITION OF RESEARCH TO OPER11 ATIONS.—Research to develop mechanisms to 

12 accelerate the application of improved models, 

13 observations, communication, and risk assess14 ment systems, and related research products to 

15 forecasting and other operational settings, in16 cluding use of 1 or more developmental test 

17 beds. 

18 (B) ASSESSING VULNERABLE INFRASTRUC19 TURE.—Developing a national engineering as20 sessment and clearinghouse of coastal infra21 structure by leveraging and building upon exist22 ing Federal activities, resources, and research, 

23 including infrastructure related to levees, sea 

24 walls, and similar coastal flood-protection struc25 tures, drainage systems, bridges, water and 


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1 sewage utilities, power, and communications, to 

2 determine the level of vulnerability of such in3 frastructure to damage from hurricanes. 

4 (C) INTERACTION OF HURRICANES WITH

5 ENGINEERED STRUCTURES.—Research to im6 prove understanding of the impacts of hurri7 canes and tropical storms on buildings, struc8 tures, and housing combined with modeling that 

9 is essential for guiding the creation of improved 

10 building designs and construction codes in loca11 tions particularly vulnerable to hurricanes. 

12 (D) EVACUATION PLANNING.—Research to 

13 improve the manner in which hurricane-related 

14 information is provided to, and utilized by, the 

15 public and government officials, including re16 search to assist officials of State, tribal, re17 gional, or local governments in— 

18 (i) determining the circumstances in 

19 which evacuations are required; and 

20 (ii) carrying out such evacuations. 

21 (E) DECISION SUPPORT.—Research to— 

22 (i) assess the social, behavioral, and 

23 economic factors that influence decision 

24 making by the public, government officials, 

25 nongovernmental entities, the private secVerDate Nov 24 2008 00:51 Jul 22, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00029 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1485.IS S1485

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1 tor, and other impacted populations before, 

2 during, and in the aftermath of hurricanes; 

3 (ii) improve the translation of natural 

4 science and engineering research carried 

5 out under the Initiative into informed deci6 sion making that enables communities, 

7 economies, and the man-made and natural 

8 environments to become resilient to hurri9 cane impacts, including development of ef10 fective risk and vulnerability assessment 

11 and risk communication tools; and 

12 (iii) develop methods of assessing dis13 aster recovery costs, both government and 

14 nongovernment, and of comparing the rel15 ative benefits of disaster mitigation meth16 ods with disaster recovery costs. 

17 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro19 priated for fiscal years 2010 through 2015 amounts as 

20 follows: 

21 (1) To the Under Secretary, $18,750,000 to 

22 carry out sections 5, 6, and 7(b), of which not less 

23 than $13,750,000 shall be used to carry such section 

24 7(b). 


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1 (2) To the Director of the National Science 

2 Foundation, $56,250,000 to carry out sections 5 

3 and 7(a). 

4 (b) INTERAGENCY TRANSFER OF FUNDS.— 

5 (1) TRANSFERS BY UNDER SECRETARY FOR

6 OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE.—Of amounts appro7 priated pursuant to the authorization of appropria8 tions under subsection (a)(1), the Under Secretary 

9 may transfer to the heads of other Federal agencies 

10 such amounts as the Under Secretary considers ap11 propriate to carry out sections 5, 6, and 7(b). 

12 (2) TRANSFERS BY DIRECTOR OF THE NA13 TIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—Of amounts appro14 priated pursuant to the authorization of appropria15 tions under subsection (a)(2), the Director of the 

16 National Science Foundation may transfer to the 

17 heads of other Federal agencies such amounts as the 

18 Director considers appropriate to carry out sections 

19 5 and 7(a). 

20 SEC. 9. INDEPENDENT REVIEW. 

21 (a) AGREEMENT.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary shall 

23 seek to enter into an agreement with the National 

24 Research Council of the National Academies for the 


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1 National Research Council to perform the services 

2 covered by this section. 

3 (2) TIMING.—The Under Secretary shall seek 

4 to enter into the agreement described in paragraph 

5 (1) not later than 180 days after the date of the en6 actment of this Act. 

7 (b) INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF NATIONAL HURRI8 CANE RESEARCH INITIATIVE.—Under an agreement be9 tween the Under Secretary and the National Research 

10 Council under this section, the National Research Council 

11 shall carry out an independent review of the Initiative. In 

12 carrying out the review, the National Research Council 

13 shall review the following: 

14 (1) Whether the Initiative has well-defined, 

15 prioritized, and appropriate research objectives. 

16 (2) Whether the Initiative is properly coordi17 nated among relevant Federal agencies and stake18 holders. 

19 (3) Whether the Initiative has allocated appro20 priate resources to each of the research objectives. 

21 (4) Whether suitable mechanisms exist for 

22 transitioning the research results from the Initiative 

23 into operational technologies and procedures and ac24 tivities in a timely manner. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after the date 

2 of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall 

3 submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

4 Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 

5 Science and Technology of the House of Representatives 

6 a report on the results of the review carried out under 

7 this section. 

8 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary, 

10 $750,000 to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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