National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S. 1768 to reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.

I want to thank Senators Feinstein and Murkowski for developing this good legislation. I also would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Rohrabacher and Jayapal, for introducing a House companion, and the chairs and ranking members of the authorizing committees for working to arrive at the consensus legislation we are considering today.

The years 1964 and 1994 mark two of the worst earthquakes in U.S. history. Hundreds of people lost their lives, and thousands sustained injuries in these earthquakes that hit Alaska and the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Economic losses were in the billions of dollars resulting from earthquakes and tsunamis. While our Nation has been in the path of many disastrous natural events lately, we have been spared from a big earthquake for many years. But we should not become complacent, because another big earthquake will happen, and the human and economic toll will be felt far beyond the immediate disaster zone.

S. 1768 makes Federal investments in research and preparedness activities that will help mitigate earthquake risks for Americans from coast to coast. Specifically, S. 1768 reauthorizes funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue to carry out research and other activities under the NEHRP program.

Under NEHRP, NSF and USGS carry out fundamental research in the earth sciences. Both agencies have extensive networks of instrumentation that record seismic activity and advance our understanding of the onset, propagation, and intensity of earthquakes. Such research helps advance our early-warning capability and helps communities make informed decisions for earthquake preparation.

NIST is the lead agency for NEHRP and also carries out applied research that provides the scientific basis for earthquake resilient building codes and design guidelines. This bill aims to help communities survive a catastrophic event and continue with critical operations, such as emergency services, utilities, and communication networks.

FEMA provides earthquake training and awareness to States and territories and assists communities in creating seismic mitigation plans in the event of a high-impact earthquake. These activities are invaluable in preparing communities for an earthquake and its aftermath.

The last NEHRP reauthorization was nearly 15 years ago, and the authorizing law needs several updates to ensure it is keeping pace with the state of the science on earthquakes and translating that science into saving lives and property.

The bill before us today includes those much-needed updates and, importantly, provides NEHRP agencies with the needed authority to continue these investments with greater budgetary certainty for the next 5 years.

I appreciate my colleagues working on this bill in a bipartisan fashion in the House and Senate, and I urge support for this bill.

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Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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