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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 529
AN ACT
To establish a national program to identify and reduce losses
from landslide hazards, to establish a national 3D Ele-
vation Program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
2
† S 529 ES
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Landslide
2
Preparedness Act’’.
3
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
4
In this Act:
5
(1) 3D.—The term ‘‘3D’’ means 3-dimensional.
6
(2) 3D ELEVATION DATA.—
7
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘3D ele-
8
vation data’’ means 3D, high-resolution data
9
obtained using LiDAR, IfSAR, or other meth-
10
ods over the United States (including terri-
11
tories).
12
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘3D elevation
13
data’’ includes terrestrial and bathymetric ele-
14
vation data.
15
(3) 3D ELEVATION PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘3D
16
Elevation Program’’ means the 3D Elevation Pro-
17
gram established under section 5(a).
18
(4)
IFSAR.—The
term
‘‘IfSAR’’
means
19
interferometric synthetic aperture radar.
20
(5) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’
21
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the
22
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
23
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
24
(6) LAHAR.—The term ‘‘lahar’’ means a large
25
debris flow of mostly volcanic material that is—
26
3
† S 529 ES
(A) often fast-moving; and
1
(B) a hazard in watersheds downstream of
2
volcanic peaks.
3
(7) LIDAR.—The term ‘‘LiDAR’’ means light
4
detection and ranging.
5
(8) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
6
the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di-
7
rector of the United States Geological Survey.
8
(9) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means—
9
(A) a State; and
10
(B) the District of Columbia.
11
(10) STATE OFFICE.—The term ‘‘State office’’
12
means any unit of State government that handles
13
the identification, mapping, assessment, and re-
14
search of landslide hazards or responding to land-
15
slide events, including—
16
(A) a State geological survey office;
17
(B) a State department of emergency re-
18
sponse; and
19
(C) a State department of transportation.
20
(11)
TERRITORY.—The
term
‘‘territory’’
21
means—
22
(A) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
23
(B) Guam;
24
(C) American Samoa;
25
4
† S 529 ES
(D) the Commonwealth of the Northern
1
Mariana Islands;
2
(E) the Federated States of Micronesia;
3
(F) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
4
(G) the Republic of Palau; and
5
(H) the United States Virgin Islands.
6
SEC. 3. NATIONAL LANDSLIDE HAZARDS REDUCTION PRO-
7
GRAM.
8
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish
9
a program, to be known as the ‘‘National Landslide Haz-
10
ards Reduction Program’’ (referred to in this section as
11
the ‘‘program’’)—
12
(1) to identify and understand landslide haz-
13
ards and risks;
14
(2) to reduce losses from landslides;
15
(3) to protect communities at risk of landslide
16
hazards; and
17
(4) to help improve communication and emer-
18
gency preparedness, including by coordinating with
19
communities and entities responsible for infrastruc-
20
ture that are at risk of landslide hazards.
21
(b) DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM.—
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(1) PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary, in
23
coordination with the Interagency Coordinating
24
Committee on Landslide Hazards established by
25
5
† S 529 ES
subsection (c)(1) (referred to in this section as the
1
‘‘Committee’’) and in coordination with existing ac-
2
tivities of the United States Geological Survey and
3
other Federal agencies, shall—
4
(A) identify, map, assess, and research
5
landslide hazards;
6
(B) respond to landslide events; and
7
(C) in coordination with State offices,
8
units of local government, territories, and In-
9
dian tribes—
10
(i) establish working groups with
11
State offices, units of local government,
12
territories, and Indian tribes to identify re-
13
gional and local priorities for researching,
14
identifying, mapping, and assessing land-
15
slide hazards; and
16
(ii) develop and implement landslide
17
hazard guidelines for—
18
(I) geologists;
19
(II) geological and geotechnical
20
engineers;
21
(III)
emergency
management
22
personnel; and
23
(IV) land use and other decision-
24
makers.
25
6
† S 529 ES
(2) NATIONAL
STRATEGY.—Not later than 1
1
year after the date of enactment of this Act, and
2
every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary, in coordina-
3
tion with the Committee, shall develop and publish
4
a national strategy for landslide hazards, risk reduc-
5
tion, and response in the United States (including
6
territories), which shall include—
7
(A) goals and priorities for the program;
8
(B) priorities for data acquisition, re-
9
search, communications, and risk management
10
on landslides and landslide hazards across rel-
11
evant Federal agencies; and
12
(C) a detailed interagency plan, which shall
13
take into consideration national disaster pre-
14
paredness, response, and recovery frameworks,
15
to carry out the national strategy, including de-
16
tails about the programs, projects, and budgets
17
that will be used to implement the national
18
strategy.
