108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2608
AN ACT
To reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Program, and for other purposes.
108TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2608
AN ACT
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 estab-
lished 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—
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows:
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—There is established the
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.
‘‘(2) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The activities of
the Program shall be designed to—
the planning, management, and coordination of
the Program. The Interagency Coordinating
Committee 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 inter-
agency budget for the Program that will
ensure appropriate balance among the Pro-
gram activities described under subsection
(a)(2), and submit such budget to the Di-
rector of the Office of Management and
Budget at the time designated by that of-
fice for agencies to submit annual budgets.
‘‘(4) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Interagency Co-
ordinating Committee shall transmit, at the time of
the President’s budget request to Congress, an an-
nual report to the Committee on Science and the
Committee on Resources of the House of Represent-
atives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate. Such report shall
include—
‘‘(A) the Program budget for the current
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);
‘‘(B) the proposed Program budget for the
next fiscal year for each agency that partici-
pates in the Program, and for each major goal
established for the Program activities under
subparagraph (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 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 recommenda-
tions 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-
ards reduction. The recommendations of the
Advisory Committee shall be considered by Fed-
eral 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
Committee shall report to the Director on its
findings of the assessment carried out under
subparagraph (B) and its recommendations for
ways to improve the Program. In developing
recommendations, the Committee shall consider
the recommendations of the United States Geo-
logical Survey Scientific Earthquake Studies
Advisory Committee.
‘‘(D) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT
APPLICATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act (5 App. U.S.C. 14) shall
not apply to the Advisory Committee.’’;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) in paragraph (1)—
(i) by striking ‘‘Federal Emergency
Management Agency’’ and all that follows
through ‘‘of the Agency’’ and inserting
‘‘National Institute of Standards and
Technology shall have the primary respon-
sibility for planning and coordinating the
Program. In carrying out this paragraph,
the Director of the Institute’’;
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (B) and
(C) and redesignating subparagraphs (D)
and (E) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), re-
spectively;
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph
(A) the following:
‘‘(B) support the development of perform-
ance-based seismic engineering tools, and work
with appropriate groups to promote the com-
mercial application of such tools, through earth-
quake-related building codes, standards, and
construction practices;’’;
(iv) by striking ‘‘The principal official
carrying out the responsibilities described
in this paragraph shall be at a level no
lower than that of Associate Director.’’;
and
(v) in subparagraph (D), as redesig-
nated by clause (ii), by striking ‘‘National
Science Foundation, the National Insti-
tutes of Standards and Technology’’ and
inserting ‘‘Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency, the National Science Foun-
dation’’;
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)—
(i) by striking ‘‘In addition to the
lead’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Agen-
cy’’ and inserting ‘‘The Director of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(in this Act referred to as the ‘Agency’)’’;
and
(ii) by amending clause (iii) to read as
follows:
‘‘(iii) assist the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, other Federal
agencies, and private sector groups in the
preparation and wide dissemination of
building codes and practices for structures
and lifelines, and aid in the development of
performance based codes for buildings,
structures, and lifelines that are cost effec-
tive and affordable;’’;
(C) in paragraph (3)—
(i) by inserting ‘‘and other activities’’
after ‘‘shall conduct research’’;
(ii) in subparagraphs (C) and (D), by
striking ‘‘the Agency’’ both places it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘the Director of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
and the Director of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology’’;
(iii) in subparagraph (E), by striking
‘‘establish, using existing facilities, a Cen-
ter for the International Exchange of
Earthquake Information’’ and inserting
‘‘operate, using the National Earthquake
Information Center, a forum for the inter-
national exchange of earthquake informa-
tion’’;
(iv) in subparagraph (F), by striking
‘‘Network’’ and inserting ‘‘System’’; and
(v) by inserting after subparagraph
(H) the following new subparagraphs:
‘‘(I) work with other Program agencies to
coordinate Program activities with similar
earthquake hazards reduction efforts in other
countries, to ensure that the Program benefits
from relevant information and advances in
those countries; and
‘‘(J) maintain suitable seismic hazard
maps in support of building codes for structures
and lifelines, including additional maps needed
for performance based design approaches.’’;
(D) in paragraph (4)—
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs
(D), (E), and (F) as subparagraphs (E),
(F), and (H), respectively;
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph
(C) the following:
‘‘(D) support research that improves the
safety and performance of buildings, structures,
and lifeline systems using large-scale experi-
mental and computational facilities;’’;
(iii) in subparagraph (F) (as so redes-
ignated), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting
a semicolon; and
(iv) by inserting after subparagraph
(F) (as so redesignated) the following:
‘‘(G) include to the maximum extent prac-
ticable diverse institutions, including Histori-
cally Black Colleges and Universities and those
serving large proportions of Hispanics, Native
Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, and other
underrepresented populations; and’’; and
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘The
National’’ and inserting ‘‘In addition to the
lead agency responsibilities described under
paragraph (1), the National’’; and
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ‘‘Agency’’
and inserting ‘‘Interagency Coordinating Com-
mittee’’.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Section 12 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction
Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by adding after paragraph
(7) the following new paragraph:
‘‘(8) There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Federal Emergency Management Agency for carrying out
this Act $19,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; $21,000,000
for fiscal year 2005; and $23,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
Of such amounts appropriated, not less than $3,000,000
shall be made available each such fiscal year for sup-
porting the development of performance-based, cost-effec-
tive, and affordable codes for buildings, structures, and
lifelines.’’;
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the
following: ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated
to the United States Geological Survey for carrying
out this Act $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, of
which not less than $30,000,000 shall be made
available for completion of the Advanced National
Seismic Research and Monitoring System established
under section 13; $83,500,000 for fiscal year 2005,
of which not less than $30,000,000 shall be made
available for completion of the Advanced National
Seismic Research and Monitoring System established
under section 13; $93,000,000 for fiscal year 2006,
of which not less than $36,000,000 shall be made
available for completion of the Advanced National
Seismic Research and Monitoring System established
under section 13; such sums as may be necessary for
fiscal year 2007, of which not less than $36,000,000
shall be made available for completion of the Ad-
vanced National Seismic Research and Monitoring
System established under section 13; and such sums
as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008, of which
not less than $36,000,000 shall be made available
for completion of the Advanced National Seismic Re-
search and Monitoring System established under
section 13.’’;
(3) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the
following: ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated
‘‘(5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, all
of which shall be available for operations and
maintenance; and
‘‘(6) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, all
of which shall be available for operations and
maintenance.’’.
Passed the House of Representatives October 1,
2003.
Attest:
Clerk.