II 

Calendar No. 75 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 50 

[Report No. 109–59] 

To authorize and strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami detection, forecast, warning, and mitigation program, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 24, 2005 

Mr. INOUYE (for himself, Mr. STEVENS, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. BURNS, Mr. 

LAUTENBERG, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. AKAKA, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. SMITH, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Ms. LANDRIEU, Mr. 

NELSON of Florida, Mr. KERRY, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. DAYTON, Mrs. BOXER, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. 

CORZINE, Mr. LOTT, Mr. GREGG, and Mr. NELSON of Nebraska) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

APRIL 19, 2005 

Reported by Mr. STEVENS, with an amendment 

[Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

A BILL 

To authorize and strengthen the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami detection, forecast, 

warning, and mitigation program, and for other purposes. 

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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 ‘‘Tsunami Preparedness 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Tsunami are a series of large waves of long 

9 wavelength created by the displacement of water by 

10 violent undersea disturbances such as earthquakes, 

11 volcanic eruptions, landslides, explosions, and the 

12 impact of cosmic bodies. 

13 (2) Tsunami have caused, and can cause in the 

14 future, enormous loss of human life, injury, destruc15 tion of property, and economic and social disruption 

16 in coastal and island communities. 

17 (3) While 85 percent of tsunami occur in the 

18 Pacific Ocean, and coastal and island communities 

19 in this region are the most vulnerable to the destruc20 tive results, tsunami can occur at any point in any 

21 ocean or related body of water where there are 

22 earthquakes, volcanoes, or any other activity that 

23 displaces a large volume of water. 

24 (4) A number of States and territories are sub25 ject to the threat of tsunamis, including Alaska, 

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1 California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, American 

2 Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

3 Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Is4 lands. 

5 (5) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad6 ministration is responsible for maintaining a tsu7 nami detection and warning system for the Nation, 

8 issuing warnings to United States communities at 

9 risk from tsunami, and preparing those communities 

10 to respond appropriately, through— 

11 (A) the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center 

12 in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, which serves as a warn13 ing center for Hawaii, all other United States 

14 assets in the Pacific, and Puerto Rico; 

15 (B) the Alaska/West Coast Tsunami Warn16 ing Center in Palmer, Alaska, which is respon17 sible for issuing warnings for Alaska, British 

18 Columbia, California, Oregon, and Washington; 

19 (C) the Federal-State national tsunami 

20 hazard mitigation program; 

21 (D) a tsunami research and assessment 

22 program, including programs conducted by the 

23 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; 

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1 (E) the TsunamiReady Program, which 

2 educates and prepares communities for survival 

3 before and during a tsunami; and 

4 (F) other related programs. 

5 (6) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad6 ministration also represents the United States as a 

7 member of the International Coordination Group for 

8 the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, admin9 istered by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic 

10 Commission of UNESCO, for which the Pacific Tsu11 nami Warning Center acts as the operational center 

12 and shares seismic and water level information with 

13 26 member states, and maintains UNESCO’s Inter14 national Tsunami Information Center, in Honolulu, 

15 Hawaii, which provides technical and educational as16 sistance to member states. 

17 (7) The Tsunami Warning Centers receive seis18 mographic information from the Global Seismic Net19 work, an international system of earthquake moni20 toring stations, from the United States Geological 

21 Survey National Earthquake Information Center, 

22 and from cooperative regional seismic networks, and 

23 use these data to issue tsunami warnings and inte24 grate the information with data from their own tidal 

25 and deep ocean monitoring stations, to cancel or 

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1 verify the existence of a damaging tsunami. Warn2 ings are disseminated by the National Oceanic and 

3 Atmospheric Administration to State emergency op4 eration centers. 

5 (8) Current gaps in the International Tsunami 

6 Warning System, such as the lack of regional warn7 ing systems in the Indian Ocean, the southwest Pa8 cific Ocean, Central and South America, the Medi9 terranean Sea, and Caribbean, pose risks for coastal 

10 and island communities. 

11 (9) The tragic and extreme loss of life experi12 enced by countries in the Indian Ocean following the 

13 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami in 

14 that region on December 26, 2004, illustrates the 

15 destructive consequences which can occur in the ab16 sence of an effective tsunami warning and notifica17 tion system. 

18 (10) An effective tsunami warning and notifica19 tion system is part of a multi-hazard disaster warn20 ing and preparedness program and requires near 

21 real-time seismic, sea level, and oceanographic data, 

22 high-speed data analysis capabilities, a high-speed 

23 tsunami warning communication system, a sustained 

24 program of education and risk assessment, and an 

25 established local communications infrastructure for 

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1 timely and effective dissemination of warnings to ac2 tivate evacuation of tsunami hazard zones. 

3 (11) The Tsunami Warning System for the Pa4 cific is a model for other regions of the world to 

5 adopt, and can be expanded and modernized to in6 crease detection, forecast, and warning capabilities 

7 for vulnerable states and territories, reduce the inci8 dence of costly false alarms, improve reliability of 

9 measurement and assessment technology, and in10 crease community preparedness. 

11 (12) Tsunami warning and preparedness capa12 bility can be developed in other vulnerable areas of 

13 the world, such as the Indian Ocean, by identifying 

14 tsunami hazard zones, educating populations, devel15 oping alert and notification communications infra16 structure, and by deploying near real-time tsunami 

17 detection sensors and gauges, establishing hazard 

18 communication and warning networks, expanding 

19 global monitoring of seismic activity, encouraging 

20 the increased exchange of seismic and tidal data be21 tween nations, and improving international coordina22 tion when a tsunami is detected. 

23 (13) UNESCO has recognized the need to es24 tablish tsunami warning systems for regions beyond 

25 the Pacific Basin that are vulnerable to tsunams, inVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 cluding the Indian Ocean, and has convened a work2 ing group to lead an effort to expand the Inter3 national Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific to 

4 such vulnerable regions. 

