[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 320 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 183
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 320
[Report No. 119-74]
To reauthorize the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 29, 2025
Mr. Padilla (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
October 14, 2025
Reported by Mr. Cruz, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``National Earthquake Hazards
Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Section 2 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977
(42 U.S.C. 7701) is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in paragraph (1)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) by striking ``50 States, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,'' and inserting ``States
and Tribal jurisdictions'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by striking ``of them'' and inserting
``States''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) by adding at the end the following:
``Almost half of the United States population resides
in areas that are at risk or experiencing a damaging
earthquake during the 50-year period beginning on the
date of the enactment of the National Earthquake
Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of
2025'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in paragraph (2)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) by inserting after the first sentence
the following: ``A 2023 report by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and the United States Geological
Survey (FEMA P-366) estimates the annualized earthquake
losses to the national building stock is
$14,700,000,000 per year and the total economic
exposure to earthquake losses (buildings and contents)
across the nation is $107,800,000,000,000.'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) in the third sentence--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) by striking ``and
construction'' and inserting ``, construction,
evaluation, and retrofitting''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) by striking ``and (E)'' and
inserting the following: ``(E) inventories of
buildings and infrastructure with high seismic
risk, especially those that are critical to
community resilience, (F) programs that require
or incentivize replacement or retrofit of
existing buildings and infrastructure with high
seismic risk, especially those that are
critical to community resilience, and
(G)'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``Tribal,''
after ``local,'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) in paragraph (4), by striking ``could
provide'' and all that follows through the period at the end
and inserting ``is necessary to provide the scientific
understanding needed to improve and expand the earthquake early
warning system.'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) in paragraph (8), by striking ``cave-ins'' and
inserting ``collapse'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) in paragraph (9)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in the first sentence, by striking
``and local'' and inserting ``local, and Tribal
government'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) in the second sentence, by striking
``transfer knowledge and information to'' and inserting
``exchange knowledge and information between'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) in the third sentence, by striking
``specifications, criteria'' and inserting
``guidelines, codes, standards'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) in paragraph (12)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in the second sentence--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) by striking ``When earthquakes
occur, the built environment is generally'' and
inserting ``Relatively newer buildings and
infrastructure have generally been'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) by striking ``and is'' and
inserting ``when earthquakes occur, but most
are''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by adding at the end the following:
``In addition, buildings and infrastructure built to
older codes and standards may pose significant risk of
injury, loss of life, or irreparable damage. A 2021
report submitted to Congress pursuant to section 8(b),
as amended by section 5 of the National Earthquake
Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018
(Public Law 115-307), by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency and the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (FEMA P2090/NST SP-1254)
provides recommendations for improving post-earthquake
functional recovery time of the built environment to
support community resilience goals and many of these
recommendations still need to be implemented.'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) in paragraph (13)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in the first sentence, by inserting
``in 2011'' after ``a study'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) in the second sentence, by inserting
``(in 2011 dollars)'' after ``$300,000,000'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) by adding at the end the following:
``The cost of actual seismic retrofits to reduce known
risks is not included in such valuation.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF PURPOSE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Section 3 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977
(42 U.S.C. 7702) is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in paragraph (1)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) by striking ``and local'' and
inserting ``, local, and Tribal government'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by striking ``locations and
structures'' and inserting ``buildings and
infrastructure'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in paragraph (2)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) by striking ``and construction'' and
inserting ``, construction, evaluation, and
retrofitting''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by inserting ``housing and care
facilities for vulnerable populations,'' after
``occupancy buildings''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) in paragraph (4)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) by striking ``and local'' and
inserting ``, local, and Tribal government'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by striking ``encourage consideration
of'' and inserting ``incorporate''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. MODIFICATION OF DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Section 4 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977
(42 U.S.C. 7703) is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, including
secondary effects such as earthquake-caused tsunamis'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(11) The term `Tribal government' has the
meaning given the term `tribal government' in section 421 of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 658).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(12) The term `functional recovery' means a
post-earthquake performance state in which a building or
lifeline infrastructure system is maintained, or restored, to
