I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1379 
To reauthorize Federal natural hazards reduction programs, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 5, 2011 
Mr. WU (for himself, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. LIPINSKI, 
Ms. FUDGE, Mr. TONKO, and Ms. WILSON of Florida) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources and 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reauthorize Federal natural hazards reduction programs, 
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 ‘‘Natural Hazards Risk 
Reduction Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The United States faces significant risks 
from many types of natural hazards, including 
earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and 
floods. Increasing numbers of Americans are living 
in areas prone to these hazards. 
(2) Earthquakes occur without warning and can 
have devastating effects. According to the U.S. Geo-
logical 
Survey, 
two 
recent 
earthquakes, 
the 
Northridge Earthquake in 1994, and the Loma 
Prieta Earthquake in 1989, killed nearly 100 people, 
injured 12,757, and caused $33 billion in damages. 
Nearly all States face some level of seismic risk. 
Twenty-six urban areas in 14 States have a signifi-
cant seismic risk. 
(3) Severe weather is the most costly natural 
hazard, measured on a per year basis. According to 
data from the National Weather Service over the 
last 10 years, tornadoes, thunderstorms, and hurri-
canes have caused an average of 226 fatalities and 
$16 billion of property damage per year. The 2005 
hurricane season was one of the most destructive in 
United States history, killing 1,836 people, and 
causing $80 billion in damage. 
(4) The United States Fire Administration re-
ports that 38 percent of new home construction in 
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2002 was in areas adjacent to, or intermixed with, 
wildlands. Fires in the wildland-urban interface are 
costly. For example, the 2007 California Witch fire 
alone caused $1.3 billion in insured property losses, 
according to the Insurance Services Office (ISO). In 
addition, Government Accountability Office reported 
in 2007 that the Federal spending for wildfire sup-
pression between 2001 and 2005 was, on average, 
$2.9 billion per year. 
(5) Developing better knowledge about natural 
hazard phenomena and their effects is crucial to as-
sessing the risks these hazards pose to communities. 
Instrumentation, monitoring, and data gathering to 
characterize earthquakes and wind events are impor-
tant activities to increase this knowledge. 
(6) Current building codes and standards can 
mitigate the damages caused by natural hazards. 
The Institute for Business and Home Safety esti-
mated that the $19 billion in damage caused by 
Hurricane Andrew in 1994 could have been reduced 
by half if such codes and standards were in effect. 
Research for the continuous improvement of building 
codes, standards, and design practices—and for de-
veloping methods to retrofit existing structures—is 
crucial to mitigating losses from natural hazards. 
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(7) Since its creation in 1977, the National 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) 
has supported research to develop seismic codes, 
standards, and building practices that have been 
widely adopted. The NEHRP Recommended Provi-
sions for Seismic Regulations for New Buildings and 
Other Structures and the Guidance for Seismic Per-
formance Assessment of Buildings are two examples. 
(8) Research to understand the institutional, 
social, behavioral, and economic factors that influ-
ence how households, businesses, and communities 
perceive risk and prepare for natural hazards, and 
how well they recover after a disaster, can increase 
the implementation of risk mitigation measures. 
(9) A major goal of the Federal natural haz-
ards-related research and development effort should 
be to reduce the loss of life and damage to commu-
nities and infrastructure through increasing the 
adoption of hazard mitigation measures. 
(10) Research, development, and technology 
transfer to secure infrastructure is vitally important. 
Infrastructure that supports electricity, transpor-
tation, drinking water, and other services is vital im-
mediately after a disaster, and their quick return to 
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function speeds the economic recovery of a disaster- 
impacted community. 
TITLE I—EARTHQUAKES 
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘National Earthquake 
Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 
2011’’. 
SEC. 102. FINDINGS. 
Section 2 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 
of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7701) is repealed. 
SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 4 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 
of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7703) is amended by striking para-
graphs (8) and (9). 
SEC. 104. NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION 
PROGRAM. 
Section 5 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 
of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The activities of 
the Program shall be designed to— 
‘‘(A) research and develop effective meth-
ods, tools, and technologies to reduce the risk 
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