IIB 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3980 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 12, 2004 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To establish a National Windstorm Impact Reduction 
Program. 
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 ‘‘National Windstorm 
Impact Reduction Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and 
thunderstorms can cause significant loss of life, in-
jury, destruction of property, and economic and so-
cial disruption. All States and regions are vulnerable 
to these hazards. 
(2) The United States currently sustains sev-
eral billion dollars in economic damages each year 
due to these windstorms. In recent decades, rapid 
development and population growth in high-risk 
areas has greatly increased overall vulnerability to 
windstorms. 
(3) Improved windstorm impact reduction 
measures have the potential to reduce these losses 
through— 
(A) cost-effective and affordable design 
and construction methods and practices; 
(B) effective mitigation programs at the 
local, State, and national level; 
(C) improved data collection and analysis 
and impact prediction methodologies;
(D) engineering research on improving new 
structures and retrofitting existing ones to bet-
ter withstand windstorms, atmospheric-related 
research to better understand the behavior and 
impact of windstorms on the built environment, 
and subsequent application of those research re-
sults; and 
(E) public education and outreach. 
(4) There is an appropriate role for the Federal 
Government in supporting windstorm impact reduc-
tion. An effective Federal program in windstorm im-
pact reduction will require interagency coordination, 
and input from individuals, academia, the private 
sector, and other interested non-Federal entities. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy. 
(2) The term ‘‘State’’ means each of the States 
of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
any other territory or possession of the United 
States.
(3) The term ‘‘windstorm’’ means any storm 
with a damaging or destructive wind component, 
such as a hurricane, tropical storm, tornado, or 
thunderstorm. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Na-
tional Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (in this Act 
referred to as the ‘‘Program’’). 
(b) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the Program is the 
achievement of major measurable reductions in losses of 
life and property from windstorms. The objective is to be 
achieved through a coordinated Federal effort, in coopera-
tion with other levels of government, academia, and the 
private sector, aimed at improving the understanding of 
windstorms and their impacts and developing and encour-
aging implementation of cost-effective mitigation meas-
ures to reduce those impacts. 
(c) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—Not later than 
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Direc-
tor shall establish an Interagency Working Group con-
sisting of representatives of the National Science Founda-
tion, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other
Federal agencies as appropriate. The Director shall des-
ignate an agency to serve as Chair of the Working Group 
and be responsible for the planning, management, and co-
ordination of the Program, including budget coordination. 
Specific agency roles and responsibilities under the Pro-
gram shall be defined in the implementation plan required 
under subsection (e). General agency responsibilities shall 
include the following: 
(1) The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology shall support research and development 
to improve building codes and standards and prac-
tices for design and construction of buildings, struc-
tures, and lifelines. 
(2) The National Science Foundation shall sup-
port research in engineering and the atmospheric 
sciences to improve the understanding of the behav-
ior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, 
structures, and lifelines. 
(3) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration shall support atmospheric sciences re-
search to improve the understanding of the behavior 
of windstorms and their impact on buildings, struc-
tures, and lifelines. 
(4) The Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy shall support the development of risk assessment
tools and effective mitigation techniques, windstorm- 
related data collection and analysis, public outreach, 
information dissemination, and implementation of 
mitigation measures consistent with the Agency’s 
all-hazards approach. 
(d) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Program shall consist 
of three primary mitigation components: improved 
understanding of windstorms, windstorm impact as-
sessment, and windstorm impact reduction. The 
components shall be implemented through activities 
such as data collection and analysis, risk assess-
ment, outreach, technology transfer, and research 
and development. To the extent practicable, research 
activities authorized under this Act shall be peer-re-
viewed, and the components shall be designed to be 
complementary to, and avoid duplication of, other 
public and private hazard reduction efforts. 
(2) UNDERSTANDING OF WINDSTORMS.—Activi-
ties to enhance the understanding of windstorms 
shall include research to improve knowledge of and 
data collection on the impact of severe wind on 
buildings, structures, and infrastructure.
(3) WINDSTORM IMPACT ASSESSMENT.—Activi-
ties to improve windstorm impact assessment shall 
include— 
(A) development of mechanisms for col-
lecting and inventorying information on the per-
formance of buildings, structures, and infra-
structure in windstorms and improved collection 
of pertinent information from sources, including 
the design and construction industry, insurance 
companies, and building officials; 
(B) research, development, and technology 
transfer to improve loss estimation and risk as-
sessment systems; and 
(C) research, development, and technology 
transfer to improve simulation and computa-
tional modeling of windstorm impacts. 
