I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8574 
To establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic risk, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2022 
Mr. MCCAUL (for himself and Ms. TITUS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic 
risk, 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 ‘‘Global Catastrophic 
Risk Management Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BASIC NEED.—The term ‘‘basic need’’— 
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(A) means any good, service, or activity 
necessary to protect the health, safety, and gen-
eral welfare of the civilian population of the 
United States; and 
(B) includes— 
(i) food; 
(ii) water; 
(iii) shelter; 
(iv) basic communication services; and 
(v) public safety. 
(2) CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT.—The term ‘‘cat-
astrophic incident’’ means an incident, whether 
caused by human or natural events, in which mul-
tiple levels of United States critical infrastructure 
are destroyed, damaged or interrupted in sufficient 
magnitude to threaten the health, safety, or general 
welfare of the civilian population of the United 
States. 
(3) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘committee’’ 
means the interagency committee on global cata-
strophic risk established under section 3. 
(4) CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 
‘‘critical infrastructure’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 1016(e) of the Critical Infrastruc-
ture Protection Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)). 
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(5) EXISTENTIAL RISK.—The term ‘‘existential 
risk’’ means the risk of human extinction. 
(6) GLOBAL
CATASTROPHIC
RISK.—The term 
‘‘global catastrophic risk’’ means the risk of events 
or incidents consequential enough to significantly 
harm, set back, or destroy human civilization at the 
global scale. 
(7) GLOBAL CATASTROPHIC AND EXISTENTIAL 
THREATS.—The term ‘‘global catastrophic and exis-
tential threats’’ means those threats that with vary-
ing likelihood can produce consequences severe 
enough to result in significant harm or destruction 
of human civilization at the global scale, or lead to 
human extinction. Examples of global catastrophic 
and 
existential 
threats 
include 
severe 
global 
pandemics, nuclear war, asteroid and comet impacts, 
supervolcanoes, sudden and severe changes to the 
climate, and intentional or accidental threats arising 
from the use and development of emerging tech-
nologies. 
(8) NATIONAL EXERCISE.—The term ‘‘national 
exercise’’ means a national exercise described in sec-
tion 648(b) of the Post-Katrina Emergency Manage-
ment Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 748(b)). 
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(9) TRIBAL GOVERNMENT.—The term ‘‘Tribal 
government’’ means the recognized governing body 
of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, 
pueblo, village, community, component band, or com-
ponent reservation, that is individually identified (in-
cluding parenthetically) in the most recent list pub-
lished pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Rec-
ognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 
5131). 
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON GLOBAL CATA-
STROPHIC RISK. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall es-
tablish an interagency committee on global catastrophic 
risk. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The committee shall include sen-
ior representatives of— 
(1) the Assistant to the President for National 
Security Affairs; 
(2) the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy; 
(3) the Director of National Intelligence and 
the Director of the National Intelligence Council; 
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(4) the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency; 
(5) the Secretary of State and the Under Sec-
retary of State for Arms Control and International 
Security; 
(6) the Attorney General and the Director of 
the Federal Bureau of Investigation; 
(7) the Secretary of Energy, the Under Sec-
retary of Energy for Nuclear Security, and the Di-
rector of Science; 
(8) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices and the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness 
and Response; 
(9) the Secretary of Commerce, the Under Sec-
retary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, 
and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Stand-
ards and Technology; 
(10) the Secretary of the Interior and the Di-
rector of the United States Geological Survey; 
(11) the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency; 
(12) the Administrator of the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration; 
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(13) the Director of the National Science Foun-
dation; 
(14) the Secretary of the Treasury; 
(15) the Chair of the Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System; 
(16) the Secretary of Defense; and 
(17) other stakeholders the President deter-
mines appropriate. 
(c) CHAIRMANSHIP.—The committee shall be co- 
chaired by a senior representative of the President and 
the Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency for Resilience. 
SEC. 4. REPORT REQUIRED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the President, with support 
from the committee, shall conduct and submit to Congress 
a detailed assessment of global catastrophic and existen-
tial risk. 
(b) MATTERS COVERED.—The report required under 
subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) expert estimates of cumulative global cata-
strophic and existential risk in the next 30 years, in-
cluding separate estimates for the likelihood of oc-
currence and potential consequences; 
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(2) expert-informed analyses of the risk of the 
most concerning specific global catastrophic and ex-
istential threats, including separate estimates, where 
reasonably feasible and credible, of each threat for 
its likelihood of occurrence and its potential con-
sequences, as well as associated uncertainties; 
(3) a comprehensive list of potential cata-
strophic or existential threats, including even those 
that may have very low likelihood; 
(4) technical assessments and lay explanations 
of the analyzed global catastrophic and existential 
risks, including their qualitative character and key 
factors affecting their likelihood of occurrence and 
potential consequences; 
(5) an explanation of any factors that limit the 
ability of the President to assess the risk both cumu-
latively and for particular threats, and how those 
limitations may be overcome through future research 
or with additional resources, programs, or authori-
ties; 
(6) a review of the effectiveness of intelligence 
collection, early warning and detection systems, or 
other functions and programs necessary to evaluate 
the risk of particular global catastrophic and exis-
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tential threats, if any exist and as applicable for par-
ticular threats; 
(7) a forecast of if and why global catastrophic 
and existential risk is likely to increase or decrease 
significantly in the next 30 years, both qualitatively 
and quantitatively, as well as a description of associ-
ated uncertainties; 
(8) proposals for how the Federal Government 
may more adequately assess global catastrophic and 
existential risk on an ongoing basis in future years; 
(9) recommendations for legislative actions, as 
appropriate, to support the evaluation and assess-
ment of global catastrophic and existential risk; and 
(10) other matters deemed appropriate by the 
President. 
