[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[S. 910 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
S.910
One Hundred Fifth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven
An Act
To authorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Act of 1977 for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

ed99541f6d8da506a16d6d78b5d922f783724049a9f9cd09321efd41da93cd33

Section 12 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42
U.S.C. 7706) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(7)--
(A) by striking ``and'' after ``1995,''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``, $20,900,000 for the fiscal year ending September
30, 1998, and $21,500,000 for the fiscal year ending September
30, 1999'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``and'' after ``September 30, 1995;'';
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``; $52,565,000 for the fiscal year ending September
30, 1998, of which $3,800,000 shall be used for the Global
Seismic Network operated by the Agency; and $54,052,000 for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1999, of which $3,800,000
shall be used for the Global Seismic Network operated by the
Agency''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following: ``Of the amounts
authorized to be appropriated under this subsection, at least--
``(1) $8,000,000 of the amount authorized to be appropriated
for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1998; and
``(2) $8,250,000 of the amount authorized for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 1999,
shall be used for carrying out a competitive, peer-reviewed program
under which the Director, in close coordination with and as a
complement to related activities of the United States Geological
Survey, awards grants to, or enters into cooperative agreements with,
State and local governments and persons or entities from the academic
community and the private sector.'';
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) by striking ``and'' after ``September 30, 1995,''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``, (3) $18,450,000 for engineering research and
$11,920,000 for geosciences research for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1998, and (4) $19,000,000 for engineering
research and $12,280,000 for geosciences research for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1999''; and
(4) in the last sentence of subsection (d)--
(A) by striking ``and'' after ``September 30, 1995,''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``, $2,000,000 for the fiscal year ending September
30, 1998, and $2,060,000 for the fiscal year ending September
30, 1999''.

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DEVELOPMENT, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
(a) Automatic Seismic Warning System Development.--
(1) Definitions.--In this section:
(A) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the United States Geological Survey.
(B) High-risk activity.--The term ``high-risk activity''
means an activity that may be adversely affected by a moderate
to severe seismic event (as determined by the Director). The
term includes high-speed rail transportation.
(C) Real-time seismic warning system.--The term ``real-time
seismic warning system'' means a system that issues warnings in
real-time from a network of seismic sensors to a set of
analysis processors, directly to receivers related to high-risk
activities.
(2) In general.--The Director shall conduct a program to
develop a prototype real-time seismic warning system. The Director
may enter into such agreements or contracts as may be necessary to
carry out the program.
(3) Upgrade of seismic sensors.--In carrying out a program
under paragraph (2), in order to increase the accuracy and speed of
seismic event analysis to provide for timely warning signals, the
Director shall provide for the upgrading of the network of seismic
sensors participating in the prototype to increase the capability
of the sensors--
(A) to measure accurately large magnitude seismic events
(as determined by the Director); and
(B) to acquire additional parametric data.
(4) Development of communications and computation
infrastructure.--In carrying out a program under paragraph (2), the
Director shall develop a communications and computation
infrastructure that is necessary--
(A) to process the data obtained from the upgraded seismic
sensor network referred to in paragraph (3); and
(B) to provide for, and carry out, such communications
engineering and development as is necessary to facilitate--
(i) the timely flow of data within a real-time seismic
hazard warning system; and
(ii) the issuance of warnings to receivers related to
high-risk activities.
(5) Procurement of computer hardware and computer software.--In
carrying out a program under paragraph (2), the Director shall
procure such computer hardware and computer software as may be
necessary to carry out the program.
(6) Reports on progress.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall prepare and submit to
Congress a report that contains a plan for implementing a real-
time seismic hazard warning system.
(B) Additional reports.--Not later than 1 year after the
date on which the Director submits the report under
subparagraph (A), and annually thereafter, the Director shall
prepare and submit to Congress a report that summarizes the
progress of the Director in implementing the plan referred to
in subparagraph (A).
(7) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to the
amounts made available to the Director under section 12(b) of the
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706(b)), there
are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of the
Interior, to be used by the Director to carry out paragraph (2),
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998 and 1999.
(b) Seismic Monitoring Networks Assessment.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall provide for an assessment
of regional seismic monitoring networks in the United States. The
assessment shall address--
(A) the need to update the infrastructure used for
collecting seismological data for research and monitoring of
seismic events in the United States;
(B) the need for expanding the capability to record strong
ground motions, especially for urban area engineering purposes;
(C) the need to measure accurately large magnitude seismic
events (as determined by the Director);
(D) the need to acquire additional parametric data; and
(E) projected costs for meeting the needs described in
subparagraphs (A) through (D).
(2) Results.--The Director shall transmit the results of the
assessment conducted under this subsection to Congress not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Earth Science Teaching Materials.--
(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational
agency'' has the meaning given that term in section 14101 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
8801).
(B) School.--The term ``school'' means a nonprofit
institutional day or residential school that provides education
for any of the grades kindergarten through grade 12.
(2) Teaching materials.--In a manner consistent with the
requirement under section 5(b)(4) of the Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704(b)(4)) and subject to a merit
based competitive process, the Director of the National Science
Foundation may use funds made available to him or her under section
12(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 7706(c)) to develop, and make
available to schools and local educational agencies for use by
schools, at a minimal cost, earth science teaching materials that
are designed to meet the needs of elementary and secondary school
teachers and students.
(d) Improved Seismic Hazard Assessment.--
(1) In general.--As soon as practicable after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall conduct a project to
improve the seismic hazard assessment of seismic zones.
(2) Reports.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually during the period of the
project, the Director shall prepare, and submit to Congress, a
report on the findings of the project.
(B) Final report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
termination of the project conducted under this subsection, the
Director shall prepare and submit to Congress a report
concerning the findings of the project.
(e) Study of National Earthquake Emergency Training Capabilities.--
(1) In general.--The Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency shall conduct an assessment of the need for
additional Federal disaster-response training capabilities that are
applicable to earthquake response.
(2) Contents of assessment.--The assessment conducted under
this subsection shall include--
(A) a review of the disaster training programs offered by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the time of the
assessment;
(B) an estimate of the number and types of emergency
response personnel that have, during the period beginning on
January 1, 1990 and ending on July 1, 1997, sought the training
referred to in subparagraph (A), but have been unable to
receive that training as a result of the oversubscription of
the training capabilities of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency; and
(C) a recommendation on the need to provide additional
Federal disaster-response training centers.
(3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall prepare and submit to
Congress a report that addresses the results of the assessment
conducted under this subsection.

