Executive Order 12941, signed on 1 December 1994, implements a modest program of upgrading the seismic safety of Federally owned buildings and lays the groundwork for developing a more aggressive program, by requiring agencies to develop a seismic inventory of their existing buildings and an estimate of the cost of achieving adequate seismic safety in their buildings. FEMA will use the data to assess the costs and impacts of a wide variety of potential seismic risk mitigation programs. By 1 December 2000, FEMA will report to Congress on the most economically feasible program for achieving acceptable levels of seismic safety. Section 1 of Executive Order 12941 adopts the RP4 standards as the minimum technical criteria that all Executive Branch agencies and departments must meet in future seismic evaluation and mitigation projects. Because the triggers are generally tied to significant changes to a building, the required seismic work takes place during an economically advantageous phase of the building's existence.
Historic buildings are to be held to the same standard.
The Secretary of the Department of the Interior's Standards on Historic Preservation are to be followed in achieving adequate seismic safety. Collecting information to develop a more active program Section 2 of Executive Order 12941 requires that all agencies and departments owning or leasing buildings develop a seismic inventory and estimate the costs of mitigating unacceptable seismic risks. The order directs the Interagency Committee on Seismic Safety in Construction to issue, by 1 December 1995, guidance on performing these tasks. Agencies are asked to evaluate the safety of a representative sample of the remaining non-exempt buildings. For buildings found to be seismically deficient, an estimate of the cost of achieving adequate safety will be required.