IB 
Union Calendar No. 136
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2608
[Report No. 108–246, Part I] 
To reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2003
Mr. SMITH of Michigan (for himself and Mr. BAIRD) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, and in addition to 
the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined 
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
AUGUST 14, 2003
Additional sponsor: Ms. LOFGREN 
AUGUST 14, 2003
Reported from the Committee on Science with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
AUGUST 14, 2003
Referral to the Committee on Resources extended for a period ending not later 
than August 14, 2003
AUGUST 14, 2003
The Committee on Resources discharged; referred to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 26, 2003] 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction 
Program, and for other purposes.
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 Earthquake 
Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 4 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 
of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(8) The term ‘Interagency Coordinating Com-
mittee’ means the Interagency Coordinating Com-
mittee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction established 
under section 5(a). 
‘‘(9) The term ‘Advisory Committee’ means the 
Advisory 
Committee 
established 
under 
section 
5(a)(5).’’. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION 
PROGRAM. 
Section 5 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 
of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704(b)) is amended—
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(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established the Na-
tional Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. 
‘‘(2) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The activities of the 
Program shall be designed to—
‘‘(A) develop effective measures for earth-
quake hazards reduction; 
‘‘(B) promote the adoption of earthquake 
hazards reduction measures by Federal, State, 
and local governments, national standards and 
model code organizations, architects and engi-
neers, building owners, and others with a role in 
planning and constructing buildings, structures, 
and lifelines through—
‘‘(i) 
grants, 
contracts, 
cooperative 
agreements, and technical assistance; 
‘‘(ii) development of standards, guide-
lines, and voluntary consensus codes for 
earthquake hazards reduction for buildings, 
structures, and lifelines; and 
‘‘(iii) development and maintenance of 
a repository of information, including tech-
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nical data, on seismic risk and hazards re-
duction; and 
‘‘(C) improve the understanding of earth-
quakes and their effects on communities, build-
ings, structures, and lifelines, through inter-
disciplinary research that involves engineering, 
natural sciences, and social, economic, and deci-
sions sciences. 
‘‘(3) INTERAGENCY
COORDINATING
COMMITTEE 
ON EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—There is established an 
Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earth-
quake Hazards Reduction chaired by the Direc-
tor of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘Director’). 
‘‘(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The committee shall 
be composed of the directors of—
‘‘(i) the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency; 
‘‘(ii) the United States Geological Sur-
vey; 
‘‘(iii) the National Science Founda-
tion; 
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‘‘(iv) the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy; and 
‘‘(v) the Office of Management and 
Budget. 
‘‘(C) 
MEETINGS.—The 
Committee 
shall 
meet not less than 3 times a year at the call of 
the Director. 
‘‘(D) PURPOSE
AND
DUTIES.—The Inter-
agency Coordinating Committee shall oversee the 
planning, management, and coordination of the 
Program. The Interagency Coordinating Com-
mittee shall—
‘‘(i) develop, not later than 6 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
update periodically—
‘‘(I) a strategic plan that estab-
lishes goals and priorities for the Pro-
gram activities described under sub-
section (a)(2); and 
‘‘(II) a detailed management plan 
to implement such strategic plan; and 
‘‘(ii) develop a coordinated interagency 
budget for the Program that will ensure ap-
propriate balance among the Program ac-
tivities described under subsection (a)(2), 
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and submit such budget to the Director of 
the Office of Management and Budget at the 
time designated by that office for agencies to 
submit annual budgets. 
‘‘(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Interagency Coordi-
nating Committee shall transmit, at the time of the 
President’s budget request to Congress, an annual re-
port to the Committee on Science and the Committee 
on Resources of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate. Such report shall include—
‘‘(A) the Program budget for the current fis-
cal year for each agency that participates in the 
Program, and for each major goal established for 
the Program activities under subparagraph 
(3)(A); 
‘‘(B) the proposed Program budget for the 
next fiscal year for each agency that participates 
in the Program, and for each major goal estab-
lished for the Program activities under subpara-
graph (3)(A); 
‘‘(C) a description of the activities and re-
sults of the Program during the previous year, 
including an assessment of the effectiveness of the 
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Program in furthering the goals established in 
the strategic plan under (3)(A); 
‘‘(D) a description of the extent to which the 
Program has incorporated the recommendations 
of the Advisory Committee; 
‘‘(E) a description of activities, including 
budgets for the current fiscal year and proposed 
budgets for the next fiscal year, that are carried 
out by Program agencies and contribute to the 
Program, but are not included in the Program; 
and 
‘‘(F) a description of the activities, includ-
ing budgets for the current fiscal year and pro-
posed budgets for the following fiscal year, re-
lated to the grant program carried out under 
subsection (b)(2)(A)(i). 
‘‘(5) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall es-
tablish an Advisory Committee on Earthquake 
Hazards Reduction consisting of non-Federal 
members, including representatives of research 
and academic institutions, industry standards 
development organizations, State and local gov-
ernment, and financial communities who are 
qualified to provide advice on earthquake haz-
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ards reduction. The recommendations of the Ad-
visory Committee shall be considered by Federal 
agencies in implementing the Program. 
‘‘(B) ASSESSMENT.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall assess—
‘‘(i) trends and developments in the 
science and engineering of earthquake haz-
ards reduction; 
‘‘(ii) effectiveness of the Program in 
carrying out the activities under (a)(2); 
‘‘(iii) the need to revise the Program; 
and 
‘‘(iv) the management, coordination, 
implementation, and activities of the Pro-
gram. 
‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act and at least 
once every 2 years thereafter, the Advisory Com-
mittee shall report to the Director on its findings 
of the assessment carried out under subpara-
graph (B) and its recommendations for ways to 
improve 
the 
Program. 
In 
developing 
rec-
ommendations, the Committee shall consider the 
recommendations of the United States Geological 
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