USA: U.S.C.A 42 § 1768 National earthquake hazards reduction program reauthorization act of 2018

This bill amends the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to expand activities under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program to include:

• gathering information on community resilience (i.e., the ability of a community to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to earthquakes);
• publishing a systematic set of maps of active faults and folds, liquefaction susceptibility, susceptibility for earthquake-induced landslides, and other seismically-induced hazards; and
• continuing the development of the Advanced National Seismic System, including earthquake early warning capabilities

With respect to earthquake hazard reduction activities, the bill revises or expands the duties of:

• the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction,
• the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
• the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
• the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and
• the National Science Foundation

Diverting from the original, this version removes references to earthquake prediction, and instead emphasises understanding, forecasting, and early warning.

The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to complete a review of risks posed by earthquakes to the United States. NIST and FEMA must also jointly convene a committee of experts to assess and recommend options for improving seismic safety standards for federal buildings. Moreover, the USGS must submit to Congress a five-year management plan for the continued operation of the Advanced National Seismic System. The bill also directs the Comptroller General to conduct a review of earthquake risks.