Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-646
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA]
Introduced: 2011-03-17 in the Senate
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advisory bodies
Building construction
Department of Commerce
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Fires
Floods and storm protection
Government information and archives
Housing industry and standards
National Science Foundation
Natural disasters
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Technology transfer and commercialization

Summary:
action_date: 2011-03-17
text: 
Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011 - National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to revise and reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through FY2015. Repeals provisions establishing the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction and an associated advisory committee. Revises responsibilities of Program agencies, including by making: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responsible for research and development to improve building standards and practices; (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), consistent with its all hazards approach, responsible for facilitating the adoption of model building codes; (3) the United States Geological Survey (USGS) responsible for providing real-time earthquake information; and (4) the National Science Foundation (NSF) responsible for funding basic research. Makes NIST (currently, USGS) responsible for organizing investigations under the post-earthquake investigations program.
 
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 to revise and reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through FY2015. Repeals provisions requiring the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an Interagency Working Group responsible for the planning, management, and coordination of the Program. Designates NIST as the lead agency and sets forth revised responsibilities of NIST and the other Program agencies: FEMA, NSF, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
 
Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Natural Hazards Risk Reduction, chaired by the Director of NIST, to oversee the planning and coordination of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and other federal research for natural hazard mitigation that the Committee considers appropriate. Requires: (1) the Committee to develop strategic plans and coordinated budgets for such Programs; and (2) the Director to establish an Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, an Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction, and other advisory committees to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, as necessary.
 
Amends: (1) the National Construction Safety Team Act to authorize safety teams to be established for deployment after events causing the failure of infrastructure, as well as buildings, leading to a substantial loss of life; and (2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to include among the types of fires subject to the Fire Research Center's research program fires at the wildland-urban interface. 

action_date: 2012-02-27
text: 
Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2011 - 
Title I: Earthquakes
 - National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to revise and reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through FY2015. 
 
(Sec. 103) Repeals provisions establishing the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction and an associated advisory committee. 
 
(Sec. 104) Revises responsibilities of Program agencies, including by making: (1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responsible for research and development to improve building standards and practices; (2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), consistent with its all hazards approach, responsible for facilitating the adoption of model building codes; (3) the United States Geological Survey (USGS) responsible for providing real-time earthquake information; and (4) the National Science Foundation (NSF) responsible for funding basic research. 
 
(Sec. 105) Makes NIST (currently, USGS) responsible for organizing investigations under the post-earthquake investigations program.
 

Title II: Wind - 
National Windstorm Impact Reduction Reauthorization Act of 2011 - Amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 to revise and reauthorize the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program through FY2015. 
 
(Sec. 203) Repeals provisions requiring the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish an Interagency Working Group responsible for the planning, management, and coordination of the Program. 
 
(Sec. 204) Designates NIST as the lead agency and sets forth revised responsibilities of NIST and the other Program agencies: FEMA, NSF, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
 

Title III: Interagency Coordinating Committee on Natural Hazards Risk Reduction
 - (Sec. 301) Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Natural Hazards Risk Reduction, chaired by the Director of NIST, to oversee the planning and coordination of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, and other federal research for natural hazard mitigation that the Committee considers appropriate. Requires: (1) the Committee to develop strategic plans and coordinated budgets for such Programs; and (2) the Director to establish an Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction and such other advisory committees as necessary to advise NIST on research, development, and technology transfer activities to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.
 

Title IV: National Construction Safety Team Act Amendments - 
(Sec. 401) Amends the National Construction Safety Team Act to authorize safety teams to be established for deployment after events causing the failure of infrastructure, as well as buildings, leading to a substantial loss of life. 
 

Title V: Fire Research Program - 
(Sec. 501)Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to include among the types of fires subject to the Fire Research Center's research program fires at the wildland-urban interface. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-02-27
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 329.
action_date: 2012-02-27
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-150.
action_date: 2012-02-27
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-150.
action_date: 2011-05-05
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2011-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2011-03-17
text: Introduced in Senate