Links are provided to the full and exact wording of the various pieces of legislation. In addition, links to corresponding regulations will be added. While it is true that much engineering and mitigation guidance exists in the form of local level directives and ordinances, this site will focus only on actual laws from the state and federal level. At least initially, it will include only acts that are in effect, and not those being proposed and debated. At this point the majority of state seismic legislation presented on this page is from California, which has passed the majority of state seismically-related legislation.
Some Midwestern legislation is presented as well.
As more states pass laws addressing seismic safety, links will be made to those pieces of legislation. It is important to note that the existence of these laws does not necessarily indicate that they fully meet their intent, or that they necessarily accomplish their objectives. Some are considered less effective than others, and some are enforced to a greater extent than others. The reader should refer to further resources for information or expert opinion about the appropriateness and effectiveness of any specific piece of legislation. It is also important to remember that the guidelines and regulations supporting the implementation of individual acts often contain the most important detail.