†
213
HR 5946 EAS
(1) identifies the tsunami detection equipment
deployed pursuant to this title, as of December 31 of
the preceding calendar year;
(2) certifies which equipment is operational as of
December 31 of the preceding calendar year;
(3) in the case of any piece of such equipment
that is not operational as of such date, identifies that
equipment and describes the mitigation strategy that
is in place—
(A) to repair or replace that piece of equip-
ment within a reasonable period of time; or
(B) to otherwise ensure adequate tsunami
detection coverage;
(4) identifies any equipment that is being devel-
oped or constructed to carry out this title but which
has not yet been deployed, if the Administration has
entered into a contract for that equipment prior to
December 31 of the preceding calendar year, and pro-
vides a schedule for the deployment of that equipment;
and
(5) certifies that the Administrator expects the
equipment described in paragraph (4) to meet the re-
quirements, cost, and schedule provided in that con-
tract.
†
214
HR 5946 EAS
(h) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATIONS.—The Adminis-
trator shall notify the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Science of the House of Representatives within 30 days of—
(1) impaired regional forecasting capabilities
due to equipment or system failures; and
(2) significant contractor failures or delays in
completing work associated with the tsunami fore-
casting and warning system.
(i) REPORT.—Not later than January 31, 2010, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall transmit a
report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate and the Committee on Science of
the House of Representatives that—
(1) evaluates the current status of the tsunami
detection, forecasting, and warning system and the
tsunami hazard mitigation program established
under this title, including progress toward tsunami
inundation mapping of all coastal areas vulnerable to
tsunami and whether there has been any degradation
of services as a result of the expansion of the program;
(2) evaluates the National Weather Service’s
ability to achieve continued improvements in the de-
livery of tsunami detection, forecasting, and warning
services by assessing policies and plans for the evo-
†
215
HR 5946 EAS
lution of modernization systems, models, and com-
putational abilities (including the adoption of new
technologies); and
(3) lists the contributions of funding or other re-
sources to the program by other Federal agencies, par-
ticularly agencies participating in the program.
(j) EXTERNAL REVIEW.—The Administrator shall
enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of
Sciences to review the tsunami detection, forecast, and
warning program established under this title to assess fur-
ther modernization and coverage needs, as well as long-term
operational reliability issues, taking into account measures
implemented under this title. The review shall also include
an assessment of how well the forecast equipment has been
integrated into other United States and global ocean and
coastal observation systems and the global earth observing
system of systems. Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit a
report containing the National Academy of Sciences’ rec-
ommendations, the Administrator’s responses to the rec-
ommendations, including those where the Administrator
disagrees with the Academy, a timetable to implement the
accepted recommendations, and the cost of implementing all
the Academy’s recommendations, to the Committee on Com-
†
216
HR 5946 EAS
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives.
(k) REPORT.—Not later than 3 months after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish
a process for monitoring and certifying contractor perform-
ance in carrying out the requirements of any contract to
construct or deploy tsunami detection equipment, including
procedures and penalties to be imposed in cases of signifi-
cant contractor failure or negligence.
SEC. 805. NATIONAL TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION PRO-
GRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, through the
National Weather Service and in consultation with other
relevant Administration offices, shall conduct a commu-
nity-based tsunami hazard mitigation program to improve
tsunami preparedness of at-risk areas in the United States
and its territories.
(b) COORDINATING COMMITTEE.—In conducting the
program under this section, the Administrator shall estab-
lish a coordinating committee comprising representatives of
Federal, State, local, and tribal government officials. The
Administrator may establish subcommittees to address re-
gion-specific issues. The committee shall—
†
217
HR 5946 EAS
(1) recommend how funds appropriated for car-
rying out the program under this section will be allo-
cated;
(2) ensure that areas described in section 804(c)
in the United States and its territories can have the
opportunity to participate in the program;
(3) provide recommendations to the National
Weather 
Service 
on 
how 
to 
improve 
the
TsunamiReady program, particularly on ways to
make communities more tsunami resilient through the
use of inundation maps and other mitigation prac-
tices; and
(4) ensure that all components of the program
are integrated with ongoing hazard warning and risk
management activities, emergency response plans,
and mitigation programs in affected areas, including
integrating information to assist in tsunami evacu-
ation route planning.
