National Coastal Resilience Data and Services Act
Bill: H.R.3228 | Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. (D-NY)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
This bill addresses coastal flooding, including by directing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a comprehensive suite of products and services with respect to coastal floods, coastal land loss, sea level rise, Great Lakes water level, and vertical land motion data.

To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator 
  of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to improve 
   science, data, and services that enable sound decision making in 
 response to coastal flood risk, including impacts of sea level rise, 
 storm events, changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsidence.


 


    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 
              ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall, in consultation with 
other Federal agencies, develop within the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration a comprehensive suite of coastal flood and 
coastal land loss, sea level rise, Great Lakes bathymetry water level, 
and vertical land motion data, products, and services, and conduct the 
research and development necessary to support those products and 
services that--
            (1) augment existing capacities and combine existing 
        observations, modeling, predictions, products and services into 
        a coordinated decision-support framework;
            (2) produce and maintain authoritative and timely data, 
        maps, and information services, including improving existing 
        and new information products and services targeted to end-user 
        needs, that allow coastal communities across the United States 
        to plan for present and future coastal flood and coastal land 
        loss risk; and
            (3) engage with, ensure accessibility by, and provide 
        technical assistance to, end users, with particular attention 
        to historically underserved and at risk communities and 
        populations, and also including other Federal agencies, 
        regional ocean partnerships, states, local governments, Tribal 
        governments, and Indigenous communities on the appropriate 
        application of these data and tools and to better assess 
        information gaps, needs, and solutions relating to the risk 
        posed by coastal flooding and coastal land loss, including sea 
        level rise.
    (b) Data Archiving.--The Administrator shall publish and maintain 
archives of the data and metadata generated under this Act and shall 
maximize distribution, access, and use of such data and metadata.
    (c) Use of Existing Advisory Committees.--The Administrator may 
consult with and seek input from existing agency advisory committees to 
provide recommendations on systems, products, and services relating to 
coastal flooding and coastal land loss, including sea level rise.
    (d) Technical Assistance to Other Federal Agencies.--To assist in 
carrying out this Act and to facilitate collaboration, the 
Administrator may provide technical assistance to other Federal 
agencies on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis, including by 
entering into an agreement with another Federal agency to detail, for a 
period of not more than 3 years, an employee of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration to such other Federal agency.
    (e) International Engagement.--The Administrator, in consultation 
with the Secretary of State, may work with international counterparts 
to provide and receive technical assistance, data sharing, and capacity 
building on matters pertaining to coastal flooding and coastal land 
loss, sea level rise, and inundation, including participation in 
relevant international bodies.
    (f) Report.--The Administrator shall, not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act and every 3 years thereafter, provide 
the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
with a report on actions taken to implement this Act and containing an 
evaluation of the need to expand and improve agency observations, 
modeling, predictions, products, and services to--
            (1) improve the understanding of the processes that drive 
        coastal flood and coastal land loss risk, including sea level 
        rise, storm events, changing Great Lakes water levels, and land 
        subsidence; and
            (2) track and report how observed rates of sea level rise 
        compare to the sea level rise trends and predictions published 
        within the quadrennial National Climate Assessments and related 
        reports.
    (g) Administrator.--In this section, the term ``Administrator'' 
means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this Section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, in consultation with the Administrator, shall--
            (1) facilitate interagency cooperation and alignment of 
        Federal Government activities conducted with respect to coastal 
        flooding and coastal land loss, including sea level rise, to 
        improve the ability of the United States to prepare for, avoid, 
        mitigate, respond to, and recover from potentially devastating 
        impacts; and
            (2) coordinate the activities of the interagency 
        subcommittee established under subsection (b).
    (b) Coastal Flooding, Coastal Land Loss, and Sea Level Rise 
Subcommittee.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the 
        appropriate interagency committee or task force, shall 
        establish an interagency subcommittee on coastal flooding, 
        coastal land loss, and sea level rise (referred to in this 
        section as the ``Subcommittee'').
            (2) Purposes.--The Subcommittee shall--
                    (A) examine the latest science and technologies for 
                measuring, predicting, and delivering information 
                related to coastal flood and coastal land loss risk, 
                including sea level rise;
                    (B) coordinate executive branch actions and 
                activities that improve measurements, predictions, and 
                service delivery of information related to coastal 
                flood and coastal land loss risk, including sea level 
                rise;
                    (C) identify gaps in observations, data, 
                information, and modeling relating to coastal flood and 
                coastal land loss risk and ensure that agency 
                activities relating to coastal flood and coastal land 
                loss risk are complementary;
                    (D) consult and coordinate with other interagency 
                climate and ocean policy efforts and bodies as 
                appropriate;
                    (E) coordinate the scientific efforts of Federal 
                agencies and the provision of data and technical 
                assistance from such agencies on matters relating to 
                coastal flooding and coastal land loss; and
                    (F) define and prioritize needs from other Federal 
                agencies that could be addressed by enhancements to 
                Federal data and services, including National Oceanic 
                and Atmospheric Administration products and services.
            (3) Leadership.--The Subcommittee shall be co-chaired by 
        the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and 
        the Administrator.
            (4) Membership.--The Subcommittee shall be composed of 
        representatives of each of the following agencies:
                    (A) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration.
                    (B) The National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration.
                    (C) The United States Geological Survey.
                    (D) The United States Army Corps of Engineers.
                    (E) The Federal Emergency Management 
                Administration.
                    (F) The Environmental Protection Agency.
                    (G) The Department of Defense.
                    (H) The Department of Energy.
                    (I) The National Science Foundation.
                    (J) Such other White House offices and Federal 
                agencies the Director of the Office of Science and 
                Technology Policy determines appropriate.
            (5) Agreements.--
                    (A) In general.--To carry out activities under this 
                Act, the heads of agencies represented on the committee 
                may enter into agreements with each other, and 
                transfer, receive, and expend funds made available by a 
                Federal or State agency or any person.
                    (B) National aeronautics and space administration 
                and national oceanic and atmospheric administration.--
                The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration and the Administrator shall enter into 
                an interagency agreement providing for cooperation and 
                collaboration in the development of sea level rise and 
                coastal flood and coastal land loss related 
                instruments, technologies, data sets, and products in 
                accordance with this Act.
                    (C) United states geological survey and national 
                oceanic and atmospheric administration.--The Director 
                of the United States Geological Survey and the 
                Administrator shall enter into an interagency agreement 
                providing for cooperation and collaboration in the 
                development, quality control, processing, and delivery 
                of coastal hazards and sea level rise related data, 
                modeling, mapping, and services in accordance with this 
                Act.
            (6) International, academic community, and commercial 
        sector collaboration.--The heads of each Federal agency 
        participating in the Subcommittee established under paragraph 
        (1) shall, to the extent practicable, engage and cooperate with 
        the international community, academic community, and commercial 
        sector on the observational infrastructure, data, scientific 
        research, and service delivery and technical assistance 
        necessary to advance the monitoring, forecasting, and 
        prediction of, preparation for, and protection from coastal 
        flooding and coastal land loss, sea level rise, changing Great 
        Lakes water levels, and land subsidence.
    (c) Administrator.--In this section, the term ``Administrator'' 
means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 413

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3228

                      [Report No. 117-572, Part I]

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