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SEC. 312. RESPONSIBILITIES. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency shall be responsible for the Nation’s ef-
forts to reduce the loss of life and property and to protect 
the Nation from an earthquake, tsunami, or a combined 
earthquake and tsunami event by developing the ability 
to prepare and plan for, mitigate against, respond to, re-
cover from, and more successfully adapt to such an event. 
SEC. 313. EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI INTERAGENCY TASK 
FORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall establish a 
Federal Interagency Task Force for the purpose of devel-
oping a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on 
how the Nation should prepare and plan for, mitigate 
against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully 
adapt to an earthquake, tsunami, or a combined earth-
quake and tsunami event in the Cascadia Subduction 
Zone, including identifying potential administrative or leg-
islative changes required to implement the strategy, the 
funding required to implement the strategy and rec-
ommendations, and the priority in which the strategy 
should be implemented. 
(b) CHAIRPERSON.—The Administrator of the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency, or his designee, 
shall serve as the chairperson of the Task Force. 
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(c) MEMBERSHIP.—The membership of the Task 
Force shall include a cross section of subject matter ex-
perts representing the following: 
(1) Relevant Federal agencies. 
(2) The States of Oregon, Washington, and 
California. 
(3) Indian tribes, local governments, and pri-
vate sector representatives that may be impacted by 
a mega-thrust earthquake, tsunami, or a combined 
earthquake and tsunami event in the Cascadia 
Subduction Zone. 
(4) Universities, academia, and research institu-
tions with expertise in topics relevant to the work of 
the Task Force. 
(d) DETAILED EMPLOYEES.—Members of the Task 
Force may detail employees to assist the Administrator, 
or his designee, in fulfilling the responsibilities of the Task 
Force. 
(e) CASCADIA
SUBDUCTION
ZONE.—The term 
‘‘Cascadia Subduction Zone’’ means the approximately 
684 miles long landward-dipping fault that separates the 
Juan de Fuca and North America plates and that 
stretches along a portion of the western coast of the 
United States beginning off Cape Mendocino, California, 
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along the State of Oregon, the State of Washington, to 
Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. 
(f) STRATEGY.—The comprehensive strategy, which 
may build upon existing plans, studies, or other resources, 
shall include the following: 
(1) Define how Federal agencies will coordinate 
to develop the ability to prepare and plan for, miti-
gate against, respond to, recover from, and more 
successfully adapt to the impacts of a mega-thrust 
earthquake, tsunami, or a combined earthquake and 
tsunami event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. 
(2) Ensure collaboration between the Depart-
ment of Transportation, the Department of Energy, 
the United States Coast Guard, the United States 
Army Corps of Engineers, and other Federal agen-
cies as appropriate to complete a needs assessment 
of Federal facilities in need of hardening for an 
event and develop a strategic plan to mitigate and 
retrofit Federal, State, tribal, and local critical as-
sets for freight, energy, and transit purposes to 
withstand an event and to help save lives during and 
immediately after an event. 
(3) Assist State, tribal, and local governments 
in developing and implementing a coordinated and 
comprehensive plan to prioritize Federal, State, trib-
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al, local, and private investments and activities to 
develop the ability to prepare and plan for, mitigate 
against, respond to, recover from, and more success-
fully adapt to the impacts of a mega-thrust earth-
quake, tsunami, or a combined earthquake and tsu-
nami event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and to 
link to any existing State-wide mitigation plan, in-
cluding examining the feasibility of the public and 
private sector and individuals to acquire earthquake 
insurance. 
(4) Identify existing funding opportunities 
across Federal agencies and other sources to imple-
ment the comprehensive strategy and any rec-
ommendations made by the Task Force and make 
recommendations for new funding opportunities. 
(5) Identify barriers to obtaining funding and 
implementing the comprehensive strategy and to de-
velop recommendations on how to remove such bar-
riers. 
(6) Collaborate with and assist State, tribal, 
and local governments in developing recommenda-
tions for cost-effective mitigation alternatives for 
aging State, tribal, or locally owned critical infra-
structure. 
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(7) Assist State, tribal, and local governments 
with developing a recovery plan prior to an earth-
quake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsu-
nami event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone as to 
how State, tribal, and local governments may want 
to rebuild after the event; 
(8) Identify steps taken to date to develop an 
onshore and offshore earthquake early warning sys-
tem and define the purpose and scope of an onshore 
and offshore earthquake early warning system. 