5 (14) The international community and all vul6 nerable nations should take coordinated efforts to 

7 establish and participate in regional tsunami warn8 ing systems and other hazard warnings systems de9 veloped to meet the goals of the United Nations 

10 International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. 

11 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

12 (1) to improve tsunami detection, forecast, 

13 warnings, notification, preparedness, and mitigation 

14 in order to protect life and property both in the 

15 United States and elsewhere in the world; 

16 (2) to improve and modernize the existing Pa17 cific Tsunami Warning System to increase coverage, 

18 reduce false alarms and increase accuracy of fore19 casts and warnings, and expand detection and warn20 ing systems to include other vulnerable States and 

21 United States territories, including the Caribbean/ 

22 Atlantic/Gulf region; 

23 (3) to increase and accelerate mapping, mod24 eling, research, assessment, education, and outreach 

25 efforts in order to improve forecasting, preparedVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 ness, mitigation, response, and recovery of tsunami 

2 and related coastal hazards; 

3 (4) to provide technical and other assistance to 

4 speed international efforts to establish regional tsu5 nami warning systems in vulnerable areas worldwide, 

6 including the Indian Ocean; and 

7 (5) to improve Federal, State, and international 

8 coordination for tsunami and other coastal hazard 

9 warnings and preparedness. 

10 SEC. 3. TSUNAMI DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTEM. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na12 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall oper13 ate regional tsunami detection and warning systems for 

14 the Pacific Ocean region and for the Atlantic Ocean, Car15 ibbean, and Gulf of Mexico region that will provide max16 imum detection capability for United States coastal tsu17 nami. 

18 (b) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.— 

19 (1) PACIFIC SYSTEM.—The Pacific tsunami 

20 warning system shall cover the entire Pacific Ocean 

21 area, including the Western Pacific, the Central Pa22 cific, the North Pacific, the South Pacific, and the 

23 East Pacific and Arctic areas. 

24 (2) ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN, AND GULF OF MEX25 ICO SYSTEM.—The Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf 

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1 system shall cover areas of the Atlantic Ocean, Car2 ibbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico that the Admin3 istrator determines— 

4 (A) to be geologically active, or to have sig5 nificant potential for geological activity; and 

6 (B) to pose measurable risks of tsunamis 

7 for States along the coastal areas of the Atlan8 tic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. 

9 (3) COMPONENTS.—The systems shall— 

10 (A) utilize an array of deep ocean detection 

11 buoys, including redundant and spare buoys; 

12 (B) include an associated tide gauge and 

13 water level system designed for long-term con14 tinuous operation tsunami transmission capa15 bility; 

16 (C) provide for establishment of a coopera17 tive effort between the National Oceanic and 

18 Atmospheric Administration and the United 

19 States Geological Survey under which the Geo20 logical Survey provides rapid and reliable seis21 mic information to the Administration from 

22 international and domestic seismic networks; 

23 (D) provide for information and data proc24 essing through the tsunami warning centers es25 tablished under subsection (c); 

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1 (E) be integrated into United States and 

2 global ocean and earth observing systems; and 

3 (F) provide a communications infrastruc4 ture for at-risk tsunami communities that sup5 ports rapid and reliable alert and notification to 

6 the public such as the National Oceanic and At7 mospheric Administration weather radio and 

8 the All Hazard Alert Broadcasting Radio. 

9 (c) TSUNAMI WARNING CENTERS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall es11 tablish tsunami warning centers to provide a link be12 tween the detection and warning system and the tsu13 nami hazard mitigation program established under 

14 section 4 including— 

15 (A) a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in 

16 Hawaii; 

17 (B) a West Coast and Alaska Tsunami 

18 Warning Center in Alaska; and 

19 (C) any additional warning centers deter20 mined by the Administrator to be necessary. 

21 (2) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibilities of 

22 each tsunami warning center shall include— 

23 (A) continuously monitoring data from 

24 seismological, deep ocean, and tidal monitoring 

25 stations; 

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1 (B) evaluating earthquakes that have the 

2 potential to generate tsunami; 

3 (C) evaluating deep ocean buoy data and 

4 tidal monitoring stations for indications of tsu5 nami resulting from sources other than earth6 quakes; and 

7 (D) disseminating information and warn8 ing bulletins appropriate for local and distant 

9 tsunamis to government agencies and the public 

10 and alerting potentially impacted coastal areas 

11 for evacuation. 

12 (d) TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY; MAINTENANCE AND

13 UPGRADES.—In carrying out this section, the Adminis14 trator shall— 

15 (1) promulgate specifications and standards for 

16 forecast, detection, and warning systems, including 

17 detection equipment; 

18 (2) develop and execute a plan for the transfer 

19 of technology from ongoing research to long-term 

20 operations; 

21 (3) ensure that detection equipment is main22 tained in operational condition to fulfill the fore23 casting, detection and warning requirements of the 

24 regional tsunami detection and warning systems; 

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1 (4) obtain, to the greatest extent practicable, 

2 priority treatment in budgeting for, acquiring, trans3 porting, and maintaining weather sensors, tide 

4 gauges, water level gauges, and tsunami buoys incor5 porated into the system including obtaining ship 

6 time; and 

7 (5) ensure integration of the tsunami detection 

8 system with other United States and global ocean 

9 and coastal observation systems, the global earth ob10 serving system of systems, global seismic networks, 

11 and the Advanced National Seismic System. 

12 (e) CERTIFICATION.—Amounts appropriated for any 

13 fiscal year pursuant to section 8 to carry out this section 

14 may not be obligated or expended for the acquisition of 

15 services for construction or deployment of tsunami detec16 tion equipment unless the Administrator certifies in writ17 ing to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

18 Transportation and the House of Representatives Com19 mittee on Science within 60 calendar days after the date 

20 on which the President submits the Budget of the United 

21 States for that fiscal year to the Congress that— 

22 (1) each contractor for such services has met 

23 the requirements of the contract for such construc24 tion or deployment; 

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1 (2) the equipment to be constructed or deployed 

2 is capable of becoming fully operational without the 

3 obligation or expenditure of additional appropriated 

4 funds; and 

5 (3) the Administrator does not reasonably fore6 see unanticipated delays in the deployment and oper7 ational schedule specified in the contract. 

8 SEC. 4. TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Na10 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is author11 ized to conduct a community-based tsunami hazard miti12 gation program to improve tsunami preparedness of at13 risk areas. 

