‘‘(2) to the degree practicable, maintain not less 
than 80 percent of the Deep-ocean Assessment and Re-
porting of Tsunamis buoy array at operational ca-
pacity to optimize data reliability;’’. 
(5) by amending paragraph (5), as redesignated 
by paragraph (3), to read as follows: 
‘‘(5) provide tsunami forecasting capability 
based on models and measurements, including tsu-
nami inundation models and maps for use in increas-
ing the preparedness of communities and safe-
guarding port and harbor operations, that incor-
porate inputs, including— 
‘‘(A) the United States and global ocean 
and coastal observing system; 
‘‘(B) the global Earth observing system; 
‘‘(C) the global seismic network; 
‘‘(D) the Advanced National Seismic sys-
tem; 
‘‘(E) tsunami model validation using his-
torical and paleotsunami data; 
‘‘(F) digital elevation models and bathym-
etry; and 
‘‘(G) newly developing tsunami detection 
methodologies using satellites and airborne re-
mote sensing;’’; 
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(6) by inserting after paragraph (7), as redesig-
nated by paragraph (3), the following: 
‘‘(8) include a cooperative effort among the Ad-
ministration, the United States Geological Survey, 
and the National Science Foundation under which 
the Director of the United States Geological Survey 
and the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall— 
‘‘(A) provide rapid and reliable seismic in-
formation to the Administrator from inter-
national and domestic seismic networks; and 
‘‘(B) support seismic stations installed be-
fore the date of the enactment of the Tsunami 
Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015 
to supplement coverage in areas of sparse instru-
mentation;’’. 
(7) in paragraph (9), as redesignated by para-
graph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘, including graphical 
warning products,’’ after ‘‘warnings’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, territories,’’ after 
‘‘States’’; and 
(C) by inserting ‘‘and Wireless Emergency 
Alerts’’ after ‘‘Hazards Program’’; and 
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(8) in paragraph (10), as redesignated by para-
graph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘provide and’’ before 
‘‘allow’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘and commercial and Fed-
eral undersea communications cables’’ after ‘‘ob-
serving technologies’’. 
(c) TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM.—Subsection (c) of 
such section 4 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) TSUNAMI
WARNING
SYSTEM.—The program 
under this section shall operate a tsunami warning system 
that— 
‘‘(1) is capable of forecasting tsunami, including 
forecasting tsunami arrival time and inundation esti-
mates, anywhere in the Pacific and Arctic Ocean re-
gions and providing adequate warnings; 
‘‘(2) is capable of forecasting and providing ade-
quate warnings, including tsunami arrival time and 
inundation models where applicable, in areas of the 
Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and 
Gulf of Mexico, that are determined— 
‘‘(A) to be geologically active, or to have sig-
nificant potential for geological activity; and 
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‘‘(B) to pose significant risks of tsunami for 
States along the coastal areas of the Atlantic 
Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico; and 
‘‘(3) supports other international tsunami fore-
casting and warning efforts.’’. 
(d) TSUNAMI WARNING CENTERS.—Subsection (d) of 
such section 4 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) TSUNAMI WARNING CENTERS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
support or maintain centers to support the tsunami 
warning system required by subsection (c). The Cen-
ters shall include— 
‘‘(A) the National Tsunami Warning Cen-
ter, located in Alaska, which is primarily re-
sponsible for Alaska and the continental United 
States; 
‘‘(B) the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, 
located in Hawaii, which is primarily respon-
sible for Hawaii, the Caribbean, and other areas 
of the Pacific not covered by the National Center; 
and 
‘‘(C) any additional forecast and warning 
centers determined by the National Weather 
Service to be necessary. 
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‘‘(2) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibilities of 
the centers supported or maintained pursuant to 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) Continuously monitoring data from 
seismological, deep ocean, coastal sea level, and 
tidal monitoring stations and other data sources 
as may be developed and deployed. 
‘‘(B) Evaluating earthquakes, landslides, 
and volcanic eruptions that have the potential to 
generate tsunami. 
‘‘(C) Evaluating deep ocean buoy data and 
tidal monitoring stations for indications of tsu-
nami resulting from earthquakes and other 
sources. 