19
(3) NATIONAL
LANDSLIDE
HAZARDS
DATA-
20
BASE.—In carrying out the program, the Secretary,
21
in coordination with State offices, units of local gov-
22
ernment, territories, and Indian tribes, shall develop
23
and maintain a publicly accessible national landslide
24
hazard and risk inventory database to compile,
25
7
† S 529 ES
maintain, standardize, and evaluate data regard-
1
ing—
2
(A) landslide hazards and risks;
3
(B) the impact of landslides on—
4
(i) health and safety;
5
(ii) the economy and infrastructure;
6
and
7
(iii) the environment;
8
(C) landslide hazard stabilization; and
9
(D) reduction of losses from landslides.
10
(4) LANDSLIDE HAZARD AND RISK PREPARED-
11
NESS FOR COMMUNITIES.—In carrying out the pro-
12
gram, the Secretary, in coordination with the Sec-
13
retary of the Army, the Secretary of Commerce, the
14
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of
15
Transportation, and the heads of other relevant Fed-
16
eral agencies, and in consultation with State offices,
17
units of local government, territories, and Indian
18
tribes, shall develop and disseminate—
19
(A) landslide planning and risk reduction
20
guidance, guidelines, maps, tools, and training
21
materials to help inform State, territorial, local,
22
and Tribal governments and decisionmakers
23
with respect to—
24
8
† S 529 ES
(i) the use and implementation of
1
landslide hazard assessments;
2
(ii) the applied use of the database
3
developed under paragraph (3);
4
(iii) reducing losses from landslides;
5
and
6
(iv) resources available for commu-
7
nities working to improve landslide hazard
8
preparedness; and
9
(B) landslide preparedness curricula and
10
training modules for—
11
(i) State, territorial, local, and Tribal
12
officials;
13
(ii) Federal, State, territorial, local,
14
and Tribal emergency managers; and
15
(iii) the National Guard.
16
(5) DEBRIS FLOW EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.—
17
In carrying out the program, the Secretary, in co-
18
ordination with the Secretary of Commerce and the
19
Secretary of Homeland Security, shall expand the
20
early warning system for debris flow by—
21
(A) expanding the early warning system
22
for post-wildfire debris flow to include recently
23
burned areas across the western United States;
24
9
† S 529 ES
(B) developing procedures with State, ter-
1
ritorial, local, and Tribal governments to mon-
2
itor stormwater drainage in areas with high de-
3
bris flow risk; and
4
(C) identifying high-risk debris flow areas,
5
such as recently burned land and potential
6
lahar hazard areas.
7
(6) EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
ACTIVITIES.—In
8
carrying out the program, the Secretary, in coordi-
9
nation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Sec-
10
retary of Homeland Security, the heads of other rel-
11
evant Federal agencies, States offices, units of local
12
government, territories, and Indian tribes, shall es-
13
tablish and support emergency response procedures
14
for the rapid deployment of Federal scientists,
15
equipment, and services to areas impacted by a sig-
16
nificant landslide event—
17
(A) to support emergency response efforts
18
and improve the safety of emergency respond-
19
ers;
20
(B) to improve data collection; and
21
(C) to conduct research to advance the un-
22
derstanding of the causes, impacts, and reduc-
23
tion of landslide hazards and risks.
24
10
† S 529 ES
(c) INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE
ON
1
LANDSLIDE HAZARDS.—
2
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a com-
3
mittee, to be known as the ‘‘Interagency Coordi-
4
nating Committee on Landslide Hazards’’.
5
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall be
6
composed of the following members (or their des-
7
ignees):
8
(A) The Secretary, who shall serve as
9
Chairperson of the Committee.
10
(B) The Secretary of Agriculture.
11
(C) The Secretary of the Army.
12
(D) The Secretary of Commerce.
13
(E) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
14
(F) The Secretary of Transportation.
15
(G) The Director of the National Science
16
Foundation.
17
(H) The Director of the Office of Science
18
and Technology Policy.
19
(I) The Director of the Office of Manage-
20
ment and Budget.
21
(3) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet at
22
the call of the Chairperson.
23
(4) PURPOSE
AND
DUTIES.—The Committee
24
shall—
25
11
† S 529 ES
(A) advise and oversee the program;
1
(B) facilitate communication and coordina-
2
tion across Federal agencies in the planning,
3
management, budgeting, and execution of land-
4
slide activities; and
5
(C) support the development and execution
6
of the national strategy under subsection (b)(2),
7
including by—
8
(i) supporting the development of na-
9
tional goals and priorities for the national
10
strategy;
11
(ii) articulating Federal agency roles,
12
responsibilities, and resources for carrying
13
out the national strategy; and
14
(iii) overseeing the implementation of
15
the national strategy.