14 (b) COORDINATING COMMITTEE.—In conducting the 

15 program, the Administrator shall establish a coordinating 

16 committee comprising representatives of— 

17 (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad18 ministration; 

19 (2) the United States Geological Survey; 

20 (3) the Federal Emergency Management Agen21 cy; 

22 (4) the National Science Foundation; and 

23 (5) affected coastal States and territories. 

24 (c) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The program shall— 

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1 (1) improve the quality and extent of inunda2 tion mapping, including assessment of vulnerable 

3 inner coastal areas; 

4 (2) promote and improve community outreach 

5 and education networks and programs to ensure 

6 community readiness, including the development of 

7 multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessment train8 ing and decision support tools, implementation of 

9 technical training and public education programs, 

10 and provide for certification of prepared commu11 nities; 

12 (3) integrate tsunami preparedness and mitiga13 tion programs into ongoing hazard warning and risk 

14 management programs in affected areas including 

15 the National Response Plan; 

16 (4) promote the adoption of tsunami warning 

17 and mitigation measures by Federal, State, tribal, 

18 and local governments and non-governmental entities 

19 through a grant program for training, development 

20 of guidelines, and other purposes; 

21 (5) through the Federal Emergency Manage22 ment Agency as the lead agency, develop tsunami 

23 specific rescue and recovery guidelines for the Na24 tional Response Plan, including long-term mitigation 

25 measures, educational programs to discourage develVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6401 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 opment in high-risk areas, and use of remote sensing 

2 and other technology in rescue and recovery oper3 ations; 

4 (6) require budget coordination, through the 

5 Administration, to carry out the purposes of this Act 

6 and to ensure that participating agencies provide 

7 necessary funds for matters within their respective 

8 areas of authority and expertise; and 

9 (7) provide for periodic external review of the 

10 program and for inclusion of the results of such re11 views in the report required by section 6(c). 

12 SEC. 5. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

13 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the Na14 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall, in 

15 coordination with other agencies and academic institu16 tions, establish a tsunami research program to develop de17 tection, prediction, communication, and mitigation science 

18 and technology that supports tsunami forecasts and warn19 ings, including advanced sensing techniques, information 

20 and communication technology, data collection, analysis 

21 and assessment for tsunami tracking and numerical fore22 cast modeling that will— 

23 (1) help determine— 

24 (A) whether an earthquake or other seis25 mic event will result in a tsunami; and 

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1 (B) the likely path, severity, duration, and 

2 travel time of a tsunami; 

3 (2) develop techniques and technologies that 

4 may be used to communicate tsunami forecasts and 

5 warnings as quickly and effectively as possible to af6 fected communities; 

7 (3) develop techniques and technologies to sup8 port evacuation products, including real-time notice 

9 of the condition of critical infrastructure along tsu10 nami evacuation routes for public officials and first 

11 responders; and 

12 (4) develop techniques for utilizing remote sens13 ing technologies in rescue and recovery operations. 

14 (b) COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY.—The Adminis15 trator, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of 

16 Commerce for Communications and Information and the 

17 Federal Communications Commission, shall investigate 

18 the potential for improved communications systems for 

19 tsunami and other hazard warnings by incorporating into 

20 the existing network a full range of options for providing 

21 those warnings to the public, including, as appropriate— 

22 (1) telephones, including special alert rings; 

23 (2) wireless and satellite technology, including 

24 cellular telephones and pagers; 

25 (3) the Internet, including e-mail; 

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1 (4) automatic alert televisions and radios; 

2 (5) innovative and low-cost combinations of 

3 such technologies that may provide access to remote 

4 areas; and 

5 (6) other technologies that may be developed. 

6 SEC. 6. TSUNAMI SYSTEM UPGRADE AND MODERNIZATION. 

7 (a) SYSTEM UPGRADES.—The Administrator of the 

8 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall— 

9 (1) authorize and direct the immediate repair of 

10 existing deep ocean detection buoys and related com11 ponents of the system; 

12 (2) ensure the deployment of an array of deep 

13 ocean detection buoys in the regions described in 

14 section 3(a) of this Act; 

15 (3) ensure expansion or upgrade of the tide 

16 gauge network in the regions described in section 

17 3(a); and 

18 (4) complete the upgrades not later than De19 cember 31, 2007. 

20 (b) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATIONS.—The Adminis21 trator shall notify the Senate Committee on Commerce, 

22 Science, and Transportation and the House of Represent23 atives Committee on Science of— 

24 (1) impaired regional detection coverage due to 

25 equipment or system failures; and 

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1 (2) significant contractor failures or delays in 

2 completing work associated with the tsunami detec3 tion and warning system. 

4 (c) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall 

5 transmit an annual report to the Senate Committee on 

6 Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of 

7 Representatives Committee on Science on the status of the 

8 tsunami detection and warning system, including accu9 racy, false alarms, equipment failures, improvements over 

10 the previous year, and goals for further improvement (or 

11 plans for curing failures) of the system, as well as progress 

12 and accomplishments of the national tsunami hazard miti13 gation program. 

14 (d) EXTERNAL REVIEW.—The National Academy of 

15 Science shall review the tsunami detection, forecast, and 

16 warning system operated by the National Oceanic and At17 mospheric Administration under this Act to assess further 

18 modernization and coverage needs, as well as long-term 

19 operational reliability issues, taking into account measures 

20 implemented under this Act, and transmit a report con21 taining its recommendations, including an estimate of the 

22 costs of implementing those recommendations, to the Sen23 ate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

24 and the House of Representatives Committee on Science 

25 within 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act. 

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1 SEC. 7. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NET2 WORK. 

3 (a) INTERNATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM.— 

4 The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos5 pheric Administration, in coordination with other mem6 bers of the United States Interagency Committee of the 

7 National Tsunami Mitigation Program, shall provide tech8 nical assistance and advice to the Intergovernmental 

9 Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, the World Mete10 orological Organization, and other international entities, 

11 as part of international efforts to develop a fully functional 

12 global tsunami warning system comprised of regional tsu13 nami warning networks, modeled on the International 

14 Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific. 

15 (b) DETECTION EQUIPMENT; TECHNICAL ADVICE.— 

16 In carrying out this section, the Administrator— 

17 (1) shall give priority to assisting nations in 

18 identifying vulnerable coastal areas, creating inunda19 tion maps, obtaining or designing real-time detection 

20 and reporting equipment, and establishing commu21 nication and warning networks and contact points in 

22 each vulnerable nation; and 

23 (2) may establish a process for transfer of de24 tection and communication technology to affected 

25 nations for the purposes of establishing the inter26 national tsunami warning system. 

