I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3592
To reduce the impacts of hurricanes, tornadoes, and related natural hazards
through a program of research and development and technology transfer,
and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 20, 2001
Mr. MOORE (for himself and Ms. HART) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To reduce the impacts of hurricanes, tornadoes, and related
natural hazards through a program of research and de-
velopment and technology transfer, and for other pur-
poses.
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 ‘‘Hurricane, Tornado,
and Related Natural Hazards Research Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Natural disasters cause enormous loss of
life. Almost all States and territories are at risk
from the effects of 1 or more types of natural dis-
aster. Coastal States and many island States and
territories are vulnerable to the hazards of wind-
storms. All Midwest, Southern, and Mid-Atlantic
States are vulnerable to the hazards of tornadoes
and thunderstorms and increased building activity is
occurring in high-risk areas such as the seashore
and ‘‘tornado alley’’.
(2) Hurricanes, which combine high winds and
flooding, and related natural disasters cause enor-
mous loss of life, injury, destruction of property, and
economic and social disruption, as evidenced by the
56 deaths and $6,000,000,000 in property damage
in 1999 from Hurricane Floyd. From 1990 to 1999
hurricanes caused an average of 14 deaths and
$4,970,000,000 in property losses annually while
tornadoes and other windstorms caused over 58
deaths and $871,000,000 in property losses annu-
ally.
(3) Improved windstorm and related natural
hazard reduction measures have the potential over
the next 10 years to reduce these losses that will
only increase if steps are not taken to help commu-
nities reduce their vulnerability. These measures
include—
(A) cost-effective and affordable design
and construction methods and practices;
(B) effective mitigation programs at the
local, State, and national level;
(C) informed land use decisions;
(D) impact prediction methodologies and
early warning systems;
(E) application of research results; and
(F) public education and outreach pro-
grams.
(4) Engineering research needs to address both
improving new structures and retrofitting existing
ones.
(5) There is an appropriate role for the Federal
Government in the collection, preparation, coordina-
tion, and dissemination of windstorm and related
natural hazards reduction information in order to
protect public health and safety and in increasing
public awareness of the dangers of these hazards
and of affordable steps homeowners can take to pre-
serve life and property. Improved outreach and im-
plementation mechanisms are needed to translate ex-
isting information and research findings into usable,
state-of-the-art specifications, criteria, and cost-ef-
fective practices for design and construction profes-
sionals, State and local officials, manufacturers, and
the public.
(6) An effective Federal program in windstorm
and related natural hazard reduction will require
interagency coordination, input from individuals and
institutions outside the Federal Government who are
expert in the sciences of natural hazards reduction
and in the practical application of mitigation meas-
ures, and improved mechanisms for the transfer of
new knowledge to State and local officials, to home-
owners, and to the design and construction industry.
Tax credits are an effective incentive for helping
homeowners apply mitigation measures.
(7) Windstorms and related natural hazards are
a worldwide problem, and international cooperation
is desirable for mutual learning and mitigation.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(2) The term ‘‘related natural hazards’’ means
any naturally destructive environmental phenomena
related to windstorms such as flooding, wildfires,
and hail.
(3) 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.
(4) 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 AND RELATED NATURAL
HAZARD IMPACT REDUCTION PROGRAM.
(a) INTERAGENCY GROUP.—Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director
shall establish an Interagency Group consisting of rep-
resentatives of appropriate Federal agencies, including the
National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy,
and other agencies with jurisdiction over housing, con-
struction, and natural disaster mitigation and relief, to be
responsible for the development and implementation of a
coordinated Federal windstorm and related natural haz-
ards reduction research, development, and technology
transfer program based on identified public needs. In es-
tablishing the Interagency Group, the Director is encour-
aged, where appropriate, to designate lead agencies and
to preserve existing programs and functions of Federal
agencies and organizations, and shall ensure regular agen-
cy coordination and information sharing.
