I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4475 

To provide for the establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning 

and Monitoring System. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 28, 2017 

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of the National Volcano 

Early Warning and Monitoring System. 

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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Volcano Early 

5 Warning and Monitoring System Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di10 rector of the United States Geological Survey. 


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1 (2) SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘System’’ means the 

2 National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring 

3 System established under section 3(a)(1). 

4 SEC. 3. NATIONAL VOLCANO EARLY WARNING AND MONI5 TORING SYSTEM. 

6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

8 within the United States Geological Survey a sys9 tem, to be known as the ‘‘National Volcano Early 

10 Warning and Monitoring System’’, to monitor, warn, 

11 and protect citizens of the United States from undue 

12 and avoidable harm from volcanic activity. 

13 (2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the System 

14 are— 

15 (A) to organize, modernize, standardize, 

16 and stabilize the monitoring systems of the vol17 cano observatories in the United States, which 

18 include the Alaska Volcano Observatory, Cali19 fornia Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano 

20 Observatory, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, 

21 and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory; and 

22 (B) to unify the monitoring systems of vol23 cano observatories in the United States into a 

24 single interoperative system. 


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1 (3) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the System is 

2 to monitor all the volcanoes in the United States at 

3 a level commensurate with the threat posed by the 

4 volcanoes by— 

5 (A) upgrading existing networks on mon6 itored volcanoes; 

7 (B) installing new networks on unmoni8 tored volcanoes; and 

9 (C) employing geodetic and other compo10 nents when applicable. 

11 (b) SYSTEM COMPONENTS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The System shall include— 

13 (A) a national volcano watch office that is 

14 operational 24 hours a day and 7 days a week; 

15 (B) a national volcano data center; and 

16 (C) an external grants program to support 

17 research in volcano monitoring science and 

18 technology. 

19 (2) MODERNIZATION ACTIVITIES.—Moderniza20 tion activities under the System shall include the 

21 comprehensive application of emerging technologies, 

22 including digital broadband seismometers, real-time 

23 continuous Global Positioning System receivers, sat24 ellite and airborne radar interferometry, acoustic 


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1 pressure sensors, and spectrometry to measure gas 

2 emissions. 

3 (c) MANAGEMENT.— 

4 (1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 

6 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

7 the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 5-year 

8 management plan for establishing and oper9 ating the System. 

10 (B) INCLUSIONS.—The management plan 

11 submitted under subparagraph (A) shall in12 clude— 

13 (i) annual cost estimates for mod14 ernization activities and operation of the 

15 System; 

16 (ii) annual milestones, standards, and 

17 performance goals; and 

18 (iii) recommendations for, and prog19 ress towards, establishing new, or enhanc20 ing existing, partnerships to leverage re21 sources. 

22 (2) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The Secretary 

23 shall establish an advisory committee to assist the 

24 Secretary in implementing the System, to be com25 prised of representatives of relevant agencies and 


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1 members of the scientific community, to be ap2 pointed by the Secretary. 

3 (3) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary may enter 

4 into cooperative agreements with institutions of 

5 higher education and State agencies designating the 

6 institutions of higher education and State agencies 

7 as volcano observatory partners for the System. 

8 (4) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall co9 ordinate the activities under this Act with the heads 

10 of relevant Federal agencies, including— 

11 (A) the Secretary of Transportation; 

12 (B) the Administrator of the Federal Avia13 tion Administration; 

14 (C) the Administrator of the National Oce15 anic and Atmospheric Administration; and 

16 (D) the Director of the Federal Emergency 

17 Management Administration. 

18 (d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Annually, the Secretary shall 

19 submit to Congress a report that describes the activities 

20 carried out under this Act. 

21 SEC. 4. FUNDING. 

22 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

23 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 

24 out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 

25 through 2024. 


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1 (b) EFFECT ON OTHER SOURCES OF FEDERAL

2 FUNDING.—Amounts made available under this section 

3 shall supplement, and not supplant, Federal funds made 

4 available for other United States Geological Survey haz5 ards activities and programs. 

Æ 


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