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1 (c) DATA-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—The Adminis2 trator may not provide assistance under this section for 

3 any region unless all affected nations in that region par4 ticipating in the tsunami warning network agree to share 

5 relevant data associated with the development and oper6 ation of the network. 

7 (d) RECEIPT OF INTERNATIONAL REIMBURSEMENT

8 AUTHORIZED.—The Administrator may accept payment 

9 to, or reimbursement of, the National Oceanic and Atmos10 pheric Administration in cash or in kind from inter11 national organizations and foreign authorities, or payment 

12 or reimbursement made on behalf of such an authority, 

13 for expenses incurred by the Administrator in carrying out 

14 any activity under this Act. Any such payments or reim15 bursements shall be considered a reimbursement to the ap16 propriated funds of the Administration. 

17 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

18 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad19 ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad20 ministration $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 

21 through 2012 to carry out this Act. 

22 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

23 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tsunami Preparedness 

24 Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Tsunami are a series of large waves of long 

4 wavelength created by the displacement of water by 

5 violent undersea disturbances such as earthquakes, 

6 volcanic eruptions, landslides, explosions, and the im7 pact of cosmic bodies. 

8 (2) Tsunami have caused, and can cause in the 

9 future, enormous loss of human life, injury, destruc10 tion of property, and economic and social disruption 

11 in coastal and island communities. 

12 (3) While 85 percent of tsunami occur in the Pa13 cific Ocean, and coastal and island communities in 

14 this region are the most vulnerable to the destructive 

15 results, tsunami can occur at any point in any ocean 

16 or related body of water where there are earthquakes, 

17 volcanoes, or any other activity that displaces a large 

18 volume of water. 

19 (4) A number of States and territories are sub20 ject to the threat of tsunamis, including Alaska, Cali21 fornia, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, American 

22 Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

23 Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Is24 lands. 

25 (5) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad26 ministration is responsible for maintaining a tsuVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 nami detection and warning system for the Nation, 

2 issuing warnings to United States communities at 

3 risk from tsunami, and preparing those communities 

4 to respond appropriately, through— 

5 (A) the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in 

6 Ewa Beach, Hawaii, which serves as a warning 

7 center for Hawaii, all other United States assets 

8 in the Pacific, and Puerto Rico; 

9 (B) the Alaska/West Coast Tsunami Warn10 ing Center in Palmer, Alaska, which is respon11 sible for issuing warnings for Alaska, British Co12 lumbia, California, Oregon, and Washington; 

13 (C) the Federal-State national tsunami haz14 ard mitigation program; 

15 (D) a tsunami research and assessment pro16 gram, including programs conducted by the Pa17 cific Marine Environmental Laboratory; 

18 (E) the TsunamiReady Program, which 

19 educates and prepares communities for survival 

20 before and during a tsunami; 

21 (F) an archive of historical tsunami data, 

22 held at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

23 Administration’s National Geophysical Data 

24 Center; and 

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1 (G) other related programs, including those 

2 operated in coordination with academic institu3 tions. 

4 (6) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad5 ministration also represents the United States as a 

6 member of the International Coordination Group for 

7 the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, admin8 istered by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Com9 mission of UNESCO, for which the Pacific Tsunami 

10 Warning Center acts as the operational center and 

11 shares seismic and water level information with 26 

12 member states, and maintains UNESCO’s Inter13 national Tsunami Information Center, in Honolulu, 

14 Hawaii, which provides technical and educational as15 sistance to member states. 

16 (7) The Tsunami Warning Centers receive seis17 mographic information from the Global Seismic Net18 work, an international system of earthquake moni19 toring stations, from the United States Geological 

20 Survey National Earthquake Information Center, the 

21 Alaska Earthquake Information Center, and coopera22 tive regional seismic networks, and use these data to 

23 issue tsunami warnings and integrate the informa24 tion with data from their own tidal and deep ocean 

25 monitoring stations, to cancel or verify the existence 

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1 of a damaging tsunami. Warnings are disseminated 

2 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis3 tration to State emergency operation centers. 

4 (8) Current gaps in the International Tsunami 

5 Warning System, such as the lack of regional warn6 ing systems in the Indian Ocean, the southwest Pa7 cific Ocean, Central and South America, the Medi8 terranean Sea, and Caribbean, pose risks for coastal 

9 and island communities. 

10 (9) The tragic and extreme loss of life experi11 enced by countries in the Indian Ocean following the 

12 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami in 

13 that region on December 26, 2004, illustrates the de14 structive consequences which can occur in the absence 

15 of an effective tsunami warning and notification sys16 tem. 

17 (10) An effective tsunami warning and notifica18 tion system is part of a multi-hazard disaster warn19 ing and preparedness program and requires real-time 

20 seismic, sea level, and oceanographic data, high-speed 

21 data analysis capabilities, a high-speed tsunami 

22 warning communication system, a sustained program 

23 of education and risk assessment to develop response 

24 strategies, and an established local communications 

25 infrastructure for timely and effective dissemination 

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1 of warnings to activate evacuation of tsunami hazard 

2 zones. 

3 (11) The Tsunami Warning System for the Pa4 cific is a model for other regions of the world to 

5 adopt, and can be expanded and modernized to in6 crease detection, forecast, and warning capabilities for 

7 vulnerable states and territories, reduce the incidence 

8 of costly false alarms, improve reliability of measure9 ment and assessment technology, and increase com10 munity preparedness. 

11 (12) Tsunami warning and preparedness capa12 bility can be developed in other vulnerable areas of 

13 the world, such as the Indian Ocean, by identifying 

14 tsunami hazard zones, educating populations, devel15 oping alert and notification communications infra16 structure, and by deploying near real-time tsunami 

17 detection sensors and gauges, establishing hazard com18 munication and warning networks, expanding global 

19 monitoring of seismic activity, encouraging the in20 creased exchange of seismic and tidal data between 

21 nations, and improving international coordination 

22 when a tsunami is detected. 