(9) Evaluate types of offshore earthquake early 
warning systems and provide recommendations and 
a cost estimate for an earthquake early warning sys-
tem appropriate for the Cascadia Subduction Zone. 
(10) Make recommendations about how an 
earthquake early warning system should operate, in-
cluding whether and how a system should interface 
with the private sector. 
(11) Define appropriate roles and responsibil-
ities for Federal, State, local, and tribal govern-
ments, including who should operate and maintain 
an earthquake early warning system, the cost of a 
system, and possible funding sources for a system. 
(12) Develop a plan on how to integrate an 
earthquake early warning system into existing and 
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new public alert warning systems and technologies, 
including mobile systems. 
(g) COLLABORATION.—The Task Force shall work si-
multaneously and collaboratively with the National Acad-
emies. 
(h) NATIONAL ACADEMIES.—The Task Force shall 
enter into an agreement with the National Academies 
under which the National Academies shall develop rec-
ommendations for a Federal research strategy to advance 
scientific understanding of a Cascadia Subduction Zone 
earthquake and resulting tsunami preparedness, including 
the following: 
(1) Geologic conditions, ground motions, and 
tsunami hazard. 
(2) Implications of an effective automated early 
warning system. 
(3) Effects of mega-earthquake and tsunami 
events on the built and natural environment. 
(4) Social and behavioral factors for effective 
disaster preparedness and response. 
(5) Cost-effective mitigation alternatives for leg-
acy and aging infrastructure. 
(6) Strategic planning for freight, energy, and 
transit network robustness. 
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(7) Tools that help communities invest its re-
sources for the greatest benefit. 
(8) Any other topics identified as necessary by 
the Task Force or the National Academies. 
(i) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall submit to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Government Affairs of the Senate 
a report of the Task Force that provides the following: 
(1) The comprehensive strategy identified in 
subsection (f). 
(2) Recommendations on administrative actions 
that may be taken to further the strategy. 
(3) Recommendations for legislative changes 
that may be necessary to further the strategy. 
(4) Recommendations on funding necessary to 
carry out the strategy. 
SEC. 314. MITIGATION ASSISTANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 420 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5187) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and 
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(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE.—Whether 
or not a major disaster is declared, the President may pro-
vide hazard mitigation assistance in accordance with sec-
tion 404 in any area affected by a fire for which assistance 
was provided under this section.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 404(a) (42 U.S.C. 5170c(a))— 
(A) by inserting before the first period ‘‘, 
or any area affected by a fire for which assist-
ance was provided under section 420’’; and 
(B) in the third sentence by inserting ‘‘or 
event under section 420’’ after ‘‘major disaster’’ 
each place it appears; and 
(2) in section 322(e)(1) (42 U.S.C. 5165(e)(1)), 
by inserting ‘‘or event under section 420’’ after 
‘‘major disaster’’ each place it appears. 
SEC. 315. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES. 
Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(f) USE
OF ASSISTANCE.—Recipients of hazard 
mitigation assistance provided under this section and sec-
tion 203 may use the assistance to conduct the following 
activities to help reduce the risk of future damage, hard-
ship, loss, or suffering in any area affected by— 
‘‘(1) a wildfire, including— 
‘‘(A) reseeding ground cover with quick- 
growing or native species; 
‘‘(B) mulching with straw or chipped wood; 
‘‘(C) constructing straw, rock, or log dams 
in small tributaries to prevent flooding; 
‘‘(D) placing logs and other erosion bar-
riers to catch sediment on hill slopes; 
‘‘(E) installing debris traps to modify road 
and trail drainage mechanisms; 
‘‘(F) modifying or removing culverts to 
allow drainage to flow freely; 
‘‘(G) adding drainage dips and con-
structing emergency spillways to keep roads 
and bridges from washing out during floods; 
‘‘(H) planting grass to prevent the spread 
of noxious weeds; 
‘‘(I) installing warning signs; 
‘‘(J) establishing defensible space meas-
ures; and 
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‘‘(K) reducing hazardous fuels; and 
‘‘(2) earthquake hazards, including— 
‘‘(A) improvements to regional seismic net-
works in support of building a capability for 
earthquake early warning; 
‘‘(B) improvements to geodetic networks in 
support of building a capability for earthquake 
early warning; or 
‘‘(C) seismometers, GPS receivers, and as-
sociated infrastructure in support of building a 
capability for earthquake early warning.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 29, 
2016. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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