(b) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the windstorm and
related natural hazard impact reduction program is the
achievement, within 10 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, of major measurable reductions in losses
that would otherwise have occurred to life and property
from windstorms and related natural hazards. The objec-
tive is to be achieved through the creation of a program
involving cooperation among governments at all levels and
the private sector featuring—
(1) pertinent basic research and applied re-
search based on identified public needs, which takes
into account locality-specific weather, susceptibility
to natural hazards, design and construction prac-
tices, and performance of the built environment dur-
ing windstorms and related natural hazards;
(2) better understanding of costs and benefits
associated with natural hazard impact reduction;
(3) systematic collection of physical and per-
formance data for buildings and other structures for
use in developing and deploying mitigation meas-
ures;
(4) an ongoing program of information dissemi-
nation on cost-effective and affordable hazard reduc-
tion research results and hazard-resistant building
construction techniques to industry, State and local
governments, homeowners, and the general public;
(5) improved technology for loss estimation,
risk assessment, hazard identification, prediction,
warnings, advanced planning, and disaster response;
(6) increased public awareness of the dangers
of windstorms and related natural hazards, and the
value of taking preventative action to preserve af-
fected property and life; and
(7) priority attention to critical lifelines, includ-
ing infrastructure and utilities, that are especially
needed in time of disaster.
(c) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ELEMENTS.—
The research and development elements of the program
may include—
(1) peer-reviewed research and development on
and demonstration of disaster-resistant systems,
based on identified public needs, and materials for
new construction and retrofit of existing construc-
tion, including composite materials; building enve-
lope components, including windows, doors, and
roofs; structural design; and design and construction
techniques, through physical testing and postdisaster
assessments, and through computer simulation when
appropriate, taking into consideration life safety and
cost-effectiveness, affordability, and regional dif-
ferences including susceptibility to windstorm and
related natural hazards;
(2) development of quantitative assessment
techniques to evaluate the direct, indirect, and soci-
etal costs and benefits associated with natural haz-
ards, including exploration of mitigation measures
that could reduce windstorm vulnerability, and to ef-
fectively exploit existing and developing mitigation
techniques;
(3) development of mechanisms for collecting
and inventorying information on building systems
and materials performance in windstorms and re-
lated natural hazards, information on identified pub-
lic mitigation priorities, and other pertinent informa-
tion from sources such as the construction industry,
insurance companies, and building officials;
(4) development of cost-effective and affordable
planning, design, construction, rehabilitation, and
retrofit methods and procedures, including utiliza-
tion of mitigation measures, for critical lifelines and
facilities such as hospitals, schools, public utilities,
and other structures that are especially needed in
time of disaster;
(5) research and development on wind charac-
terization and micro-climates and on techniques,
methodologies, and new technologies for the map-
ping in finer detail of windstorms and related nat-
ural hazard risks, to be coordinated with the map-
ping of other natural and manmade hazards;
(6) development of improved loss estimation
and risk assessment systems for predicting and eval-
uating damaging windstorm impacts and for identi-
fying, evaluating, and reliably characterizing wind-
storm hazards; and
(7) development of improved approaches for
providing emergency services, reconstruction, and re-
development after a windstorm or related natural
hazard event.
(d) 
TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER.—The 
technology
transfer elements of the program shall include—
(1) the collection, classification, presentation,
and dissemination in a usable form to Federal,
State, and local officials, community leaders, the de-
sign and construction industry, contractors, home
owners, and the general public, of research results,
cost-effective construction techniques, loss estimation
and risk assessment methodologies, and other perti-
nent information regarding windstorm phenomena,
the identification of locations and features which are
especially susceptible to natural hazard damage,
ways to reduce the adverse consequences of natural
hazards, and related matters;
(2) in coordination with the private sector, aca-
demia, and the States, curriculum development and
related measures to facilitate the training of employ-
ees of the design and construction industry, the in-
surance industry, and State and local governments,
and other interested persons; and
(3) development of an outreach effort to in-
crease public and community awareness, including
information related to windstorm and related nat-
ural hazard mitigation.