23 (13) UNESCO has recognized the need to estab24 lish tsunami warning systems for regions beyond the 

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1 Pacific Basin that are vulnerable to tsunami, includ2 ing the Indian Ocean, and has convened a working 

3 group to lead an effort to expand the International 

4 Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific to such vul5 nerable regions. 

6 (14) The international community and all vul7 nerable nations should take coordinated efforts to es8 tablish and participate in regional tsunami warning 

9 systems and other hazard warnings systems developed 

10 to meet the goals of the United Nations International 

11 Strategy for Disaster Reduction. 

12 (15) On February 16, 2005, the United States, 

13 together with 53 other Nations participating in the 

14 Third Earth Observation Summit in Brussels, Bel15 gium, adopted a 10-year implementation plan as the 

16 basis for establishing the Global Earth Observation 

17 System of Systems. 

18 (16) The Global Earth Observation System of 

19 Systems will consist of existing and future earth ob20 servation systems, including the United States tsu21 nami detection and warning system. 

22 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

23 (1) to improve tsunami detection, forecast, warn24 ings, notification, preparedness, and mitigation in 

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1 order to protect life and property both in the United 

2 States and elsewhere in the world; 

3 (2) to improve and modernize the existing Pa4 cific Tsunami Warning System to increase coverage, 

5 reduce false alarms and increase accuracy of forecasts 

6 and warnings, and expand detection and warning 

7 systems to include other vulnerable States and United 

8 States territories, including the Caribbean/Atlantic/ 

9 Gulf region; 

10 (3) to increase and accelerate mapping, mod11 eling, research, assessment, education, and outreach 

12 efforts in order to improve forecasting, preparedness, 

13 mitigation, response, and recovery of tsunami and re14 lated coastal hazards; 

15 (4) to provide technical and other assistance to 

16 speed international efforts to establish regional tsu17 nami warning systems in vulnerable areas worldwide, 

18 including the Indian Ocean; and 

19 (5) to improve Federal, State, and international 

20 coordination for tsunami and other coastal hazard 

21 warnings and preparedness. 

22 SEC. 3. TSUNAMI DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTEM. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the National 

24 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall operate re25 gional tsunami detection and warning systems for the PaVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00027 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 cific Ocean region and for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, 

2 and Gulf of Mexico region that will provide maximum de3 tection capability for United States coastal tsunami. 

4 (b) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.— 

5 (1) PACIFIC SYSTEM.—The Pacific tsunami 

6 warning system shall cover the entire Pacific Ocean 

7 area, including the Western Pacific, the Central Pa8 cific, the North Pacific, the South Pacific, and the 

9 East Pacific and Arctic areas. 

10 (2) ATLANTIC, CARIBBEAN, AND GULF OF MEXICO

11 SYSTEM.—The Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf system 

12 shall cover areas of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean 

13 Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico that the Administrator 

14 determines— 

15 (A) to be geologically active, or to have sig16 nificant potential for geological activity; and 

17 (B) to pose measurable risks of tsunamis for 

18 States along the coastal areas of the Atlantic 

19 Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. 

20 (3) COMPONENTS.—The systems shall— 

21 (A) utilize an array of deep ocean detection 

22 buoys, including redundant and spare buoys; 

23 (B) include an associated tide gauge and 

24 water level system designed for long-term contin25 uous operation tsunami transmission capability; 

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1 (C) allow for such additional sensors as 

2 may be necessary to provide other ocean and 

3 earth observation capabilities; 

4 (D) provide for the establishment of a coop5 erative effort between the National Oceanic and 

6 Atmospheric Administration and the United 

7 States Geological Survey under which the Geo8 logical Survey and State earthquake information 

9 centers provide rapid and reliable real-time seis10 mic information to the Administration from 

11 international and domestic seismic networks; 

12 (E) provide for information and data proc13 essing through the tsunami warning centers es14 tablished under subsection (c); 

15 (F) be integrated into United States and 

16 global ocean and earth observing systems, includ17 ing the Global Earth Observation System of Sys18 tems; 

19 (G) provide a communications infrastruc20 ture, in coordination with local communications 

21 providers, for at-risk tsunami communities that 

22 supports rapid and reliable alert and notifica23 tion to the public, such as the National Oceanic 

24 and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather, 

25 Alert, and Readiness Network, which includes the 

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1 weather radio and the All Hazard Alert Broad2 casting Radio; and 

3 (H) the integration of NOAA’s Advanced 

4 Weather Interactive Processing System with 

5 other communications technologies. 

6 (4) FEDERAL COOPERATION.—In deploying and 

7 maintaining detection buoys utilized in the tsunami 

8 warning system, the Administrator should leverage 

9 the assistance and assets of the United States Coast 

10 Guard, the Navy, and other Federal agency assets in 

11 the region. Within 180 days after the date of enact12 ment of this Act, the Administrator shall provide a 

13 report to the Senate committee on Commerce, Science, 

14 and Transportation, the House of Representatives 

15 Committee on Science, and the House of Representa16 tives Committee on Resources that summarizes the ex17 tent to which the United States Coast Guard or any 

18 other Federal agency is assistance in deploying and 

19 maintaining such buoys. 

20 (c) TSUNAMI WARNING CENTERS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall es22 tablish tsunami warning centers to provide a link be23 tween the detection and warning system and the tsu24 nami hazard mitigation program established under 

25 section 4 including— 

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1 (A) a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in 

2 Hawaii; 

3 (B) a West Coast and Alaska Tsunami 

4 Warning Center in Alaska; and 

5 (C) any additional warning centers deter6 mined by the Administrator to be necessary. 

7 (2) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibilities of 

8 each tsunami warning center shall include— 

9 (A) continuously monitoring data from seis10 mological stations, deep ocean detection buoys, 

11 and tidal monitoring stations and providing 

12 such data to the national tsunami archive; 

13 (B) evaluating earthquakes that have the 

14 potential to generate tsunami; 

15 (C) evaluating deep ocean buoy data and 

16 tidal monitoring stations for indications of tsu17 nami resulting from sources other than earth18 quakes; and 

19 (D) disseminating information and warn20 ing bulletins appropriate for local and distant 

21 tsunamis to government agencies and the public 

22 and alerting potentially impacted coastal areas 

23 for evacuation. 

