I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3228 

To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to improve 

science, data, and services that enable sound decision making in response 

to coastal flood risk, including impacts of sea level rise, storm events, 

changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsidence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 13, 2021 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ (for herself, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Ms. TLAIB, and Mr. COHEN) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, 

and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the 

Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, to improve science, data, and services 

that enable sound decision making in response to coastal 

flood risk, including impacts of sea level rise, storm 

events, changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsidence. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Coastal Resil3 ience Data and Services Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY. 

5 It is the policy of the United States to bolster adapta6 tion and increase resilience by preparing for and pro7 tecting against the social, economic, and environmental 

8 impacts of coastal flood risk, including impacts of sea level 

9 rise, storm events, changing Great Lakes water levels, and 

10 land subsidence, in all coastal and Great Lakes States and 

11 territories by supporting actions that— 

12 (1) improve, create, and make investments in 

13 authoritative forecasts, predictions, projections, and 

14 services, including sustaining and enhancing under15 lying observing and spatial reference systems, map16 ping and geospatial services, modeling, product de17 velopment and delivery, including probabilistic as18 sessment of risks, and providing engagement and 

19 technical assistance to all levels of government, trib20 al governments, and to vulnerable and historically 

21 marginalized and overburdened communities; 

22 (2) convene and engage users and providers of 

23 relevant data and services, including Federal agen24 cies, State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, 

25 academia, the commercial sector, nonprofit and phil26 anthropic organizations, environmental justice orgaVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:17 Jun 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228

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1 nizations, and international partners to work to2 gether to identify needs and potential solutions, fill 

3 gaps in services, and provide technical assistance to 

4 inform decision making; and 

5 (3) promote a coordinated, whole of government 

6 approach to ensuring that our citizens have the 

7 coastal data and services needed to increase our na8 tional resilience. 

9 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 

10 Congress finds the following: 

11 (1) Coastal flood risk, including the impacts of 

12 sea level rise, dramatic shifts in Great Lakes water 

13 levels, land subsidence, and damage from high tide 

14 flooding and storm events are severely impacting 

15 coastal States, territories, communities, economies, 

16 and ecosystems. 

17 (2) Millions of people and billions of dollars in 

18 critical infrastructure are at risk due to the threat 

19 of coastal floods, the impacts of which are predicted 

20 to be more frequent and severe in the future and 

21 present a crisis on the coast that threatens national 

22 and economic security. 

23 (3) According to the National Oceanic and At24 mospheric Administration— 


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1 (A) the 2020 United States Atlantic hurri2 cane season was the most active on record with 

3 30 named storms, 7 of which were billion-dollar 

4 disasters exceeding $40 billion in total dam5 ages; and 

6 (B) the United States annual high tide 

7 flooding frequency is accelerating and has more 

8 than doubled since 2000 due to rising relative 

9 sea levels, with United States coastal commu10 nities today experiencing an average of 2 to 6 

11 high tide flooding days each year and expected 

12 to experience an increase to between 7 and 15 

13 days each year by 2030 and between 25 and 75 

14 days each year by 2050. 

15 (4) Our societal response to these threats re16 quires sound decision making within many sectors of 

17 our society, including those concerned with human 

18 health, social equity, insurance, finance, infrastruc19 ture investments, building codes, engineering design, 

20 zoning, urban planning, transportation, marine com21 merce, emergency preparedness, disaster response 

22 and recovery, ecosystem restoration, marine resource 

23 management, marine conservation, and more. 

24 (5) Each of these endeavors requires accurate 

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1 ping, and services that quantify and clearly commu2 nicate the drivers of coastal flood risk, including sea 

3 level rise, to improve understanding of present day 

4 and future flood risk at the coast and enable sound 

5 public policy and risk-informed decision making. 

6 (6) A whole of government approach is required 

7 to understand and combat the crisis on the coast. As 

8 is the case with the delivery of data and services to 

9 support decision making with respect to severe 

10 weather, hurricanes, inland flooding, and space 

11 weather, many Federal agencies have key contribu12 tions to make. The leadership role of the National 

13 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (in this 

14 Act referred to as the ‘‘NOAA’’) is critical given the 

15 agency’s mission and extensive expertise. 

16 (7) In addition to State, local, tribal, and terri17 torial governments, the private sector, and other 

18 constituencies, many Federal agencies rely on the 

19 data and services of the NOAA to inform their mis20 sions and investments. 

21 (8) In addition to being users of NOAA data 

22 and services, other Federal agencies conduct or sup23 port observations, modeling, research, and other ac24 tivities that contribute to and inform the coastal 

25 forecasts, data, and services provided by the NOAA. 