(c) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The program under this
section shall—
(1) use inundation models that meet a standard
of accuracy defined by the Administration to improve
the quality and extent of inundation mapping, in-
cluding assessment of vulnerable inner coastal and
nearshore areas, in a coordinated and standardized
†
218
HR 5946 EAS
fashion to maximize resources and the utility of data
collected;
(2) promote and improve community outreach
and education networks and programs to ensure com-
munity readiness, including the development of com-
prehensive coastal risk and vulnerability assessment
training and decision support tools, implementation
of technical training and public education programs,
and providing for certification of prepared commu-
nities;
(3) integrate tsunami preparedness and mitiga-
tion programs into ongoing hazard warning and risk
management activities, emergency response plans,
and mitigation programs in affected areas, including
integrating information to assist in tsunami evacu-
ation route planning;
(4) promote the adoption of tsunami warning
and mitigation measures by Federal, State, tribal,
and local governments and nongovernmental entities,
including educational programs to discourage devel-
opment in high-risk areas; and
(5) provide for periodic external review of the
program.
†
219
HR 5946 EAS
(d) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Nothing in this section shall
be construed to require a change in the chair of any existing
tsunami hazard mitigation program subcommittee.
SEC. 806. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM.
The Administrator shall, in consultation with other
agencies and academic institutions, and with the coordi-
nating committee established under section 805(b), establish
or maintain a tsunami research program to develop detec-
tion, forecast, communication, and mitigation science and
technology, including advanced sensing techniques, infor-
mation and communication technology, data collection,
analysis, and assessment for tsunami tracking and numer-
ical forecast modeling. Such research program shall—
(1) consider other appropriate research to miti-
gate the impact of tsunami;
(2) coordinate with the National Weather Service
on technology to be transferred to operations;
(3) include social science research to develop and
assess community warning, education, and evacu-
ation materials; and
(4) ensure that research and findings are avail-
able to the scientific community.
†
220
HR 5946 EAS
SEC. 807. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION
NETWORK.
(a) INTERNATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM.—
The Administrator, through the National Weather Service
and in consultation with other relevant Administration of-
fices, in coordination with other members of the United
States Interagency Committee of the National Tsunami
Hazard Mitigation Program, shall provide technical assist-
ance and training to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission, the World Meteorological Organization, and
other international entities, as part of international efforts
to develop a fully functional global tsunami forecast and
warning system comprising regional tsunami warning net-
works, modeled on the International Tsunami Warning
System of the Pacific.
(b) INTERNATIONAL
TSUNAMI
INFORMATION
CEN-
TER.—The Administrator, through the National Weather
Service and in consultation with other relevant Adminis-
tration offices, in cooperation with the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission, shall operate an International
Tsunami Information Center to improve tsunami prepared-
ness for all Pacific Ocean nations participating in the
International Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific, and
may also provide such assistance to other nations partici-
pating in a global tsunami warning system established
through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.
†
221
HR 5946 EAS
As part of its responsibilities around the world, the Center
shall—
(1) monitor international tsunami warning ac-
tivities around the world;
(2) assist member states in establishing national
warning systems, and make information available on
current technologies for tsunami warning systems;
(3) maintain a library of materials to promul-
gate knowledge about tsunami in general and for use
by the scientific community; and
(4) disseminate information, including edu-
cational materials and research reports.
(c) DETECTION EQUIPMENT; TECHNICAL ADVICE AND
TRAINING.—In carrying out this section, the National
Weather Service—
(1) shall give priority to assisting nations in
identifying vulnerable coastal areas, creating inunda-
tion maps, obtaining or designing real-time detection
and reporting equipment, and establishing commu-
nication and warning networks and contact points in
each vulnerable nation;
(2) may establish a process for transfer of detec-
tion and communication technology to affected na-
tions for the purposes of establishing the international
tsunami warning system; and
†
222
HR 5946 EAS
(3) shall provide technical and other assistance
to support international tsunami programs.
(d) DATA-SHARING
REQUIREMENT.—The National
Weather Service, when deciding to provide assistance under
this section, may take into consideration the data sharing
policies and practices of nations proposed to receive such
assistance, with a goal to encourage all nations to support
full and open exchange of data.
SEC. 808. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Admin-
istrator to carry out this title—
(1) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which—
(A) not less than 27 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 805; and
(B) not less than 8 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 806;
(2) $26,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, of which—
(A) not less than 27 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 805; and
(B) not less than 8 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 806;
†
223
HR 5946 EAS
(3) $27,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, of which—
(A) not less than 27 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 805; and
(B) not less than 8 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 806;
(4) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, of which—
(A) not less than 27 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 805; and
(B) not less than 8 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 806; and
(5) $29,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, of which—
(A) not less than 27 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami hazard
mitigation program under section 805; and
(B) not less than 8 percent of the amount
appropriated shall be for the tsunami research
program under section 806.
TITLE IX—POLAR BEARS
SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘United States-Russia
Polar Bear Conservation and Management Act of 2006’’.