‘‘(D) To the extent practicable, utilizing a 
range of models, including ensemble models, to 
predict tsunami, including arrival times, flood-
ing estimates, coastal and harbor currents, and 
duration. 
‘‘(E) Using data from the Integrated Ocean 
Observing System of the Administration in co-
ordination with regional associations to calculate 
new inundation estimates and periodically up-
date existing inundation estimates. 
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‘‘(F) Ensuring supercomputing resources of 
the National Centers for Environmental Pre-
diction are available to run, as rapidly as pos-
sible, such computer models as are needed for 
purposes of the tsunami warning system oper-
ated pursuant to subsection (c). 
‘‘(G) Disseminating forecasts and tsunami 
warning bulletins to Federal, State, tribal, and 
local government officials and the public. 
‘‘(H) Coordinating with the tsunami hazard 
mitigation program conducted under section 5 to 
ensure ongoing sharing of information between 
forecasters and emergency management officials. 
‘‘(I) Evaluating and recommending proce-
dures for ports and harbors at risk of tsunami 
inundation, including review of readiness, re-
sponse, and communication strategies to ensure 
coordination and data sharing with the Coast 
Guard. 
‘‘(J) Making data gathered under this Act 
and post-warning analyses conducted by the Na-
tional Weather Service or other relevant Admin-
istration offices available to the public. 
‘‘(K) Integrating and modernizing the pro-
gram operated under this section with advances 
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in tsunami science to improve performance with-
out compromising service. 
‘‘(3) FAIL-SAFE WARNING CAPABILITY.—The tsu-
nami warning centers supported or maintained pur-
suant to paragraph (1) shall maintain a fail-safe 
warning capability and perform back-up duties for 
each other. 
‘‘(4) COORDINATION WITH NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE.—The Administrator shall coordinate with 
the forecast offices of the National Weather Service, 
the centers supported or maintained pursuant to 
paragraph (1), and such program offices of the Ad-
ministration as the Administrator or the coordinating 
committee consider appropriate to ensure that re-
gional and local forecast offices— 
‘‘(A) have the technical knowledge and ca-
pability to disseminate tsunami warnings for the 
communities they serve; 
‘‘(B) leverage connections with local emer-
gency management officials for optimally dis-
seminating tsunami warnings and forecasts; and 
‘‘(C) implement mass communication tools 
in effect on the day before the date of the enact-
ment of the Tsunami Warning, Education, and 
Research Act of 2015 used by the National 
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Weather Service on such date and newer mass 
communication technologies as they are devel-
oped as a part of the Weather-Ready Nation pro-
gram of the Administration, or otherwise, for the 
purpose of timely and effective delivery of tsu-
nami warnings. 
‘‘(5) UNIFORM
OPERATING
PROCEDURES.—The 
Administrator shall— 
‘‘(A) develop uniform operational proce-
dures for the centers supported or maintained 
pursuant to paragraph (1), including the use of 
software applications, checklists, decision sup-
port tools, and tsunami warning products that 
have been standardized across the program sup-
ported under this section; 
‘‘(B) ensure that processes and products of 
the warning system operated pursuant to sub-
section (c)— 
‘‘(i) reflect industry best practices 
when practicable; 
‘‘(ii) conform to the maximum extent 
practicable with internationally recognized 
standards for information technology; and 
‘‘(iii) conform to the maximum extent 
practicable with other warning products 
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and practices of the National Weather Serv-
ice; 
‘‘(C) ensure that future adjustments to oper-
ational protocols, processes, and warning prod-
ucts— 
‘‘(i) are made consistently across the 
warning system operated pursuant to sub-
section (c); and 
‘‘(ii) are applied in a uniform manner 
across such warning system; 
‘‘(D) establish a systematic method for in-
formation technology product development to im-
prove long-term technology planning efforts; and 
‘‘(E) disseminate guidelines and metrics for 
evaluating and improving tsunami forecast mod-
els. 
‘‘(6) AVAILABLE
RESOURCES.—The Adminis-
trator, through the National Weather Service, shall 
ensure that resources are available to fulfill the obli-
gations of this Act. This includes ensuring supercom-
puting resources are available to run such computer 
models as are needed for purposes of the tsunami 
warning system operated pursuant to subsection (c).’’. 