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1 (9) Strengthening and sustaining the programs, 

2 networks, observations, and modeling of the NOAA 

3 to support improved coastal flood risk products and 

4 services is an urgent national priority. Doing so will 

5 materially benefit the myriad economic and resource 

6 management sectors that are being impacted by 

7 coastal flooding, sea level rise, changing Great Lakes 

8 water levels, and land subsidence. 

9 (10) There is an urgent need for the NOAA, in 

10 partnership with other Federal agencies, to expand 

11 and enhance observations, mapping, modeling, and 

12 services that inform the public and decision makers 

13 about risk from coastal flooding, sea level rise, 

14 changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsid15 ence by— 

16 (A) identifying and leveraging existing ca17 pacities and capabilities to assess and predict 

18 coastal flood risk and its impacts; and 

19 (B) convening a national effort to deliver 

20 enhanced authoritative and science-based prod21 ucts, services, and technical assistance. 

22 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act— 

24 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad25 ministrator of the National Oceanic and AtmosVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:17 Jun 26, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3228.IH H3228

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1 pheric Administration and Under Secretary of Com2 merce for Oceans and Atmosphere; and 

3 (2) the term ‘‘coastal State’’ has the same 

4 meaning as defined in section 304 of the Coastal 

5 Zone Management Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1453) 

6 and includes the District of Columbia. 

7 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF NOAA ACTIVITIES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, act9 ing through the Administrator of the National Oceanic 

10 and Atmospheric Administration, shall, in consultation 

11 with other Federal agencies, develop within the NOAA a 

12 comprehensive suite of products and services with respect 

13 to coastal flood, sea level rise, Great Lakes water level, 

14 and vertical land motion data, and conduct the research 

15 and development necessary to support products and serv16 ices that— 

17 (1) augment existing capacities and combine ex18 isting observations, modeling, predictions, and prod19 ucts and services into a coordinated decision-support 

20 framework; 

21 (2) produce and maintain authoritative and 

22 timely data, maps, and information services, includ23 ing improving existing and new information products 

24 and services targeted to end user needs, that allow 


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1 coastal communities across the United States to 

2 plan for present and future coastal flood risk; and 

3 (3) engage with, ensure accessibility by, and 

4 provide technical assistance to end users, particu5 larly with respect to historically underserved and at 

6 risk communities and populations, which shall in7 clude consultation with other Federal agencies, re8 gional ocean partnerships, and State, local, and trib9 al governments on the appropriate application of 

10 these data and tools and to better assess information 

11 gaps, needs, and solutions relating to the risk posed 

12 by coastal flooding, including sea level rise. 

13 (b) DATA ARCHIVING.—The Administrator shall 

14 make data and metadata generated in the process of car15 rying out the requirements of this Act fully and openly 

16 available in accordance with the Evidence-Based Policy17 making Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–435; 132 Stat. 

18 5529) to maximize distribution, access, and effective utili19 zation of these important national assets. The Adminis20 trator shall serve as the archive authority and stewardship 

21 partner for this data and conduct activities to assure max22 imum return on investment for this important national 

23 asset. 

24 (c) USE OF EXISTING ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The 

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1 ing agency advisory committees to provide recommenda2 tions on systems, products, and services relating to coastal 

3 flooding, including sea level rise. 

4 (d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—To assist in carrying 

5 out this Act and to facilitate collaboration, the Adminis6 trator may provide technical assistance to other Federal 

7 agencies on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis, in8 cluding by entering into an agreement with another Fed9 eral agency to detail, for a period of not more than 3 

10 years, an employee of the NOAA to such Federal agency. 

11 (e) INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT.—In addition to 

12 the authority provided in section 6(b)(5) of this Act, the 

13 Administrator, in coordination with the Department of 

14 State, may engage internationally to provide and receive 

15 technical assistance, data sharing, and capacity building 

16 on matters pertaining to coastal flooding and sea level rise 

17 and inundation, including participating in and on relevant 

18 international bodies and organizations. 

19 (f) REPORT.—The Administrator shall, not later than 

20 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and every 

21 3 years thereafter, provide the Committee on Natural Re22 sources of the House of Representatives and the Com23 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

24 Senate with a report on actions taken to implement the 

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1 uation of the need to expand and improve agency observa2 tions, modeling, predictions, and products and services 

3 to— 

4 (1) improve the understanding of the processes 

5 that drive coastal flood risk, including sea level rise, 

6 storm events, changing Great Lakes water levels, 

7 and land subsidence, especially in coastal commu8 nities with respect to the demographics of coastal 

9 community human population; and 

10 (2) track and report how observed rates of sea 

11 level rise compare to the sea level rise trends and 

12 predictions published within the quadrennial Na13 tional Climate Assessments and related reports. 

