Union Calendar No. 135
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2249
[Report No. 105–238, Part I]
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for carrying out the
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 for
fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and for other pur-
poses.
AUGUST 1, 1997
Reported from the Committee on Science
AUGUST 1, 1997
Referral to the Committee on Resources extended for a
period ending not later than August 1, 1997
AUGUST 1, 1997
Committee on Resources discharged; committed to the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the
Union and ordered to be printed
IB
Union Calendar No. 135
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2249
[Report No. 105–238, Part I]
To authorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Act of 1977 for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 24, 1997
Mr. SENSENBRENNER (for himself and Mr. BROWN of California) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, and
in addition to the Committee on Resources, 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
AUGUST 1, 1997
Reported from the Committee on Science
AUGUST 1, 1997
Referral to the Committeeon Resources extended for a period ending not later
than August 1, 1997
AUGUST 1, 1997
Committee on Resources discharged; committed to the Committee of the
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
A BILL
To authorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake
Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 for fiscal years 1998
and 1999, 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. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 12 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act
of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a)(7)—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘1995,’’; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the
end the following: ‘‘, $20,900,000 for the fiscal
year 
ending 
September 
30, 
1998, 
and
$21,500,000 for the fiscal year ending Septem-
ber 30, 1999’’;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘September
30, 1995;’’;
(B) by inserting before the period at the
end the following: ‘‘; $52,565,660 for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 1998, of which
$3,800,000 shall be used for the Global Seismic
Network 
operated 
by 
the 
Agency; 
and
$54,052,630 for the fiscal year ending Septem-
ber 30, 1999, of which $3,800,000 shall be
used for the Global Seismic Network operated
by the Agency’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
(4) in the last sentence of subsection (d)—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘September
30, 1995,’’; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the
end the following: ‘‘, $2,000,000 for the fiscal
year 
ending 
September 
30, 
1998, 
and
$2,060,000 for the fiscal year ending Septem-
ber 30, 1999’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF REAL-TIME SEISMIC HAZARD
WARNING 
SYSTEM 
DEVELOPMENT, 
AND
OTHER ACTIVITIES.
(a) AUTOMATIC SEISMIC WARNING SYSTEM DEVEL-
OPMENT.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(A) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’
means the Director of the United States Geo-
logical Survey.
(B) 
HIGH-RISK
ACTIVITY.—The 
term
‘‘high-risk activity’’ means an activity that may
be adversely affected by a moderate to severe
seismic event (as determined by the Director).
The 
term 
includes 
high-speed 
rail
transportation.
(C) REAL-TIME
SEISMIC
WARNING
SYS-
TEM.—The term ‘‘real-time seismic warning
system’’ means a system that issues warnings
in real-time from a network of seismic sensors
to a set of analysis processors, directly to re-
ceivers related to high-risk activities.
(2) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall conduct a
program to develop a prototype real-time seismic
warning system. The Director may enter into such
agreements or contracts as may be necessary to
carry out the program.
(3) UPGRADE OF SEISMIC SENSORS.—In carry-
ing out a program under paragraph (2), in order to
increase the accuracy and speed of seismic event
analysis to provide for timely warning signals, the
Director shall provide for the upgrading of the net-
work of seismic sensors participating in the proto-
type to increase the capability of the sensors—
(A) to measure accurately large magnitude
seismic events (as determined by the Director);
and
(B) to acquire additional parametric data.
(4) DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
COMPUTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.—In carrying out a
program under paragraph (2), the Director shall de-
velop a communications and computation infrastruc-
ture that is necessary—
(A) to process the data obtained from the
upgraded seismic sensor network referred to in
paragraph (3); and
(B) to provide for, and carry out, such
communications engineering and development
as is necessary to facilitate—
(i) the timely flow of data within a
real-time seismic hazard warning system;
and
(ii) the issuance of warnings to receiv-
ers related to high-risk activities.
(5) PROCUREMENT OF COMPUTER HARDWARE
AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE.—In carrying out a pro-
gram under paragraph (2), the Director shall pro-
cure such computer hardware and computer soft-
ware as may be necessary to carry out the program.
(6) REPORTS ON PROGRESS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 120
days after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director shall prepare and submit to Con-
gress a report that contains a plan for imple-
menting a real-time seismic hazard warning
system.
(B) ADDITIONAL
REPORTS.—Not later
than 1 year after the date on which the Direc-
tor submits the report under subparagraph (A),
and annually thereafter, the Director shall pre-
pare and submit to Congress a report that sum-
marizes the progress of the Director in imple-
menting the plan referred to in subparagraph
(A).
(7) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In
addition to the amounts made available to the Direc-
tor under section 12(b) of the Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706(b)), there
are authorized to be appropriated to the Department
of the Interior, to be used by the Director to carry
out paragraph (2), $3,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 1998 and 1999.
(b) SEISMIC
MONITORING
NETWORKS
ASSESS-
MENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall provide
for an assessment of regional seismic monitoring
networks in the United States. The assessment shall
address—
(A) the need to update the infrastructure
used for collecting seismological data for re-
search and monitoring of seismic events in the
United States;
(B) the need for expanding the capability
to record strong ground motions, especially for
urban area engineering purposes;
(C) the need to measure accurately large
magnitude seismic events (as determined by the
Director);
(D) the need to acquire additional para-
metric data; and
(E) projected costs for meeting the needs
described in subparagraphs (A) through (D).
(2) RESULTS.—The Director shall transmit the
results of the assessment conducted under this sub-
section to Congress not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act.
(c) EARTH SCIENCE TEACHING MATERIALS.—
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
(A) LOCAL
EDUCATIONAL
AGENCY.—The
term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 14101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 8801).
(B) SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘school’’ means a
nonprofit institutional day or residential school
that provides education for any of the grades
kindergarten through grade 12.
(2) TEACHING MATERIALS.—In a manner con-
sistent with the requirement under section 5(b)(4) of
the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42
U.S.C. 7704(b)(4)) and subject to a merit based
competitive process, the Director of the National
Science Foundation may use funds made available to
him or her under section 12(c) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 7706(c)) to develop, and make available to
schools and local educational agencies for use by
schools, at a minimal cost, earth science teaching
materials that are designed to meet the needs of ele-
mentary and secondary school teachers and stu-
dents.
(d) IMPROVED SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
conduct a project to improve the seismic hazard as-
sessment of seismic zones.
(2) REPORTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year
after the date of enactment of this Act, and an-
nually during the period of the project, the Di-
rector shall prepare, and submit to Congress, a
report on the findings of the project.