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(e) TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY; MAINTENANCE AND 
UPGRADES.—Subsection (e) of such section 4 is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY; MAINTENANCE AND 
UPGRADES.—In carrying out this section, the Adminis-
trator shall— 
‘‘(1) develop requirements for the equipment used 
to forecast tsunami, including— 
‘‘(A) provisions for multipurpose detection 
platforms; 
‘‘(B) reliability and performance metrics; 
and 
‘‘(C) to the maximum extent practicable, re-
quirements for the integration of equipment with 
other United States and global ocean and coastal 
observation systems, the global Earth observing 
system of systems, the global seismic networks, 
and the Advanced National Seismic System; 
‘‘(2) develop and execute a plan for the transfer 
of technology from ongoing research conducted as part 
of the program supported or maintained under sec-
tion 6 into the program under this section; and 
‘‘(3) ensure that the Administration’s oper-
ational tsunami detection equipment is properly 
maintained.’’. 
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(f) FEDERAL COOPERATION.—Subsection (f) of such 
section 4 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(f) FEDERAL COOPERATION.—When deploying and 
maintaining tsunami detection technologies under the pro-
gram under this section, the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) identify which assets of other Federal agen-
cies are necessary to support such program; and 
‘‘(2) work with each agency identified under 
paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) to acquire the agency’s assistance; and 
‘‘(B) to prioritize the necessary assets.’’. 
(g) UNNECESSARY PROVISIONS.—Such section 4 is fur-
ther amended— 
(1) by striking subsections (g) and (i) through 
(k); and 
(2) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection 
(g). 
(h) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATIONS.—Subsection (g) 
of such section, as redesignated by subsection (g)(2), is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and moving 
such subparagraphs 2 ems to the right; 
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(2) in the matter before subparagraph (A), as re-
designated by paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Ad-
ministrator’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator’’; 
(3) in paragraph (1), as redesignated by para-
graph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), as redesignated 
by paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), as redesignated 
by paragraph (1), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) the occurrence of a significant tsunami 
warning.’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—In a case in which notice is 
submitted under paragraph (1) within 90 days of a 
significant tsunami warning described in subpara-
graph (C) of such paragraph, such notice shall in-
clude brief information and analysis of— 
‘‘(A) the accuracy of the tsunami model 
used; 
‘‘(B) the specific deep ocean or other moni-
toring equipment that detected the incident, as 
well as the deep ocean or other monitoring equip-
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ment that did not detect the incident due to mal-
function or otherwise; 
‘‘(C) the effectiveness of the warning com-
munication procedures including the integration 
of warnings with State, territory, local, and trib-
al partners in the affected area under the juris-
diction of the National Weather Service; and 
‘‘(D) such other findings as the Adminis-
trator considers appropriate.’’. 
SEC. 5. MODIFICATION OF NATIONAL TSUNAMI HAZARD 
MITIGATION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5 (33 U.S.C. 3204) is 
amended by striking subsections (a) through (d) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Administrator shall, 
in consultation with the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency and the heads of such other 
agencies as the Administrator considers relevant, conduct 
a community-based tsunami hazard mitigation program to 
improve tsunami preparedness and resiliency of at-risk 
areas in the United States and the territories of the United 
States. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The Program con-
ducted pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(1) Technical and financial assistance to coast-
al States, territories, tribes, and local governments to 
develop and implement activities under this section. 
‘‘(2) Integration of tsunami preparedness and 
mitigation programs into ongoing State-based hazard 
warning, resilience planning, and risk management 
activities, including predisaster planning, emergency 
response, evacuation planning, disaster recovery, haz-
ard mitigation, and community development and re-
development planning programs in affected areas. 
‘‘(3) Activities to promote the adoption of tsu-
nami resilience, preparedness, warning, and mitiga-
tion measures by Federal, State, territorial, tribal, 
and local governments and nongovernmental entities, 
including educational and risk communication pro-
grams to discourage development in high-risk areas. 
‘‘(4) Activities to support the development of re-
gional tsunami hazard and risk assessments. Such re-
gional risk assessments may include the following: 
‘‘(A) The sources, sizes, and other relevant 
historical data of tsunami in the region, includ-
ing paleotsunami data. 
