There is established the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program, the purpose of which is to achieve major measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from windstorms through a coordinated Federal effort, in cooperation with other levels of government, academia, and the private sector, aimed at improving the understanding of windstorms and their impacts and developing and encouraging the implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology shall have the primary responsibility for planning and coordinating the Program. In carrying out this paragraph, the Director shall-
In addition to the lead agency responsibilities described under paragraph (1), the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall be responsible for carrying out research and development to improve model building codes, voluntary standards, and best practices for the design, construction, and retrofit of buildings, structures, and lifelines.
The National Science Foundation shall support research in-
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall support atmospheric sciences research to improve the understanding of the behavior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, structures, and lifelines.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency shall-
The Program shall consist of three primary mitigation components: improved understanding of windstorms, windstorm impact assessment, and windstorm impact reduction. The components shall be implemented through activities such as data collection and analysis, risk assessment, outreach, technology transfer, and research and development. To the extent practicable, research activities authorized under this chapter shall be peer-reviewed, and the components shall be designed to be complementary to, and avoid duplication of, other public and private hazard reduction efforts.
Activities to enhance the understanding of windstorms shall include research to improve knowledge of and data collection on the impact of severe wind on buildings, structures, and infrastructure.
Activities to improve windstorm impact assessment shall include-
Activities to reduce windstorm impacts shall include-
The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall each include in their agency's annual budget request to Congress a description of their agency's projected activities under the Program for the fiscal year covered by the budget request, along with an assessment of what they plan to spend on those activities for that fiscal year.
There is established an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction, chaired by the Director or the Director's designee.
In addition to the chair, the Committee shall be composed of-
The Committee shall meet not less than once a year at the call of the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The Committee shall oversee the planning and coordination of the Program.
The Committee shall develop and submit to Congress, not later than 1 year after September 30, 2015, a Strategic Plan for the Program that includes-
Not later than 18 months after September 30, 2015, the Committee shall submit to the Congress a report on the progress of the Program that includes-
The Committee shall develop a coordinated budget for the Program, which shall be submitted to the Congress not later than 60 days after the date of the President's budget submission for each fiscal year.
42 U.S.C. § 15703
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThis chapter, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(C), was in the original "this Act" and was translated as reading "this title", to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See below.This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), was in the original "this title", meaning title II of Pub. L. 108-360, 118 Stat. 1675, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title II to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 15701 of this title and Tables.
AMENDMENTS2015-Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 114-52, §3(1), added subsecs. (a) and (b) and struck out former subsecs. (a) and (b) which related to the establishment and objective of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program.Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114-52, §3(1), (2), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which established an Interagency Working Group. Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 114-52, §3(2), (3), added subsecs. (d) and (e), redesignated former subsec. (d) as (c), and struck out former subsec. (e) which required an implementation plan from the Interagency Working Group.Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 114-52, §3(2), struck out subsec. (f) which required biennial reports on the status of the windstorm impact reduction program.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONSFor transfer of all functions, personnel, assets, components, authorities, grant programs, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management relating thereto, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, see section 315(a)(1) of Title 6, Domestic Security.
- Advisory Committee
- The term "Advisory Committee" means the Green Building Advisory Committee established under section 484.1
- Director
- The term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
- Program
- The term "Program" means the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program established by section 15703(a) of this title.
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.1 See References in Text note below.
- State
- The term "State" means each of the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
- lifelines
- The term "lifelines" means public works and utilities, including transportation facilities and infrastructure, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power and communication facilities and infrastructure, and water supply and sewage treatment facilities.
- practices
- The term "practices" means design, financing, permitting, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance, and other practices that contribute to achieving zero-net-energy buildings or facilities.
- windstorm
- The term "windstorm" means any storm with a damaging or destructive wind component, such as a hurricane, tropical storm, northeaster, tornado, or thunderstorm.