24 (d) DATA MANAGEMENT.—The Administrator shall 

25 maintain national and regionally-based data management 

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1 systems to support and establish data management require2 ments for the tsunami detection and monitoring system, in3 cluding requirements for— 

4 (1) quality control and quality assurance; 

5 (2) archiving and maintaining data; 

6 (3) supporting integration of observations from 

7 the system with other national and international 

8 water level measurements, such as the Global Sea 

9 Level Monitoring System; 

10 (4) integration of observations from the system 

11 with other elements of the global and coastal compo12 nents of the integrated ocean and coastal observing 

13 system and the Global Earth Observation System of 

14 Systems; and 

15 (5) the development of and access to data sets 

16 and integrated data products designed to support 

17 multi-hazard regional vulnerability assessment and 

18 adaptation programs such as the program established 

19 under section 8. 

20 SEC. 4. TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the National 

22 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall, in coordi23 nation with other agencies and academic institutions, de24 velop and conduct a community-based tsunami hazard 

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1 mitigation program to improve tsunami preparedness of at2 risk areas. 

3 (b) COORDINATING COMMITTEE.—In developing and 

4 conducting the program, the Administrator shall establish 

5 a coordinating committee comprising representatives of— 

6 (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad7 ministration; 

8 (2) the United States Geological Survey; 

9 (3) the Federal Emergency Management Agency; 

10 (4) the National Science Foundation; 

11 (5) the National Institute of Standards and 

12 Technology; and 

13 (6) affected coastal States and territories. 

14 (c) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The program shall— 

15 (1) improve the quality and extent of inundation 

16 mapping, including assessment of vulnerable inner 

17 coastal areas; 

18 (2) promote and improve community outreach 

19 and education networks and programs to ensure com20 munity awareness and readiness, including the devel21 opment of multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assess22 ment training and decision support tools, implemen23 tation of technical training and public education pro24 grams, and provide for certification of prepared com25 munities; 

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1 (3) integrate tsunami awareness, preparedness, 

2 and mitigation programs into ongoing hazard warn3 ing and risk management programs in affected areas 

4 including the National Response Plan and State 

5 coastal zone management plans; 

6 (4) promote the adoption of tsunami warning 

7 and mitigation measures by Federal, State, tribal, 

8 and local governments and non-governmental entities 

9 through a grant program for training, development of 

10 guidelines, and other purposes; 

11 (5) through the Federal Emergency Management 

12 Agency as the lead agency, develop tsunami specific 

13 rescue and recovery guidelines for the National Re14 sponse Plan, including long-term mitigation meas15 ures, educational programs to discourage development 

16 in high-risk areas, and use of remote sensing and 

17 other technology in rescue and recovery operations; 

18 (6) require budget coordination, through the Ad19 ministration, to carry out the purposes of this Act 

20 and to ensure that participating agencies provide nec21 essary funds for matters within their respective areas 

22 of authority and expertise; and 

23 (7) provide for periodic external review of the 

24 program and for inclusion of the results of such re25 views in the report required by section 6(e). 

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1 SEC. 5. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the Na3 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall, in 

4 coordination with other agencies and academic institutions, 

5 establish a tsunami research program to develop detection, 

6 prediction, communication, and mitigation science and 

7 technology that supports tsunami forecasts and warnings, 

8 including advanced sensing techniques, information and 

9 communication technology, data collection, analysis and as10 sessment for tsunami tracking and numerical forecast mod11 eling that will— 

12 (1) help determine— 

13 (A) whether an earthquake or other seismic 

14 event will result in a tsunami; and 

15 (B) the likely path, severity, duration, and 

16 travel time of a tsunami; 

17 (2) develop techniques and technologies that may 

18 be used to communicate tsunami forecasts and warn19 ings as quickly and effectively as possible to affected 

20 communities; 

21 (3) develop techniques and technologies to sup22 port evacuation products, including real-time notice 

23 of the condition of critical infrastructure along tsu24 nami evacuation routes for public officials and first 

25 responders; and 

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1 (4) develop techniques for utilizing remote sens2 ing technologies in rescue and recovery operations. 

3 (b) COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY.—The Adminis4 trator, in consultation with in consultation with the Assist5 ant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Infor6 mation and the Federal Communications Commission, shall 

7 investigate the potential for improved communications sys8 tems for tsunami and other hazard warnings by incor9 porating into the existing network a full range of options 

10 for providing those warnings to the public, including, as 

11 appropriate— 

12 (1) telephones, including special alert rings; 

13 (2) wireless and satellite technology, including 

14 cellular telephones and pagers; 

15 (3) the Internet, including e-mail; 

16 (4) automatic alert televisions and radios; 

17 (5) innovative and low-cost combinations of such 

18 technologies that may provide access to remote areas; 

19 and 

20 (6) other technologies that may be developed. 

21 SEC. 6. TSUNAMI SYSTEM UPGRADE AND MODERNIZATION. 

22 (a) SYSTEM UPGRADES.—The Administrator of the 

23 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall— 

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1 (1) authorize and direct the immediate repair of 

2 existing deep ocean detection buoys and related com3 ponents of the system; 

4 (2) ensure the deployment of an array of deep 

5 ocean detection buoys capable of carrying multi-obser6 vation technology in the regions described in section 

7 3(a) of this Act; 

8 (3) ensure expansion or upgrade of the seismic 

9 monitoring and tide gauge networks in the regions de10 scribed in section 3(a); and 

11 (4) complete the upgrades not later than Decem12 ber 31, 2007. 

13 (b) TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY; MAINTENANCE AND

14 UPGRADES.—In carrying out this section, the Adminis15 trator shall— 

16 (1) promulgate specifications and standards for 

17 forecast, detection, and warning systems, including 

18 detection equipment; 

19 (2) develop and execute a plan for the transfer 

20 of technology from ongoing research to long-term oper21 ations; 

22 (3) ensure that detection equipment is main23 tained in operational condition to fulfill the fore24 casting, detection and warning requirements of the re25 gional tsunami detection and warning systems; 

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1 (4) obtain, to the greatest extent practicable, pri2 ority treatment in budgeting for, acquiring, trans3 porting, and maintaining weather sensors, tide 

4 gauges, water level gauges, and tsunami buoys incor5 porated into the system including obtaining ship 

6 time; and 

7 (5) ensure integration of the tsunami detection 

8 system with other United States and global ocean and 

9 coastal observation systems, the Global Earth Obser10 vation System of Systems, global seismic networks, 

11 and the Advanced National Seismic System. 