‘‘(B) Inundation models and maps of crit-
ical infrastructure and socioeconomic vulner-
ability in areas subject to tsunami inundation. 
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‘‘(C) Maps of evacuation areas and evacu-
ation routes, including, when appropriate, traffic 
studies that evaluate the viability of evacuation 
routes. 
‘‘(D) Evaluations of the size of populations 
that will require evacuation, including popu-
lations with special evacuation needs. 
‘‘(E) Evaluations and technical assistance 
for vertical evacuation structure planning for 
communities where models indicate limited or no 
ability for timely evacuation, especially in areas 
at risk of near shore generated tsunami. 
‘‘(F) Evaluation of at-risk ports and har-
bors. 
‘‘(G) Evaluation of the effect of tsunami 
currents on the foundations of closely-spaced, 
coastal high-rise structures. 
‘‘(5) Activities to promote preparedness in at- 
risk ports and harbors, including the following: 
‘‘(A) Evaluation and recommendation of 
procedures for ports and harbors in the event of 
a distant or near-field tsunami. 
‘‘(B) A review of readiness, response, and 
communication strategies to ensure coordination 
and data sharing with the Coast Guard. 
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‘‘(6) Activities to support the development of 
community-based outreach and education programs to 
ensure community readiness and resilience, including 
the following: 
‘‘(A) The development, implementation, and 
assessment of technical training and public edu-
cation programs, including education programs 
that address unique characteristics of distant 
and near-field tsunami. 
‘‘(B) The development of decision support 
tools. 
‘‘(C) The incorporation of social science re-
search into community readiness and resilience 
efforts. 
‘‘(D) The development of evidence-based 
education guidelines. 
‘‘(7) Dissemination of guidelines and standards 
for community planning, education, and training 
products, programs, and tools, including— 
‘‘(A) standards for— 
‘‘(i) mapping products; 
‘‘(ii) inundation models; and 
‘‘(iii) effective emergency exercises; and 
‘‘(B) recommended guidance for at-risk port 
and harbor tsunami warning, evacuation, and 
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response procedures in coordination with the 
Coast Guard. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—In addition to activi-
ties conducted under subsection (b), the program conducted 
pursuant to subsection (a) may include the following: 
‘‘(1) Multidisciplinary vulnerability assessment 
research, education, and training to help integrate 
risk management and resilience objectives with com-
munity development planning and policies. 
‘‘(2) Risk management training for local officials 
and community organizations to enhance under-
standing and preparedness. 
‘‘(3) Interagency, Federal, State, tribal, and ter-
ritorial intergovernmental tsunami response exercise 
planning and implementation in high risk areas. 
‘‘(4) Development of practical applications for 
existing or emerging technologies, such as modeling, 
remote sensing, geospatial technology, engineering, 
and observing systems, including the integration of 
tsunami sensors into Federal and commercial sub-
marine telecommunication cables if practicable. 
‘‘(5) Risk management, risk assessment, and re-
silience data and information services, including— 
‘‘(A) access to data and products derived 
from observing and detection systems; and 
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‘‘(B) development and maintenance of new 
integrated data products to support risk manage-
ment, risk assessment, and resilience programs. 
‘‘(6) Risk notification systems that coordinate 
with and build upon existing systems and actively en-
gage decisionmakers, State, local, tribal, and terri-
torial governments and agencies, business commu-
nities, 
nongovernmental 
organizations, 
and 
the 
media. 
‘‘(7) Formation of regional coastal risk manage-
ment coalitions of Federal, State, local and tribal gov-
ernments, community groups, academic institutions, 
and non-governmental groups to advance the goals of 
this section for communities facing common coastal 
hazards and risks. Such coalitions may enter into an 
agreement with an organization described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to es-
tablish a nonprofit foundation in order to accept gifts 
and donations to support of the goals of this section. 
‘‘(d) COORDINATING COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
maintain a coordinating committee to assist the Ad-
ministrator in the conduct of the program required by 
subsection (a). 
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‘‘(2) COMPOSITION.—The coordinating committee 
shall be composed of members as follows: 
‘‘(A) Representatives of States and terri-
tories most at risk from tsunami, including Alas-
ka, Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, 
Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa. 
