To authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to be carried out by the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.

April 18, 2005

Mr. BOEHLERT (for himself, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. EHLERS, and Mr. WU) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

To authorize and strengthen the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to be carried out by the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `United States Tsunami Warning and Education Act'.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are--

(1) to improve tsunami detection, forecasting, warnings, notification, preparedness, and mitigation to protect life and property both in the United States and elsewhere in the world;

(2) to enhance and modernize the existing Pacific Tsunami Warning System to increase coverage, reduce false alarms and increase the accuracy of forecasts and warnings, and to expand detection and warning systems to include other vulnerable States and United States territories, including the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico areas;

(3) to improve mapping, modeling, research, and assessment efforts to improve tsunami forecasting, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery;

(4) to improve and increase education and outreach activities and ensure that those receiving tsunami warnings and the at-risk public know what to do when a tsunami is approaching;

(5) to provide technical and other assistance to speed international efforts to establish regional tsunami warning systems in vulnerable areas worldwide, including the Indian Ocean; and

(6) to improve Federal, State, and international coordination for tsunami and other coastal hazard warnings and preparedness.

SEC. 3. TSUNAMI FORECASTING AND WARNING PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, shall operate a program to provide tsunami forecasting and warnings for the Pacific Ocean region and for the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico region.

(b) Components- The program under this section shall--

(1) include the tsunami warning centers established under subsection (d);

(2) provide tsunami forecasting capability based on models and measurements, including tsunami inundation models and maps for use in increasing the preparedness of communities, including through the TsunamiReady program;

(3) include a cooperative effort among the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Science Foundation under which the Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation shall provide rapid and reliable seismic information to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from international and domestic seismic networks;

(4) provide a capability for the dissemination of warnings to at-risk States and tsunami communities through rapid and reliable notification to government officials and the public through such means as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio and the All Hazard Alert Broadcasting Radio; and

(5) include any technology the Administrator considers appropriate to fulfill the objectives of the program under this section.

(c) System Areas- The program under this section shall operate--

(1) a Pacific tsunami warning system capable of forecasting tsunamis anywhere in the Pacific Ocean region and providing adequate warnings; and

(2) an Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico tsunami warning system capable of forecasting tsunamis and providing adequate warnings in areas of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico that the National Weather Service determines--

(A) to be geologically active, or to have significant potential for geological activity; and

(B) to pose significant risks of tsunamis for States along the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico.

(d) Tsunami Warning Centers-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Administrator, through the National Weather Service, shall maintain or establish--

(A) a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii;

(B) a West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska; and

(C) any additional forecast and warning centers determined by the National Weather Service to be necessary.

(2) RESPONSIBILITIES- The responsibilities of each tsunami warning center shall include--

(A) continuously monitoring data from seismological, deep ocean, and tidal monitoring stations;

(B) evaluating earthquakes that have the potential to generate tsunamis;

(C) evaluating deep ocean buoy data and tidal monitoring stations for indications of tsunami resulting from earthquakes and other sources;

(D) disseminating forecasts and tsunami warning bulletins to Federal, State, and local government officials and the public;

(E) coordinating with the tsunami hazard mitigation program described in section 4 to ensure ongoing sharing of information between forecasters and emergency management officials; and

(F) making data gathered under this Act and post-warning analyses conducted by the National Weather Service available to researchers.

(e) Transfer of Technology; Maintenance and Upgrades-

(1) IN GENERAL- In carrying out this section, the National Weather Service shall--

(A) develop requirements for the equipment used to forecast tsunamis, which shall include provisions for multipurpose detection platforms, reliability and performance metrics, and to the maximum extent practicable how the equipment will be integrated with other United States and global ocean and coastal observation systems, the global earth observing system of systems, global seismic networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System; and

(B) develop and execute a plan for the transfer of technology from ongoing research described in section 5 into the program under this section.

(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS- (A) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Weather Service shall transmit to Congress a report on how the tsunami forecast system under this section will be integrated with other United States and global ocean and coastal observation systems, the global earth observing system of systems, global seismic networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System.

(B) Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment to this Act, the National Weather Service shall transmit a report to Congress on how technology developed under section 5 is being transferred into the program under this section.

(f) Congressional Notifications- The Administrator shall notify the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Science within 3 months 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 forecasting and warning system.

(g) External Review- The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to review the tsunami detection, forecast, and warning program operated by the National Weather Service under this Act to assess further modernization and coverage needs, as well as long-term operational reliability issues, taking into account measures implemented under this Act. 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' recommendations, the Administrator's responses to the recommendations, 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 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Science.

SEC. 4. TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, shall conduct a community-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 establish a coordinating committee comprising representatives of Federal, State, local, and tribal government officials. The committee shall--

(1) recommend how funds appropriated for carrying out the program under this section will be allocated;

(2) ensure that areas described in section 3(c) in the United States and its territories can have the opportunity to participate in the program; and

(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 practices.

(c) Program Components- The program under this section shall--

(1) use National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration inundation models to improve the quality and extent of inundation mapping, including assessment of vulnerable inner coastal areas;

(2) promote and improve community outreach and education networks and programs to ensure community readiness, including the development of multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessment training and decision support tools, implementation of technical training and public education programs, and provide for certification of prepared communities;

(3) integrate tsunami preparedness and mitigation programs into ongoing hazard warning and risk management programs in affected areas;

(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 development in high-risk areas; and

(5) provide for periodic external review of the program.

SEC. 5. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM.

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall, in consultation with other agencies and academic institutions, establish or maintain a tsunami research program to develop detection, forecast, communication, and mitigation science and technology, including advanced sensing techniques, information and communication technology, data collection, analysis, and assessment for tsunami tracking and numerical forecast modeling. Such research program shall--

(1) consider other appropriate research to mitigate the impact of tsunamis;

(2) coordinate with the National Weather Service on technology to be transferred to operations; and

(3) ensure that research and findings are available to the scientific community.

SEC. 6. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NETWORK.

(a) International Tsunami Warning System- The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, in coordination with other members of the United States Interagency Committee of the National Tsunami Mitigation Program, shall provide technical assistance 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 networks, modeled on the International Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific.

(b) International Tsunami Information Center- The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the National Weather Service, shall operate an International Tsunami Information Center to improve tsunami preparedness for all Pacific Ocean nations participating in the International Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific, and which may also provide such assistance to other nations participating in a global tsunami warning system established through the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. As part of its responsibilities around the world, the Center shall--

(1) monitor international tsunami warning activities 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 promulgate knowledge about tsunamis in general and for use by the scientific community; and

(4) disseminate information, including educational 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 inundation maps, obtaining or designing real-time detection and reporting equipment, and establishing communication and warning networks and contact points in each vulnerable nation; and

(2) may establish a process for transfer of detection and communication technology to affected nations for the purposes of establishing the international tsunami warning system.

(d) Data-Sharing Requirement- The National Weather Service may not provide assistance under this section for any nation unless that nation agrees to share relevant data or products associated with the development and operation of the tsunami warning network in that region.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2008 to carry out this Act. Of the amounts appropriated for any fiscal year authorized under this Act--

(1) 70 percent shall be for the tsunami forecast and warning systems under section 3 and international activities under section 6;

(2) 20 percent shall be for the tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 4; and

(3) 10 percent shall be for the tsunami research program under section 5.

END