safely and adequately support the basic intended functions
associated with the pre-earthquake use or occupancy of a
building, or the pre-earthquake service level of a lifeline
infrastructure system.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(13) The term `earthquake forecast' means a
statement of probabilities that 1 or more earthquakes within a
clearly specified magnitude range may occur within a specified
time interval and geographic region.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. IMPROVEMENTS TO NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION
PROGRAM.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Program Activities.--Subsection (a)(2) of section 5 of
the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704) is
amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in subparagraph (B)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in the matter before clause (i)--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) by striking ``and local'' and
inserting ``, local, and Tribal'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) by striking ``and
constructing'' and inserting ``, designing,
constructing, evaluating, and
retrofitting'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by amending clause (ii) to read as
follows:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) development of standards,
guidelines, and voluntary standards,
guidelines, and consensus codes for earthquake
hazards reduction for buildings, structures,
and lifeline infrastructure, including post-
earthquake recovery-based performance
objectives that address reoccupancy and
downtime of community-prioritized buildings,
structures, and services provided by lifeline
infrastructure;'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) in clause (iii), by striking ``and
hazards reduction; and'' and inserting ``functional
recovery, and other hazards reduction
topics;'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) in clause (iv)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) by inserting ``and
maintaining'' after ``publishing'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) by inserting ``in
coordination with the National Tsunami Hazards
Mitigation Program, tsunami susceptibility,''
after ``liquefaction susceptibility,'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) by adding at the end the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(v) subject to the availability
of funds, development of best practices and
guidelines to create an inventory of and
conduct seismic performance evaluations of
buildings, structures, and lifeline
infrastructure with high seismic risk,
especially those that are critical to community
resilience; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(vi) subject to the availability
of funds, the provision of technical assistance
upon request by a State, local, or Tribal
government regarding--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(I) the creation of an
inventory of buildings, structures, and
lifeline infrastructure;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(II) the performance of
seismic performance evaluations;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(III) cost-effective
best practices for retrofitting
existing buildings, structures, and
lifeline infrastructure.'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``; and'' and
inserting a semicolon;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as
subparagraph (E); and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(D) improve the understanding of--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(i) the multiple hazards
associated with earthquakes, including
liquefaction, tsunamis, landslides, structural
fires, and the compounding effects of climate
on these hazards; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(ii) potential mitigation
measures for such hazards; and''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Duties of Interagency Coordinating Committee on
Earthquake Hazards Reduction.--Subsection (a)(3)(D)(ii) of such section
is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in subclause (V), by inserting ``and
associated secondary hazards'' before the period at the end;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(VIII) Coordinating with
the Chair of the Federal Communications
Commission on the timely broadcasting
of emergency alerts generated by the
earthquake early warning
system.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Biennial Report.--Subsection (a)(4)(A) of such section
is amended by striking ``under paragraph (3)(D)(i)(I)'' each place it
appears and inserting ``under paragraph (3)(D)(ii)(I)''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Advisory Committee.--Subsection (a)(5)(A) of such
section is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) by inserting ``the Chair of the Scientific
Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee and'' after
``including'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) by striking ``and local government'' and
inserting ``, local, and Tribal governments''; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) by inserting ``social,'' after
``scientific,''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (e) Lead Agency for Responsibilities of Program
Agencies.--Subsection (b)(1) of such section is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in subparagraph (A)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) by striking ``and local'' and
inserting ``local, and Tribal governments'';
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) by striking ``plan and constructing''
and inserting ``planning, designing, constructing,
evaluating, and retrofitting'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as
subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the
following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) improve the understanding of
earthquake-caused fires and support the development of
engineering tools and construction methods that
mitigate the risk of fire following
earthquakes;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(D) develop, in coordination with the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, best practices and guidelines for a State,
local, or Tribal government to create an inventory of
buildings, structures, or lifeline infrastructure that
are critical to community resilience or otherwise have
high seismic risk;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(E) provide, in coordination with the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, technical assistance to a State, local, or
Tribal government requesting such assistance with
respect to the creation of an inventory of buildings,
structures, or lifeline infrastructure;''.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (f) Responsibilities of Federal Emergency Management
Agency.--Subsection (b)(2) of such section is amended--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) in subparagraph (A)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) in clause (i)--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) by inserting ``and Tribal
governments'' after ``States'';</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) by inserting ``and
perf