‘‘(B) Such other members as the Adminis-
trator considers appropriate to represent Fed-
eral, State, tribal, territorial, and local govern-
ments. 
‘‘(3) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Administrator may 
approve the formation of subcommittees to address 
specific program components or regional issues. 
‘‘(4) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The coordinating com-
mittee shall— 
‘‘(A) provide feedback on how funds should 
be prioritized to carry out the program required 
by subsection (a); 
‘‘(B) ensure that areas described in section 
4(c) in the United States and its territories have 
the opportunity to participate in the program; 
‘‘(C) provide recommendations to the Ad-
ministrator on how to improve and continuously 
advance the TsunamiReady program of the Na-
tional Weather Service, particularly on ways to 
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make 
communities 
more 
tsunami 
resilient 
through the use of inundation maps and models 
and other hazard mitigation practices; 
‘‘(D) ensure that all components of the pro-
gram required by subsection (a) are integrated 
with ongoing State based hazard warning, risk 
management, and resilience activities, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) integrating activities with emer-
gency response plans, disaster recovery, haz-
ard mitigation, and community develop-
ment programs in affected areas; and 
‘‘(ii) integrating information to assist 
in tsunami evacuation route planning. 
‘‘(5) EXEMPTION FROM FACA TERMINATION RE-
QUIREMENT.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 14) shall not apply to 
the committee established and maintained pursuant 
to paragraph (1). 
‘‘(e) NO PREEMPTION WITH RESPECT TO DESIGNA-
TION OF AT-RISK AREAS.—The establishment of national 
standards for inundation models under this section shall 
not prevent States, territories, tribes, and local governments 
from designating additional areas as being at risk based 
on knowledge of local conditions. 
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‘‘(f) NO NEW REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—Nothing in 
this Act may be construed as establishing new regulatory 
authority for any Federal agency.’’. 
(b) REPORT ON ACCREDITATION OF TSUNAMIREADY 
PROGRAM.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives a report on which 
authorities and activities would be needed to have the 
TsunamiReady program of the National Weather Service 
accredited by the Emergency Management Accreditation 
Program. 
SEC. 6. MODIFICATION OF TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM. 
Section 6 (33 U.S.C. 3205) is amended— 
(1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by strik-
ing ‘‘The Administrator shall’’ and all that follows 
through ‘‘establish or maintain’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall, in con-
sultation with such other Federal agencies, State, tribal, 
and territorial governments, and academic institutions as 
the Administrator considers appropriate, the coordinating 
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committee under section 5(d), and the panel under section 
8(a), support or maintain’’; 
(2) in subsection (a), as designated by para-
graph (1), by striking ‘‘and assessment for tsunami 
tracking and numerical forecast modeling. Such re-
search program shall—’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘assessment for tsunami tracking and numerical fore-
cast modeling, and standards development. 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The research program sup-
ported or maintained pursuant to subsection (a) shall—’’; 
and 
(3) in subsection (b), as designated by paragraph 
(2)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) consider other appropriate and cost effective 
research to mitigate the impact of tsunami, including 
the improvement of near-field and distant tsunami 
detection and forecasting capabilities, which may in-
clude use of a new generation of the Deep-ocean As-
sessment and Reporting of Tsunamis array, integra-
tion of tsunami sensors into commercial and Federal 
telecommunications cables, and other real-time tsu-
nami monitoring systems and supercomputer capac-
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ity of the Administration to develop a rapid tsunami 
forecast for all United States coastlines;’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘include’’ and inserting 
‘‘conduct’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (4) as 
paragraph (5); 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) develop the technical basis for validation of 
tsunami maps, numerical tsunami models, digital ele-
vation models, and forecasts; and’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (5), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘to the scientific 
community’’ and inserting ‘‘to the public’’. 
SEC. 7. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NET-
WORK. 
Section 7 (33 U.S.C. 3206) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) SUPPORT
FOR DEVELOPMENT
OF
AN INTER-
NATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM.—The Adminis-
trator shall, in coordination with the Secretary of State and 
in consultation with such other agencies as the Adminis-
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