bc6c1b1b067b3eee1dad0bd5707ca0b9f4d344c8637de1f687adb774f6838317

(a) National Science Foundation.--Section 5(b)(4) of the Earthquake
Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704(b)(4)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (D);
(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (E) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) develop, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, and the United States Geological Survey, a
comprehensive plan for earthquake engineering research to
effectively use existing testing facilities and laboratories
(in existence at the time of the development of the plan),
upgrade facilities and equipment as needed, and integrate new,
innovative testing approaches to the research infrastructure in
a systematic manner.''.
(b) Federal Emergency Management Agency.--Section 5(b)(1) of the
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704(b)(1)) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (D);
(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (E) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) work with the National Science Foundation, the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the United
States Geological Survey, to develop a comprehensive plan for
earthquake engineering research to effectively use existing
testing facilities and laboratories (existing at the time of
the development of the plan), upgrade facilities and equipment
as needed, and integrate new, innovative testing approaches to
the research infrastructure in a systematic manner.''.
(c) United States Geological Survey.--Section 5(b)(3) of the
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704(b)(3)) is
amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (E);
(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (G) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(H) work with the National Science Foundation, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Institute
of Standards and Technology to develop a comprehensive plan for
earthquake engineering research to effectively use existing
testing facilities and laboratories (in existence at the time
of the development of the plan), upgrade facilities and
equipment as needed, and integrate new, innovative testing
approaches to the research infrastructure in a systematic
manner.''.
(d) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--Section
5(b)(5) of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C.
7704(b)(5)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
(2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) work with the National Science Foundation, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the United States
Geological Survey to develop a comprehensive plan for
earthquake engineering research to effectively use existing
testing facilities and laboratories (in existence at the time
of the development of the plan), upgrade facilities and
equipment as needed, and integrate new, innovative testing
approaches to the research infrastructure in a systematic
manner.''.

fb500022ca56880bd4805cda21f31f8a645b4fef08bf7bdbe5af99055d20d038

Sections 6 and 7 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977
(42 U.S.C. 7705 and 7705a) are repealed.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.

a82c8c3a7a63931b06298179c49ef0614b346377caeaee9051c90515470800a8

A bill to authorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and for other purposes.

A bill to authorize appropriations for carrying out the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, and for other purposes.

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