but not limited to impacts on coral reefs, wet-
lands, and other natural systems that mitigate 
hurricane wind and storm surge impacts. 
(H) TECHNOLOGIES
FOR
DISASTER
RE-
SPONSE AND RECOVERY.—Research to improve 
emergency communication networks for govern-
ment agencies and non-government entities and 
to improve communications between such net-
works during disaster response and recovery, 
including cyber-security during disaster situa-
tions and the ability to improve damage assess-
ments during storms. 
(I) EVACUATION PLANNING.—Research to 
improve the manner in which hurricane-related 
information is provided to, and utilized by, the 
public and government officials, including re-
search to assist officials of State or local gov-
ernment in determining the circumstances in 
which evacuations are required and in carrying 
out such evacuations. 
(J) 
COMPUTATIONAL
CAPABILITY.—Re-
search to improve understanding of the efficient 
utility of multiple models requiring sharing and 
inter-operability of databases, computing envi-
ronments, networks, visualization tools, and 
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analytic systems beyond what is currently avail-
able for transitioning hurricane research assets 
into operational practice and to provide access 
to robust computational facilities beyond the fa-
cilities normally accessible by the civilian re-
search community for the hurricane research 
enterprise, including data acquisition and mod-
eling capability during hurricane events. 
(c) COOPERATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.—The 
Under Secretary and the Director shall cooperate with the 
head of each appropriate Federal agency or department, 
research institute, university, and disaster-response or 
nongovernmental organization to utilize the expertise and 
capabilities of such entity to carry out the purposes of the 
National Hurricane Research Initiative, including co-
operation with the heads of the following entities: 
(1) The National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration. 
(2) The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. 
(3) The Department of Homeland Security, in-
cluding the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy. 
(4) The Department of Energy. 
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(5) The Defense Advanced Research Project 
Agency. 
(6) The Environmental Protection Agency. 
(7) The United States Geological Survey. 
(8) The Army Corps of Engineers. 
(d) COORDINATION.—The White House Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, through the National 
Science and Technology Council, shall coordinate the ac-
tivities carried out by the United States related to the Na-
tional Hurricane Research Initiative as a formal program 
with a well defined organizational structure and execution 
plan. 
(e) GRANTS.— 
(1) AUTHORITY.—The Undersecretary and the 
Director may award grants to appropriate State and 
local governmental agencies or departments, re-
search universities or nongovernmental entities to 
carry out the purposes described in subsection (b). 
(2) BEST
PRACTICES.—The Under Secretary 
and the Director shall develop and make available to 
the public a description of best practices to be used 
to carry out a project with a grant awarded under 
this subsection. 
(f) RESEARCH SEMINARS AND FORUMS.—The Under 
Secretary and the Director shall carry out a series of na-
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tional seminars and forums that assemble a broad collec-
tion of scientific disciplines to direct researchers to work 
collaboratively to carry out the purposes described in sub-
section (b). 
(g) INITIAL RESEARCH TO DEVELOP IMPROVED 
HURRICANE INTENSITY FORECASTS AND IMPACT PRO-
JECTIONS.—The Undersecretary and the Director shall 
within 120 days after the enactment of this Act issue a 
request for proposals to undertake the basic and applied 
research with an annual budget in the amounts as deemed 
appropriate by the Under Secretary and the Director to 
accomplish the desired research results during a 10-year 
term. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $285,000,000 for each of 
the fiscal years 2008 through 2018 to carry out this sec-
tion. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE DATABASE. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH.—The Under Sec-
retary and the Director shall establish a National Infra-
structure Database for the purposes of— 
(1) cataloging and characterizing the physical, 
social, and natural infrastructure in order to provide 
a baseline for developing standards, measuring modi-
fication, and determining loss; 
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(2) providing information to Federal, State, and 
local government officials to improve information 
public policy related to hurricanes and tropical 
storms; and 
(3) providing data to researchers to improve 
their ability to measure hurricane impacts, separate 
such impacts from other effects, both natural and 
anthropogenic, make effective recommendations for 
improved building codes and urban planning prac-
tices, and develop effective procedures for respond-
ing to infrastructure disruption. 
(b) DATABASE REQUIREMENTS.—The National In-
frastructure Database shall be a virtual, cyber environ-
ment that uses existing capabilities and facilities, and es-
tablishes new capabilities and facilities, as appropriate, to 
provide an interoperable environment and the necessary 
metadata and other resources needed by users of that 
Database. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2008 through 2018 to carry out this section. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL HURRICANE RESEARCH MODEL. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH.—The Under Sec-
retary and the Director shall develop a National Hurri-
cane Research Model to conduct integrative research and 
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