(c) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In producing 
the report required under subsection (a), the President 
shall regularly consult with experts on global catastrophic 
and existential risks, including from non-governmental, 
academic, and private sector institutions. 
(d) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 
a classified annex. 
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(4) recommendations for legislative actions nec-
essary to improve continuity of government and con-
tinuity of operations plans and programs; and 
(5) other matters deemed appropriate by the 
co-chairs. 
(c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 
a classified annex. 
SEC. 6. STRATEGY TO ENSURE THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND 
GENERAL WELFARE OF THE CIVILIAN POPU-
LATION OF THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the President, with support 
from the committee, shall develop and submit to the ap-
propriate committees of Congress a strategy to— 
(1) provide for the basic needs of the civilian 
population of the United States that is impacted by 
catastrophic incidents in the United States; 
(2) coordinate response efforts with State and 
local governments, the private sector, and nonprofit 
relief organizations; 
(3) promote personal and local readiness and 
non-reliance on government relief during periods of 
heightened tension or after catastrophic incidents; 
and 
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(4) develop international partnerships with al-
lied nations for the provision of relief services and 
goods. 
(b) ELEMENTS OF THE STRATEGY.—The strategy 
developed under subsection (a) shall include a description 
of— 
(1) actions the President will take to ensure the 
basic needs of the civilian population of the United 
States in a catastrophic incident are met; 
(2) how the President will coordinate with non- 
Federal entities to multiply resources and enhance 
relief capabilities, including— 
(A) State and local governments; 
(B) Tribal governments; 
(C) State disaster relief agencies; 
(D) State and local disaster relief man-
agers; 
(E) State National Guards; 
(F) law enforcement and first response en-
tities; and 
(G) nonprofit relief services; 
(3) actions the President will take to enhance 
individual resiliency to the effects of a catastrophic 
incident, which actions shall include— 
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(A) readiness alerts to the public during 
periods of elevated threat; 
(B) efforts to enhance domestic supply and 
availability of critical goods and basic neces-
sities; and 
(C) information campaigns to ensure the 
public is aware of response plans and services 
that will be activated when necessary; 
(4) efforts the President will undertake and 
agreements the President will seek with inter-
national allies to enhance the readiness of the 
United States to provide for the general welfare; 
(5) how the strategic plan will be implemented 
should multiple levels of critical infrastructure be de-
stroyed or taken offline entirely for an extended pe-
riod of time; 
(6) how the strategic plan will be made oper-
ational within the larger response strategy of the 
United States; and 
(7) the authorities the President would impli-
cate in responding to a catastrophic incident. 
(c) ASSUMPTIONS.—In designing the strategy under 
subsection (a), the President shall account for certain fac-
tors to make the strategy operationally viable, including 
the assumption that— 
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(1) multiple levels of critical infrastructure have 
been taken offline or destroyed by catastrophic inci-
dents or the effects of catastrophic incidents; 
(2) impacted sectors include— 
(A) the transportation sector; 
(B) the communication sector; 
(C) the energy sector; 
(D) the healthcare and public health sec-
tor; 
(E) the water and wastewater sector; and 
(F) the financial sector; 
(3) State and local governments have been 
equally affected or made largely inoperable by cata-
strophic incidents or the effects of catastrophic inci-
dents; 
(4) the emergency has exceeded the response 
capabilities of State and local governments under 
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emer-
gency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and 
other relevant disaster response laws; and 
(5) the United States military is sufficiently en-
gaged in armed or cyber conflict with State or non- 
State adversaries, or is otherwise unable to augment 
domestic response capabilities in a significant man-
ner due to a catastrophic incident. 
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(d) EXISTING PLANS.—The President may incor-
porate existing contingency plans in the strategy developed 
under subsection (a) so long as those contingency plans 
are amended to be operational in accordance with the re-
quirements under this section. 
(e) AVAILABILITY.—The strategy developed under 
subsection (a) shall be available to the public but may in-
clude a classified, or other restricted, annex to be made 
available to the appropriate committees of Congress and 
appropriate government entities. 
SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
Not later than 90 days after the issuance of the strat-
egy required under section 6, the President shall issue a 
plan to implement and operationalize the strategy, which 
shall include— 
(1) steps the President will take to prepare im-
plicated entities for mobilization under the strategy; 
and 
(2) specific actions the President will take to— 
(A) ensure the continued readiness of the 
United States to implement the strategy; 
(B) educate the public on the strategy and 
the role individual citizens should play to ensure 
the objectives of the strategy are met; 
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(C) ensure the objectives of the strategy 
are met; and 
(D) ensure foreign adversaries are not able 
to undermine the operationalization of the 
strategy. 
SEC. 8. NATIONAL RESPONSE EXERCISE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
issuance of the implementation plan required under sec-
tion 7, the Department of Homeland Security shall lead 
a national exercise, in coordination with the committee, 
to test and enhance the operationalization of the imple-
mentation plan. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—A national exercise conducted 
under this section shall include participation from most 
or all entities implicated by the strategy required under 
section 4, including: 
(1) State, local, and Tribal governments. 
(2) Information sharing and analysis centers. 
(3) Owners and operators of critical infrastruc-
ture. 
SEC. 9. RECOMMENDATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall provide rec-
ommendations to Congress for— 
(1) actions that should be taken to prepare the 
United States to implement the strategy required 
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