12 (c) CERTIFICATION.—Amounts appropriated for any 

13 fiscal year pursuant to section 9 to carry out this section 

14 may not be obligated or expended for the acquisition of serv15 ices for construction or deployment of tsunami detection 

16 equipment unless the Administrator certifies in writing to 

17 the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans18 portation, the House of Representatives Committee on 

19 Science, and the House of Representatives Committee on 

20 Resources within 60 calendar days after the date on which 

21 the President submits the Budget of the United States for 

22 that fiscal year to the Congress that— 

23 (1) each contractor for such services has met the 

24 requirements of the contract for such construction or 

25 deployment; 

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1 (2) the equipment to be constructed or deployed 

2 is capable of becoming fully operational without the 

3 obligation or expenditure of additional appropriated 

4 funds; and 

5 (3) the Administrator does not reasonably foresee 

6 unanticipated delays in the deployment and oper7 ational schedule specified in the contract. 

8 (d) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATIONS.—The Adminis9 trator shall notify the Senate Committee on Commerce, 

10 Science, and Transportation, the House of Representatives 

11 Committee on Science, and the House of Representatives 

12 Committee on Resources of— 

13 (1) impaired regional detection coverage due to 

14 equipment or system failures; and 

15 (2) significant contractor failures or delays in 

16 completing work associated with the tsunami detec17 tion and warning system. 

18 (e) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Administrator shall trans19 mit an annual report to the Senate Committee on Com20 merce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Rep21 resentatives Committee on Science the status of the tsunami 

22 detection and warning system, including accuracy, false 

23 alarms, equipment failures, improvements over the previous 

24 year, and goals for further improvement (or plans for cur25 ing failures) of the system, as well as progress and accomVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 plishments of the national tsunami hazard mitigation pro2 gram. 

3 (f) EXTERNAL REVIEW.—The National Academy of 

4 Science shall review the tsunami detection, forecast, and 

5 warning system operated by the National Oceanic and At6 mospheric Administration under this Act to assess further 

7 modernization and coverage needs, as well as long-term 

8 operational reliability issues, taking into account measures 

9 implemented under this Act, and transmit a report con10 taining its recommendations, including an estimate of the 

11 costs of implementing those recommendations, to the Senate 

12 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 

13 the House of Representatives Committee on Science within 

14 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act. 

15 SEC. 7. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NET16 WORK. 

17 (a) INTERNATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM.— 

18 The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos19 pheric Administration, in coordination with other members 

20 of the United States Interagency Committee of the National 

21 Tsunami Mitigation Program, shall provide technical as22 sistance and advice to the Intergovernmental Oceano23 graphic Commission of UNESCO, the World Meteorological 

24 Organization, the Group on Earth Observations, and other 

25 international entities, as part of international efforts to deVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 velop a fully functional global tsunami warning system 

2 comprised of regional tsunami warning networks, modeled 

3 on the International Tsunami Warning System of the Pa4 cific, and consistent with the 10-year implementation plan 

5 for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems. 

6 (b) INTERNATIONAL TSUNAMI INFORMATION CEN7 TER.—The Administrator shall operate an International 

8 Tsunami Information Center to improve tsunami prepared9 ness for all Pacific Ocean nations participating in the 

10 International Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific, and 

11 which may also provide such assistance to other nations 

12 participating in a global tsunami warning system estab13 lished through the International Oceanographic Committee 

14 of UNESCO. As part of its responsibilities in the Pacific, 

15 the Center shall— 

16 (1) monitor international tsunami warning ac17 tivities in the Pacific; 

18 (2) assist member states in establishing national 

19 warning systems, and make information available on 

20 current technologies for tsunami warning systems; 

21 (3) maintain a library of materials to promul22 gate knowledge about tsunamis in general and for use 

23 by the scientific community; and 

24 (4) disseminate information, including edu25 cational materials and research reports. 

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1 (c) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—In carrying out this 

2 section, the Administrator— 

3 (1) shall give priority to assisting nations in 

4 identifying vulnerable coastal areas, creating inunda5 tion maps, obtaining or designing real-time detection 

6 and reporting equipment, and establishing commu7 nication and warning networks and contact points in 

8 each vulnerable nation; 

9 (2) may establish a process for transfer of detec10 tion and communication technology to affected na11 tions for the purposes of establishing the international 

12 tsunami warning system; and 

13 (3) shall provide technical and other assistance 

14 to support international tsunami education, response, 

15 vulnerability, and adaptation programs. 

16 (d) DATA-SHARING REQUIREMENT.—The Adminis17 trator may not provide assistance under this section for any 

18 region unless all affected nations in that region partici19 pating in the tsunami warning network agree to share rel20 evant data associated with the development and operation 

21 of the network. 

22 (e) FUNDING ASSISTANCE.—The Administrator, in co23 ordination with the Secretary of State, shall seek funding 

24 assistance from participating nations needed to ensure esVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 tablishment of a fully functional global tsunami warning 

2 system. 

3 (f) RECEIPT OF INTERNATIONAL REIMBURSEMENT AU4 THORIZED.—The Administrator may accept payment to, or 

5 reimbursement of, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

6 Administration in cash or in kind from international orga7 nizations and foreign authorities, or payment or reimburse8 ment made on behalf of such an authority, for expenses in9 curred by the Administrator in carrying out any activity 

10 under this Act. Any such payments or reimbursements shall 

11 be considered a reimbursement to the appropriated funds 

12 of the Administration. 

13 SEC. 8. COASTAL COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY AND ADAP14 TATION PROGRAM. 

15 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of the Na16 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall es17 tablish an integrated coastal vulnerability and adaptation 

18 program focused on improving the resilience of coastal com19 munities to natural hazards and disasters. The program 

20 shall be regional in nature, build upon and integrate exist21 ing Federal and State programs, and provide usable prod22 ucts that will improve preparedness of communities, busi23 nesses, and government entities. The program may include 

24 the following activities: 

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1 (1) Development of multi-hazard vulnerability 

2 maps to characterize and assess risks of coastal com3 munities to a range of natural hazards and provide 

4 a baseline for assessing future risks. 

