IB 
Union Calendar No. 374 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4475 
[Report No. 115–501] 
To provide for the establishment of the National Volcano Early Warning 
and Monitoring System. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 28, 2017 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
JANUARY 9, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on November 28, 2017] 
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A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of the National Volcano 
Early Warning and Monitoring System. 
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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 Volcano Early 
Warning and Monitoring System Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
rector of the United States Geological Survey. 
(2) SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘System’’ means the Na-
tional Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Sys-
tem established under section 3(a)(1). 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL VOLCANO EARLY WARNING AND MONI-
TORING SYSTEM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
within the United States Geological Survey a system, 
to be known as the ‘‘National Volcano Early Warning 
and Monitoring System’’, to monitor, warn, and pro-
tect citizens of the United States from undue and 
avoidable harm from volcanic activity. 
(2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the System 
are— 
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(A) to organize, modernize, standardize, 
and stabilize the monitoring systems of the vol-
cano observatories in the United States, which 
include the Alaska Volcano Observatory, Cali-
fornia Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano 
Observatory, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, 
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, and other vol-
cano observatories established under subsection 
(d); and 
(B) to unify the monitoring systems of vol-
cano observatories in the United States into a 
single interoperative system. 
(3) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the System is 
to monitor all the volcanoes in the United States at 
a level commensurate with the threat posed by the vol-
canoes by— 
(A) upgrading existing networks on mon-
itored volcanoes; 
(B) 
installing 
new 
networks 
on 
unmonitored volcanoes; and 
(C) employing geodetic and other compo-
nents when applicable. 
(b) SYSTEM COMPONENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The System shall include— 
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(A) a national volcano watch office that is 
operational 24 hours a day and 7 days a week; 
(B) a national volcano data center; and 
(C) an external grants program to support 
research in volcano monitoring science and tech-
nology. 
(2) MODERNIZATION
ACTIVITIES.—Moderniza-
tion activities under the System shall include the 
comprehensive application of emerging technologies, 
including digital broadband seismometers, real-time 
continuous Global Positioning System receivers, sat-
ellite and airborne radar interferometry, acoustic 
pressure sensors, and spectrometry to measure gas 
emissions. 
(c) MANAGEMENT.— 
(1) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to Congress a 5-year man-
agement plan for establishing and operating the 
System. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The management plan 
submitted under subparagraph (A) shall in-
clude— 
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(i) annual cost estimates for mod-
ernization activities and operation of the 
System; 
(ii) annual milestones, standards, and 
performance goals; and 
(iii) 
recommendations 
for, 
and 
progress towards, establishing new, or en-
hancing existing, partnerships to leverage 
resources. 
(2) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—The Secretary shall 
establish an advisory committee to assist the Sec-
retary in implementing the System, to be comprised 
of representatives of relevant agencies and members of 
the scientific community, to be appointed by the Sec-
retary. 
(3) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary may enter 
into cooperative agreements with institutions of high-
er education and State or territorial agencies desig-
nating the institutions of higher education and State 
or territorial agencies as volcano observatory partners 
for the System. 
(4) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall coordi-
nate the activities under this Act with the heads of 
relevant Federal agencies, including— 
(A) the Secretary of Transportation; 
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(B) the Administrator of the Federal Avia-
tion Administration; 
(C) the Administrator of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration; and 
(D) the Director of the Federal Emergency 
Management Administration. 
(d) VOLCANO OBSERVATORY IN PACIFIC U.S. TERRI-
TORIES.— 
(1) FEASIBILITY
STUDY.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall conduct a study to assess the feasibility 
of establishing volcano observatories in Guam, the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa to 
monitor volcanic activity across the western and 
southern Pacific Ocean along the Ring of Fire, in-
cluding underwater volcanic activity in such region. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall consult 
with appropriate territorial and local entities in con-
ducting the study. 
(3) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—If the study re-
quired by paragraph (1) determines that such observ-
atories are feasible, then the Secretary, subject to the 
availability of appropriations, may enter into cooper-
ative agreements under subsection (c)(3) with institu-
tions of higher education or territorial agencies to es-
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tablish such volcano observatories as part of the Na-
tional Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring Sys-
tem. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—In each of fiscal years 2018 
through 2024, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port that describes the activities carried out under this Act. 
SEC. 4. FUNDING. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 
2024. 
(b) EFFECT ON OTHER SOURCES OF FEDERAL FUND-
ING.—Amounts made available under this section shall sup-
plement, and not supplant, Federal funds made available 
for other United States Geological Survey hazards activities 
and programs. 
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Union Calendar No. 374 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4475 
[Report No. 115–501] 
A BILL 
To provide for the establishment of the National 
Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System. 
JANUARY 9, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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