16
(d) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
17
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish
18
an advisory committee, to be known as the ‘‘Advi-
19
sory Committee on Landslides’’ (referred to in this
20
subsection as the ‘‘Advisory Committee’’).
21
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Advisory Committee
22
shall be composed of not fewer than 11 members—
23
(A) of whom none may be an individual de-
24
scribed in any of subparagraphs (A) through
25
12
† S 529 ES
(F) of section 7342(a)(1) of title 5, United
1
States Code; and
2
(B) who shall be representatives of—
3
(i) States, including State geological
4
organizations;
5
(ii) territories, including territorial ge-
6
ological organizations;
7
(iii) Indian tribes, including Tribal ge-
8
ological organizations;
9
(iv) research institutions and institu-
10
tions of higher education that are quali-
11
fied—
12
(I) to provide advice regarding
13
landslide hazard and risk reduction;
14
and
15
(II) to represent related sci-
16
entific, architectural, engineering, and
17
planning disciplines;
18
(v) industry standards development
19
organizations; and
20
(vi) State, territorial, local, and Tribal
21
emergency management agencies.
22
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—
23
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Com-
24
mittee shall submit to the Committee rec-
25
13
† S 529 ES
ommendations for the implementation of the
1
program, including recommendations regard-
2
ing—
3
(i) landslide hazard and risk reduction
4
and planning;
5
(ii) tools for communities;
6
(iii) research; and
7
(iv) such other topics as the Advisory
8
Committee determines appropriate.
9
(B) CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary and
10
the agency heads described in subparagraphs
11
(B) through (I) of subsection (c)(2) shall take
12
into consideration any recommendation of the
13
Advisory Committee submitted under subpara-
14
graph (A).
15
(e) GRANT PROGRAMS.—
16
(1) COOPERATIVE
LANDSLIDE
HAZARD
MAP-
17
PING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM.—
18
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to appropria-
19
tions, the Secretary may—
20
(i) provide grants, on a competitive
21
basis, to State, territorial, local, and Tribal
22
governments to research, map, assess, and
23
collect data on landslide hazards within the
24
jurisdictions of those governments; and
25
14
† S 529 ES
(ii) accept and use funds received
1
from other Federal and non-Federal part-
2
ners to advance the purposes of the pro-
3
gram.
4
(B) PRIORITY.—
5
(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall
6
consult annually with the Committee,
7
States, units of local government, terri-
8
tories, and Indian tribes to establish prior-
9
ities for the grant program under this
10
paragraph.
11
(ii) FUNDING
PRIORITIZATION.—In
12
providing grants under this paragraph, the
13
Secretary shall give priority to projects—
14
(I) that will achieve the greatest
15
landslide hazard and risk reduction;
16
(II) that reflect the goals and
17
priorities of the national strategy es-
18
tablished under subsection (b)(2)(A);
19
(III) not less than 50 percent of
20
the total cost of which is matched by
21
non-Federal sources; and
22
(IV) that include acquisition of
23
enhanced elevation data consistent
24
with the 3D Elevation Program.
25
15
† S 529 ES
(C)
REQUIREMENT.—If
the
Secretary
1
elects to provide grants under subparagraph
2
(A)(i), the Secretary shall publish on a publicly
3
available website a description of—
4
(i) the grants; and
5
(ii) the findings made from those
6
grants.
7
(2)
NATIONAL
LANDSLIDE
RESEARCH
8
GRANTS.—
9
(A) IN GENERAL.—To advance the goals
10
and priorities of the national strategy estab-
11
lished under subsection (b)(2)(A), subject to ap-
12
propriations, the Director of the National
13
Science Foundation (referred to in this para-
14
graph as the ‘‘Director’’) may provide grants to
15
eligible entities for landslide research, including
16
research on—
17
(i) the causes, mechanisms, triggers,
18
hydrology, and geology of landslides;
19
(ii) ways to reduce landslide hazards
20
and risks to minimize loss of life and prop-
21
erty, including landslide hazard and risk
22
communication,
perception,
decision-
23
making, tools, and technologies; and
24
16
† S 529 ES
(iii) other goals and priorities of the
1
national strategy established under sub-
2
section (b)(2)(A).
3
(B) ELIGIBLE
ENTITIES.—The Director
4
shall determine whether an entity is eligible to
5
receive a grant under this paragraph.
6
(C) REQUIREMENTS.—In providing grants
7
under this paragraph, the Director shall—
8
(i) ensure that the grants are pro-
9
vided on a competitive basis;
10
(ii) consider grant applications sub-
11
mitted by eligible entities that have devel-
12
oped the application in partnership with 1
13
or more State geological surveys; and
14
(iii) publish on a publicly available
15
website a description of—
16
(I) t
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