Should the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Be Reauthorized? (S. 1768)

What is S. 1768?

(Updated June 7, 2019)

This bill was enacted on December 11, 2018

This bill — the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act — would permanently reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). It would also expand activities under the NEHRP to include: 1) gathering information on community resilience (i.e., the ability of a community to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to earthquakes); 2) publishing a systematic set of maps of active faults and folds, liquefaction susceptibility, susceptibility for earthquake-induced landslides, and other seismically induced hazards; and 3) continuing the development of the Advanced National Seismic System, including earthquake early warning capabilities.

The agencies which would see their earthquake hazard reduction duties revised or expanded include the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and National Science Foundation (NSF). Tthe Government Accountability Office (GAO) would be required to complete a review of risks posed by earthquakes to the U.S.

NIST and FEMA would convene a joint committee of experts to assess and recommend options for improving seismic safety standards for federal buildings. The USGS must submit to Congress a five-year management plan for the continued operation of the Advanced National Seismic System.

Argument in favor

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program provides important support for earthquake research, detection, and response. Without this program, it’d be difficult for states and researchers to get the money they need to keep communities safe.

Argument opposed

There’s already significant earthquake detection infrastructure in place in the most earthquake-prone parts of the U.S., making continued National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program funding less critical than it was at the program’s inception.

Impact

Earthquake-prone states; NEHRP; NIST; FEMA; USGS; NSF; and GAO.

Cost of S. 1768

The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would cost $596 million over the 2018-2022 period.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced this bill to reauthorize the NEHRP program to improve the U.S.’ earthquake preparedness and modernize earthquake-safety programs that help states prepare for and respond to earthquakes:

“When it comes to a catastrophic earthquake, it’s not a matter of if it will occur, it’s a matter of when. I believe it’s important that we recognize this threat and do all we can to plan for the worst. By reauthorizing the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, we will ensure that vital research, assistance to states, and development of early-warning systems continue.”

The Seismological Society of America (SSA) supports the NEHRP’s reauthorization. In a written statement, the SSA’s Board of Directors writes:

“Seventy-five percent of the United States population is exposed to significant risks from earthquakes, and the majority of those risks are concentrated in urban areas. Damage to buildings by earthquakes is estimated at $6.1 billion per year nationwide, but total losses from earthquakes to the economy are estimated to be much larger. NEHRP is the federal government’s coordinated long-term nationwide program to reduce risks to life and property resulting from earthquakes, and to facilitate social, economic and industrial recovery after a major earthquake… NEHRP is essential for coordinating the work of key federal agencies that address earthquake-related issues (FEMA, NIST, NSF and USGS). It focuses the efforts of these agencies on the activities that our nation most needs to improve its earthquake resilience. The NEHRP agencies work in partnership to perform a national service that cannot be duplicated by others, with each agency fulfilling its unique role without overlapping with the roles of its partners. The agencies responsible for NEHRP collaborate extensively with the academic, public, and private sectors to produce critical research and data that directly support improvements to building codes, and community and commercial planning. Without NEHRP as a catalyst, these improvements would likely not be implemented. The agencies also deliver reliable real-time assessment of earthquake activity in the US and worldwide for effective emergency response, and to protect both domestic and global US interests… Reauthorization is critical to the full implementation of NEHRP and the successful translation of research into actions and results that protects the nation from the devastating effects of a major earthquake.”

This bill passed the Senate unanimously with the support of nine cosponsors, including six Democrats and three Republicans, and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. It has the support of the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Association of American State Geologists, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, the Geological Society of America, the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations, the National Emergency Management Association, and the American Geophysical Union.

Of Note: Under the NEHRP, four federal agencies have responsibility for long-term earthquake risk reduction: USGS, NSF, FEMA, and the NIST. These agencies assess U.S. earthquake hazards, deliver notifications of seismic events, develop measures to reduce earthquake hazards, and conduct research to help reduce overall U.S. vulnerability to earthquakes. Congressional oversight of the NEHRP program encompasses how well the four agencies coordinate their activities to address the earthquake hazard.

Since its initial authorization in 1977, NEHRP has helped communities prepare for and protect against earthquakes by coordinating earthquake hazard risk reduction efforts at the federal, state, and local levels.

Media:

• U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources Press Release

• CBO Cost Estimate

• Seismological Society of America (in Favor)

• American Society of Civil Engineers (In Favor)

• American Geophysical Union (In Favor)

• Congressional Research Service (Context)