(4) WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION.—Activi-
ties to reduce windstorm impacts shall include— 
(A) development of improved outreach and 
implementation mechanisms to translate exist-
ing information and research findings into cost- 
effective and affordable practices for design and 
construction professionals, and State and local 
officials;
(B) development of cost-effective and af-
fordable windstorm-resistant systems, struc-
tures, and materials for use in new construction 
and retrofit of existing construction; and 
(C) outreach and information dissemina-
tion related to cost-effective and affordable con-
struction techniques, loss estimation and risk 
assessment methodologies, and other pertinent 
information regarding windstorm phenomena to 
Federal, State, and local officials, the construc-
tion industry, and the general public. 
(e) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not later than 1 year 
after date of enactment of this Act, the Interagency Work-
ing Group shall develop and transmit to the Congress an 
implementation plan for achieving the objectives of the 
Program. The plan shall include— 
(1) an assessment of past and current public 
and private efforts to reduce windstorm impacts, in-
cluding a comprehensive review and analysis of 
windstorm mitigation activities supported by the 
Federal Government; 
(2) a description of plans for technology trans-
fer and coordination with natural hazard mitigation 
activities supported by the Federal Government;
(3) a statement of strategic goals and priorities 
for each Program component area; 
(4) a description of how the Program will 
achieve such goals, including detailed responsibilities 
for each agency; and 
(5) a description of plans for cooperation and 
coordination with interested public and private sec-
tor entities in each program component area. 
(f) BIENNIAL REPORT.—The Interagency Working 
Group shall, on a biennial basis, and not later than 180 
days after the end of the preceding 2 fiscal years, transmit 
a report to the Congress describing the status of the wind-
storm impact reduction program, including progress 
achieved during the preceding two fiscal years. Each such 
report shall include any recommendations for legislative 
and other action the Interagency Working Group con-
siders necessary and appropriate. In developing the bien-
nial report, the Interagency Working Group shall consider 
the recommendations of the Advisory Committee estab-
lished under section 5. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WINDSTORM 
IMPACT REDUCTION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall establish a 
National Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Re-
duction, consisting of not less than 11 and not more than
15 non-Federal members representing a broad cross sec-
tion of interests such as the research, technology transfer, 
design and construction, and financial communities; mate-
rials and systems suppliers; State, county, and local gov-
ernments; the insurance industry; and other representa-
tives as designated by the Director. 
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The Advisory Committee shall as-
sess— 
(1) trends and developments in the science and 
engineering of windstorm impact reduction; 
(2) the effectiveness of the Program in carrying 
out the activities under section 4(d); 
(3) the need to revise the Program; and 
(4) the management, coordination, implementa-
tion, and activities of the Program. 
(c) BIENNIAL REPORT.—At least once every two 
years, the Advisory Committee shall report to Congress 
and the Interagency Working Group on the assessment 
carried out under subsection (b). 
(d) SUNSET EXEMPTION.—Section 14 of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory 
Committee established under this section. 
SEC. 6. SAVINGS CLAUSE. 
Nothing in this Act supersedes any provision of the 
National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety
Standards Act of 1974. No design, construction method, 
practice, technology, material, mitigation methodology, or 
hazard reduction measure of any kind developed under 
this Act shall be required for a home certified under sec-
tion 616 of the National Manufactured Housing Construc-
tion and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5415), 
pursuant to standards issued under such Act, without 
being subject to the consensus development process and 
rulemaking procedures of that Act. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGEN-
CY.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency for carrying out this 
Act— 
(1) $8,700,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(2) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2007. 
(b) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—From sums 
otherwise authorized to be appropriated, there are author-
ized to be appropriated to the National Science Founda-
tion for carrying out this Act— 
(1) $8,700,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(2) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2007. 
(c) NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF
STANDARDS
AND 
TECHNOLOGY.—From sums otherwise authorized to be 
appropriated, there are authorized to be appropriated to
the National Institute of Standards and Technology for 
carrying out this Act— 
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2007. 
(d) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMIN-
ISTRATION.—From sums otherwise authorized to be ap-
propriated, there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for car-
rying out this Act— 
(1) $2,100,000 for fiscal year 2006; and 
(2) $2,200,000 for fiscal year 2007. 
SEC. 8. BIENNIAL REPORT. 
Section 37(a) of the Science and Engineering Equal 
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d(a)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘By January 30, 1982, and biennially thereafter’’ 
and inserting ‘‘By January 30 of each odd-numbered 
year’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 7, 2004. 
Attest: 
JEFF TRANDAHL, 
Clerk.