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Bill
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National Coastal Resilience Data and Services Act

H.R. 3228 · 117th Congress · May 13, 2021 · Lineage

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to improve science, data, and services that enable sound decision making in response to coastal flood risk, including impacts of sea level rise, storm events, changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsidence.

Section 1 Authorization of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration activities

(a)
In general— The Administrator shall, in consultation with other Federal agencies, develop within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a comprehensive suite of coastal flood and coastal land loss, sea level rise, Great Lakes bathymetry water level, and vertical land motion data, products, and services, and conduct the research and development necessary to support those products and services that—
(1)
augment existing capacities and combine existing observations, modeling, predictions, products and services into a coordinated decision-support framework;
(2)
produce and maintain authoritative and timely data, maps, and information services, including improving existing and new information products and services targeted to end-user needs, that allow coastal communities across the United States to plan for present and future coastal flood and coastal land loss risk; and
(3)
engage with, ensure accessibility by, and provide technical assistance to, end users, with particular attention to historically underserved and at risk communities and populations, and also including other Federal agencies, regional ocean partnerships, states, local governments, Tribal governments, and Indigenous communities on the appropriate application of these data and tools and to better assess information gaps, needs, and solutions relating to the risk posed by coastal flooding and coastal land loss, including sea level rise.
(b)
Data archiving— The Administrator shall publish and maintain archives of the data and metadata generated under this Act and shall maximize distribution, access, and use of such data and metadata.
(c)
Use of existing advisory committees— The Administrator may consult with and seek input from existing agency advisory committees to provide recommendations on systems, products, and services relating to coastal flooding and coastal land loss, including sea level rise.
(d)
Technical assistance to other federal agencies— To assist in carrying out this Act and to facilitate collaboration, the Administrator may provide technical assistance to other Federal agencies on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable basis, including by entering into an agreement with another Federal agency to detail, for a period of not more than 3 years, an employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to such other Federal agency.
(e)
International engagement— The Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may work with international counterparts to provide and receive technical assistance, data sharing, and capacity building on matters pertaining to coastal flooding and coastal land loss, sea level rise, and inundation, including participation in relevant international bodies.
(f)
Report— The Administrator shall, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and every 3 years thereafter, provide the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate with a report on actions taken to implement this Act and containing an evaluation of the need to expand and improve agency observations, modeling, predictions, products, and services to—
(1)
improve the understanding of the processes that drive coastal flood and coastal land loss risk, including sea level rise, storm events, changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsidence; and
(2)
track and report how observed rates of sea level rise compare to the sea level rise trends and predictions published within the quadrennial National Climate Assessments and related reports.
(g)
Administrator— In this section, the term “Administrator” means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(h)
Authorization of appropriations— To carry out this Section, there are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

Sec. 2 Interagency coordination

(a)
In general— The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with the Administrator, shall—
(1)
facilitate interagency cooperation and alignment of Federal Government activities conducted with respect to coastal flooding and coastal land loss, including sea level rise, to improve the ability of the United States to prepare for, avoid, mitigate, respond to, and recover from potentially devastating impacts; and
(2)
coordinate the activities of the interagency subcommittee established under subsection (b).
(b)
Coastal flooding, coastal land loss, and sea level rise subcommittee—
(1)
In general— Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the appropriate interagency committee or task force, shall establish an interagency subcommittee on coastal flooding, coastal land loss, and sea level rise (referred to in this section as the “Subcommittee”).
(2)
Purposes— The Subcommittee shall—
(A)
examine the latest science and technologies for measuring, predicting, and delivering information related to coastal flood and coastal land loss risk, including sea level rise;
(B)
coordinate executive branch actions and activities that improve measurements, predictions, and service delivery of information related to coastal flood and coastal land loss risk, including sea level rise;
(C)
identify gaps in observations, data, information, and modeling relating to coastal flood and coastal land loss risk and ensure that agency activities relating to coastal flood and coastal land loss risk are complementary;
(D)
consult and coordinate with other interagency climate and ocean policy efforts and bodies as appropriate;
(E)
coordinate the scientific efforts of Federal agencies and the provision of data and technical assistance from such agencies on matters relating to coastal flooding and coastal land loss; and
(F)
define and prioritize needs from other Federal agencies that could be addressed by enhancements to Federal data and services, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration products and services.
(3)
Leadership— The Subcommittee shall be co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Administrator.
(4)
Membership— The Subcommittee shall be composed of representatives of each of the following agencies:
(A)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(B)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
(C)
The United States Geological Survey.
(D)
The United States Army Corps of Engineers.
(E)
The Federal Emergency Management Administration.
(F)
The Environmental Protection Agency.
(G)
The Department of Defense.
(H)
The Department of Energy.
(I)
The National Science Foundation.
(J)
Such other White House offices and Federal agencies the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy determines appropriate.
(5)
Agreements—
(A)
In general— To carry out activities under this Act, the heads of agencies represented on the committee may enter into agreements with each other, and transfer, receive, and expend funds made available by a Federal or State agency or any person.
(B)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration— The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Administrator shall enter into an interagency agreement providing for cooperation and collaboration in the development of sea level rise and coastal flood and coastal land loss related instruments, technologies, data sets, and products in accordance with this Act.
(C)
United States Geological Survey and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration— The Director of the United States Geological Survey and the Administrator shall enter into an interagency agreement providing for cooperation and collaboration in the development, quality control, processing, and delivery of coastal hazards and sea level rise related data, modeling, mapping, and services in accordance with this Act.
(6)
International, academic community, and commercial sector collaboration— The heads of each Federal agency participating in the Subcommittee established under paragraph (1) shall, to the extent practicable, engage and cooperate with the international community, academic community, and commercial sector on the observational infrastructure, data, scientific research, and service delivery and technical assistance necessary to advance the monitoring, forecasting, and prediction of, preparation for, and protection from coastal flooding and coastal land loss, sea level rise, changing Great Lakes water levels, and land subsidence.
(c)
Administrator— In this section, the term “Administrator” means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.