UPDATE: H.R.876 – Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019

LATEST ACTION: February 7, 2019 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

BILL TITLE: Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019

BILL SUMMARY:

Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019

This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a plan for the purchase and installation of an earthquake early warning system for the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The term "Cascadia Subduction Zone" means the landward-dipping fault that is approximately 684 miles long, separates the Juan De Fuca and North America plates, and stretches along a portion of the western coast of the United States beginning off Cape Mendocino, California, along the states of Oregon and Washington, to Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

The President shall establish an Earthquake and Tsunami Task Force to develop a comprehensive strategy and recommendations on how the nation should prepare and plan for, mitigate against, respond to, recover from, and more successfully adapt to an earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami event in the Cascadia Subduction Zone

The task force shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences for developing recommendations for a federal research strategy to advance scientific understanding of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and resulting tsunami preparedness.

FEMA shall be responsible for the nation's efforts to reduce the loss of life and property, and to protect the nation, from an earthquake, tsunami, or combined earthquake and tsunami event.

[NOTE: The contents of this legislative update are current as of 06:00 AM on February 8, 2019.]

BILL NUMBER: 116th Congress: House Bill 876 (H.R.876)

CHAMBER OF ORIGIN: U.S. House of Representatives

CURRENT CHAMBER: U.S. Senate

For DETAILED LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION on H.R.876, visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/876

BILL TEXT: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/876/text

ACTIONS-TO-DATE (ordered by most recent first):

02/07/2019 -- Senate -- Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

02/06/2019 -- House -- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

02/06/2019 -- House -- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1368-1369)

02/06/2019 -- House -- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 876.

02/06/2019 -- House -- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1368-1370)

02/06/2019 -- House -- Mr. DeFazio moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

01/30/2019 -- House -- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

01/30/2019 -- House -- Introduced in House.

SPONSOR(S)*:

-- Rep. DeFazio, Peter A. [D-OR-4]

CO-SPONSOR(S)*:

[*Note: Sponsors and co-sponsors are current as of February 7, 2019. For the most up-to-date version of the sponsor and co-sponsor lists, visit: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/876/cosponsors ]

-- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]

-- Rep. Rouda, Harley [D-CA-48]

COMMITTEES: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

SUBJECTS: Advisory bodies, California, Canada, Congressional oversight, Disaster relief and insurance, Emergency planning and evacuation, Intergovernmental relations, Natural disasters, Oregon, Research administration and funding, Washington State.