14 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

15 out the requirements of this section, there is authorized 

16 to be appropriated $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

17 2022 through 2027. 

18 SEC. 6. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of 

20 Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with the 

21 Administrator, shall— 

22 (1) facilitate interagency cooperation and align23 ment of Federal Government activities conducted 

24 with respect to coastal flooding, including sea level 

25 rise, to improve the ability of the United States to 


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1 prepare for, avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover 

2 from potentially devastating impacts; and 

3 (2) coordinate the activities of the interagency 

4 subcommittee established under subsection (b). 

5 (b) COASTAL FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL RISE SUB6 COMMITTEE.— 

7 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days 

8 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Presi9 dent, acting through the appropriate interagency 

10 committee or task force, shall establish within such 

11 committee or task force an interagency sub12 committee on coastal flooding and sea level rise 

13 (hereafter referred to as the ‘‘subcommittee’’). 

14 (2) PURPOSES.—The subcommittee shall— 

15 (A) be the primary venue for the presen16 tation and discussion of the latest science and 

17 technologies and for coordination of executive 

18 branch actions and activities that improve 

19 measurements, predictions, and service delivery 

20 of information related to coastal flood risk, in21 cluding sea level rise; 

22 (B) identify gaps in observations, data, in23 formation, and modeling and ensure agency ac24 tivities are complementary; 


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1 (C) consult and coordinate with other 

2 interagency climate and ocean policy efforts and 

3 bodies as appropriate; 

4 (D) coordinate the delivery of science and 

5 data and technical assistance from Federal 

6 agencies, including to support and inform the 

7 development and delivery of the products and 

8 services of the NOAA; and 

9 (E) define and prioritize needs from other 

10 Federal agencies that could be addressed by en11 hancements to Federal data and services, in12 cluding the products and services of the NOAA. 

13 (3) LEADERSHIP.—The subcommittee shall be 

14 co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Science 

15 and Technology Policy and the Administrator. 

16 (4) MEMBERSHIP.—The following entities shall 

17 be members of the subcommittee: 

18 (A) The National Oceanic and Atmos19 pheric Administration. 

20 (B) The National Aeronautics and Space 

21 Administration. 

22 (C) The Department of Interior through 

23 the United States Geological Survey. 

24 (D) The United States Army Corps of En25 gineers. 


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1 (E) The Department of Homeland Security 

2 through the Federal Emergency Management 

3 Administration. 

4 (F) The Environmental Protection Agency. 

5 (G) The Department of Defense. 

6 (H) The Department of Energy. 

7 (I) The National Science Foundation. 

8 (J) Such other White House offices and 

9 Federal agencies that the Director of the Office 

10 of Science and Technology Policy deems appro11 priate. 

12 (5) AGREEMENTS.—To carry out the activities 

13 under this Act— 

14 (A) the heads of the agencies represented 

15 on the subcommittee may enter into cooperative 

16 agreements, or any other agreement with each 

17 other, and transfer, receive, and expend funds 

18 made available by any Federal agency, any 

19 State or subdivision thereof, or any public or 

20 private organization or individual; 

21 (B) the Administrator of the National Aer22 onautics and Space Administration and the Ad23 ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos24 pheric Administration shall enter into one or 

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1 operation and collaboration in the development 

2 of sea level rise and coastal flood related instru3 ments, technologies, and data sets, and prod4 ucts in accordance with this Act; and 

5 (C) the Director of the United States Geo6 logical Survey and the Administrator of the Na7 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

8 shall enter into one or more interagency agree9 ments providing for cooperation and collabora10 tion in the development, quality control, proc11 essing, and delivery of coastal hazards and sea 

12 level rise related data, modeling, mapping, and 

13 services in accordance with this Act. 

14 (6) INTERNATIONAL, ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, 

15 AND COMMERCIAL SECTOR COLLABORATION.—Each 

16 Federal agency participating in the subcommittee es17 tablished under this subsection shall, to the extent 

18 practicable, increase engagement and cooperation 

19 with the international community, academic commu20 nity, and commercial sector on the observational in21 frastructure, data, scientific research, and service 

22 delivery and technical assistance necessary to ad23 vance the monitoring, forecasting, and prediction of, 

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1 ing, sea level rise, changing Great Lakes water lev2 els, and land subsidence. 

Æ 


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