5 (2) Multi-disciplinary vulnerability assessment 

6 research and education that will help integrate risk 

7 management with community development planning 

8 and policies. 

9 (3) Risk management and leadership training 

10 for the public, local officials, and institutions that 

11 will enhance understanding and preparedness. 

12 (4) Risk assessment technology development, in13 cluding research and development of emerging tech14 nologies and practical application of existing or 

15 emerging technologies, such as modeling, remote sens16 ing, geospatial technology, engineering, and observing 

17 systems. 

18 (5) Risk management data and information 

19 services, including access to data and products de20 rived from observing and detection systems, as well as 

21 development and maintenance of new integrated data 

22 products that would support risk assessment and risk 

23 management programs. 

24 (6) Risk communication systems that coordinate 

25 with and build upon existing alert, warning, and 

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1 forecast systems and actively engage policy officials, 

2 government agencies, businesses, communities, non3 governmental organizations, and the media in the de4 sign and implementation of the system. 

5 (b) REGIONAL PILOT PROJECTS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Within 1 year after the date 

7 of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall, in 

8 consultation with the appropriate Federal, State, 

9 tribal, and local governmental entities, establish 3 

10 pilot projects to conduct regional assessments of the 

11 vulnerability of coastal areas of the United States to 

12 hazards associated with tsunami and other coastal 

13 hazards, including sea level rise, increases in severe 

14 weather events, and climate variability and change. 

15 Priority shall be given to collaborative partnership 

16 proposals from regionally-based multi-organizational 

17 coalitions. In preparing the regional assessments, the 

18 Administrator shall collect and compile current infor19 mation on tsunami, climate change, sea level rise, 

20 natural hazards, coastal erosion and mapping, and 

21 ongoing regional efforts to address them. 

22 (2) SCOPE.—Regional assessments under the 

23 pilot program shall include an evaluation of— 

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1 (A) the social impacts associated with 

2 threats to and potential losses of housing, com3 munities, and infrastructure; 

4 (B) the physical impacts such as coastal 

5 erosion, flooding and loss of estuarine habitat, 

6 saltwater intrusion of aquifers and saltwater en7 croachment, and species migration; 

8 (C) the economic impact on local, State, 

9 tribal, and regional economies, including the im10 pact on coastal infrastructure and the abundance 

11 or distribution of economically important living 

12 marine resources; and 

13 (D) opportunities to enhance the resilience 

14 of at-risk communities, economic sectors, and 

15 natural resources. 

16 (c) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Administrator shall 

17 rely on the following criteria in identifying appropriate re18 gional pilot projects: 

19 (1) Vulnerability to tsunami, hurricanes, ex20 treme weather, flooding, climate, and other coastal 

21 hazards. 

22 (2) Dependence on economic sectors and natural 

23 resources that are particularly sensitive to coastal 

24 hazards. 

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1 (3) Opportunities to link and leverage related re2 gional risk observation, research, forecasting, assess3 ment, educational and risk management programs. 

4 (4) Demonstration of strong, interagency collabo5 ration in the area of risk management. 

6 (5) Access to NOAA and other Federal agency 

7 programs, facilities, and infrastructure related to tsu8 nami and other coastal hazards monitoring, warning, 

9 forecasting, research assessment, and data manage10 ment. 

11 (d) REGIONAL ADAPTATION PLANS.—The Adminis12 trator shall, within 3 years after the commencement of each 

13 project under subsection (b), submit to the Congress regional 

14 adaptation plans— 

15 (1) based on the information contained in the re16 gional assessments conducted under subsection (b); 

17 (2) developed with the participation of other 

18 Federal agencies, State, tribal, and local government 

19 agencies, and non-governmental entities (including 

20 academia and the private sector) that will be critical 

21 in the implementation of the plan at the State, tribal, 

22 and local levels; 

23 (3) that recommend targets and strategies to ad24 dress coastal impacts associated with tsunami, cli25 mate change, sea level rise, or climate variability; 

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1 (4) that include recommendations for both short2 and long-term adaptation strategies; and 

3 (5) that include recommendations on— 

4 (A) Federal flood insurance program modi5 fications; 

6 (B) areas that have been identified as high 

7 risk through mapping and assessment; 

8 (C) enhancing the effectiveness of State 

9 coastal zone management programs in miti10 gating or preventing coastal risks; 

11 (D) mitigation incentives such as rolling 

12 easements, strategic retreat, State or Federal ac13 quisition in fee simple or other interest in land, 

14 construction standards, and zoning; 

15 (E) land and property owner education; 

16 (F) economic planning for small commu17 nities dependent upon affected coastal resources, 

18 including fisheries; and 

19 (G) funding requirements and mechanisms. 

20 (e) TECHNICAL PLANNING AND FINANCIAL ASSIST21 ANCE.—The Administrator, through the National Ocean 

22 Service, shall establish a coordinated program— 

23 (1) to provide technical planning assistance and 

24 financial assistance to coastal States, tribes, and local 

25 governments as they develop and implement adaptaVerDate Aug 04 2004 17:46 Apr 20, 2005 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\PICKUP\S50RS.TXT S50RS
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1 tion or mitigation strategies and plans under this sec2 tion; and 

3 (2) to make products, information, tools, and 

4 technical expertise generated from the development of 

5 the regional assessment and the regional adaptation 

6 plan available to coastal States for the purposes of de7 veloping their own State, tribal, and local plans. 

8 SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

9 There are authorized to be appropriated to the Admin10 istrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis11 tration— 

12 (1) $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 

13 through 2012 to carry out this Act (other than section 

14 8); and 

15 (2) $5,000,000 for each of such fiscal years to 

16 carry out section 8, of which at least $3,000,000 for 

17 each fiscal year shall be used to carry out the pilot 

18 projects authorized by section 8(b). 

Calendar No. 75 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 50 

[Report No. 109–59] 

A BILL 

To authorize and strengthen the National Oceanic 

and for other purposes. tion, forecast, warning, and mitigation program, and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami detecAPRIL 19, 2005 

Reported with an amendment