Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Inland Flood Fore-
casting and Warning System Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, through the United States Weather Research Pro-
gram, shall—
(1) improve the capability to accurately forecast
inland flooding (including inland flooding influenced
by coastal and ocean storms) through research and
modeling;
(2) develop, test, and deploy a new flood warn-
ing index that will give the public and emergency
management officials fuller, clearer, and more accu-
rate information about the risks and dangers posed
by expected floods;
(3) train emergency management officials, Na-
tional Weather Service personnel, meteorologists,
and others as appropriate regarding improved fore-
casting techniques for inland flooding, risk manage-
ment techniques, and use of the inland flood warn-
ing index developed under paragraph (2);
(4) conduct outreach and education activities
for local meteorologists and the public regarding the
dangers and risks associated with inland flooding
and the use and understanding of the inland flood
warning index developed under paragraph (2); and
(5) assess, through research and analysis of
previous trends, among other activities—
(A) the long-term trends in frequency and
severity of inland flooding; and
(B) how shifts in climate, development,
and erosion patterns might make certain re-
gions vulnerable to more continual or escalating
flood damage in the future.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for car-
rying out this Act $1,250,000 for each of the fiscal years
2003 through 2005, of which $100,000 for each fiscal year
shall be available for competitive merit-reviewed grants to
institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001))
to carry out the activities described in section 2(5), and
$1,150,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 and 2007.
Of the amounts authorized under this section, $250,000
for each fiscal year shall be available for competitive merit-
reviewed grants to institutions of higher education (as de-
fined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001)) to develop models that can improve the
ability to forecast the coastal and estuary-inland flooding
that is influenced by tropical cyclones. The models should
incorporate the interaction of such factors as storm
surges, soil saturation, and other relevant phenomena.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter through fiscal
year 2007, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration shall transmit to the Committee on Science of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report
on its activities under this Act and the success and accept-
ance of the inland flood warning index developed under
section 2(2) by the public and emergency management
professionals. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration shall also, not later than January 1, 2006,
transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the
likely long-term trends in inland flooding, the results of
which shall be used in outreach activities conducted under
section 2(4), especially to alert the public and builders to
flood hazards.
Passed the House of Representatives July 11, 2002.
Attest:
Clerk.