(e) 
IMPLEMENTATION
PLAN.—The 
Interagency
Group established under subsection (a) shall refine, in
conjunction with appropriate representatives of State and
local units of government and private sector organizations,
the objective stated in subsection (b), develop measure-
ments related to the objective, including emphasis on safe-
ty, cost-effectiveness, and affordability, and develop a 10-
year implementation plan for achieving the objective with
a strategic review of goals and objectives every 3 years,
working in coordination with the private sector and State
and local government for implementation in all appro-
priate instances. Not later than 210 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Interagency Group shall
submit to the Congress the implementation plan. The plan
shall include—
(1) a statement of strategic research and devel-
opment goals and priorities;
(2) plans for the development of improved fore-
casting techniques for windstorms, early warning
systems, and systems for comprehensive response;
(3) plans for the development of a systematic
method for collecting an inventory of buildings,
building components, and damage to buildings from
natural hazards;
(4) a strategy to implement the transfer of
technology and information to State, county, local,
and regional governmental units and the private sec-
tor for appropriate implementation of research and
development results;
(5) provisions for outreach and dissemination,
on a timely basis, of—
(A) information and technology in a form
that is of use to the design professions, the con-
struction industry, and other interested parties;
and
(B) other information and knowledge of in-
terest to the public to reduce vulnerability to
wind and related natural hazards;
(6) a description of how Federal disaster relief
and emergency assistance programs will incorporate
research and development results;
(7) establishment, consistent with this Act, of
goals, priorities, and target dates for implementation
of the program;
(8) assignment of responsibilities with respect
to each element of the program that does not al-
ready have a Federal lead agency;
(9) a description of plans for cooperation and
coordination in all phases of the program with inter-
ested governmental entities in all States, particularly
those containing areas of high or moderate wind and
related natural hazard risk; and
(10) staffing plans for the program and its
components.
(f) PARTICIPATION.—The implementation plan shall
complement existing Federal research programs and shall
avoid duplication of existing programs including earth-
quake programs whenever possible and assign responsibil-
ities to Federal agencies with existing expertise.
(g) BUDGET COORDINATION.—The Director shall
each year, after consulting with the Interagency Group es-
tablished under section 4(a), provide guidance to the other
program agencies concerning the preparation of requests
for appropriations for activities related to this Act, and
shall prepare, in conjunction with the other program agen-
cies, an annual program budget to be submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget. Each program agency
shall include with its annual request for appropriations
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a re-
port that—
(1) identifies each element of the proposed pro-
gram activities of the agency;
(2) specifies how each of these activities con-
tributes to the program; and
(3) states the portion of its request for appro-
priations allocated to each element of the program.
(h) MANUFACTURED HOUSING STANDARDS.—Noth-
ing in this Act supersedes any provision of the National
Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Stand-
ards Act of 1974. No design, construction method, prac-
tice, technology, material, mitigation methodology, or haz-
ard reduction measure of any kind developed under this
Act shall be required for a home certified under section
616 of the National Manufactured Housing Construction
and Safety Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5415), pur-
suant to standards issued under such Act, without being
subject to the consensus development process and rule-
making procedures of that Act.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR WINDSTORM
AND RELATED NATURAL HAZARDS IMPACT
REDUCTION.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—A National Advisory Com-
mittee shall be established to review progress made under
the program established under section 4, advise on any
improvements that should be made to that program, and
report to the Congress on actions that have been taken
to advance the Nation’s capability to reduce the impacts
of windstorm and related natural hazards.
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Advisory Committee shall be
composed of no more than 21 members to be appointed
by the President (one of whom shall be designated by the
President as chair). The members shall include represent-
atives of a broad cross-section of interests such as the re-
search, technology transfer, architectural, engineering,
and financial communities; materials and systems sup-
pliers; State, county, and local governments concerned
with the reduction of windstorm and related natural haz-
ards; the residential, multifamily, and commercial sectors
of the construction industry; and the insurance industry,
and other representatives (not including members of Fed-
eral agencies) from areas impacted by windstorms and re-
lated natural hazards.
(c) COORDINATION.—The Advisory Committee shall
coordinate with existing advisory committees of the Fed-
eral Government and of the National Academies of Science
and Engineering.
(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Advisory Committee
shall provide a summary report to Congress each year.
(e) EXEMPTION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory Committee
established under this section.
SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORT.
The Interagency Group established under section
4(a) shall, within 180 days after the end of each fiscal
year, submit a report to the Congress describing the status
of the windstorm and related natural hazards reduction
program, describing progress achieved during the pre-
ceding fiscal year, by government at all levels and by the
private sector, toward achieving the objective stated in sec-
tion 4(b) and implementing the plan developed under sec-
tion 4(e), and including any amendments to the implemen-
tation plan. Each such report shall include any rec-
ommendations for legislative and other action the Inter-
agency Group considers necessary and appropriate.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
activities under this Act $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2003,
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and $100,000,000 for
fiscal year 2005.
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