§ 7701. Congressional findings
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/usc/title-42/section-7701A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1)All 50 States, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, are vulnerable to the hazards of earthquakes, and at least 39 of them are subject to major or moderate seismic risk, including Alaska, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina Tennessee,,1 Utah, and Washington. A large portion of the population of the United States lives in areas vulnerable to earthquake hazards.
(2)Earthquakes have caused, and can cause in the future, enormous loss of life, injury, destruction of property, and economic and social disruption. With respect to future earthquakes, such loss, destruction, and disruption can be substantially reduced through the development and implementation of earthquake hazards reduction measures, including
(A)improved design and construction methods and practices,
(B)land-use controls and redevelopment,
(C)early-warning systems,
(D)coordinated emergency preparedness plans, and
(E)public education and involvement programs.
(3)An expertly staffed and adequately financed earthquake hazards reduction program, based on Federal, State, local, and private research, planning, decisionmaking, and contributions would reduce the risk of such loss, destruction, and disruption in seismic areas by an amount far greater than the cost of such program.
(4)A well-funded seismological research program could provide the scientific understanding needed to fully implement an effective earthquake early warning system.
(5)The geological study of active faults and features can reveal how recently and how frequently major earthquakes have occurred on those faults and how much risk they pose. Such long-term seismic risk assessments are needed in virtually every aspect of earthquake hazards management, whether emergency planning, public regulation, detailed building design, insurance rating, or investment decision.
(6)The vulnerability of buildings, lifeline infrastructure, public works, and industrial and emergency facilities can be reduced through proper earthquake resistant design and construction practices. The economy and efficacy of such procedures can be substantially increased through research and development.
(7)Programs and practices of departments and agencies of the United States are important to the communities they serve; some functions, such as emergency communications and national defense, and lifeline infrastructure, such as dams, bridges, and public works, must remain in service during and after an earthquake. Federally owned, operated, and influenced structures and lifeline infrastructure should serve as models for how to reduce and minimize hazards to the community.
(8)The implementation of earthquake hazards reduction measures would, as an added benefit, also reduce the risk of loss, destruction, and disruption from other natural hazards and manmade hazards, including hurricanes, tornadoes, accidents, explosions, landslides, building and structural cave-ins, and fires.
(9)Reduction of loss, destruction, and disruption from earthquakes will depend on the actions of individuals, and organizations in the private sector and governmental units at Federal, State, and local levels. The current capability to transfer knowledge and information to these sectors is insufficient. Improved mechanisms are needed to translate existing information and research findings into reasonable and usable specifications, criteria, and practices so that individuals, organizations, and governmental units may make informed decisions and take appropriate actions.
(10)Severe earthquakes are a worldwide problem. Since damaging earthquakes occur infrequently in any one nation, international cooperation is desirable for mutual learning from limited experiences.
(11)An effective Federal program in earthquake hazards reduction will require input from and review by persons outside the Federal Government expert in the sciences of earthquake hazards reduction and in the practical application of earthquake hazards reduction measures.
(12)The built environment has generally been constructed and maintained to meet the needs of the users under normal conditions. When earthquakes occur, the built environment is generally designed to prevent severe injuries or loss of human life and is not expected to remain operational or able to recover under any specified schedule.
(13)The National Research Council published a study on reducing hazards and risks associated with earthquakes based on the goals and objectives for achieving national earthquake resilience described in the strategic plan entitled “Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program”. The study and an accompanying report called for work in 18 tasks focused on research, preparedness, and mitigation and annual funding of approximately $300,000,000 per year for 20 years.
(Pub. L. 95–124, § 2, Oct. 7, 1977, 91 Stat. 1098; Pub. L. 101–614, § 2, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3231; Pub. L. 115–307, § 2(a), Dec. 11, 2018, 132 Stat. 4408.)
Connections202 cite this · traces to 4
Cited by 202 sections · top 60
public-private-law
- Public Law 116-260Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
- Public Law 115-141Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018
- Public Law 117-328Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023
- Public Law 114-113Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016
- Public Law 113-76Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014
- Public Law 115-31Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017
- Public Law 117-103Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022
- Public Law 113-6Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013
- Public Law 116-6Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019
- Public Law 116-93Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
- Public Law 117-43Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act
- Public Law 114-4Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes.Mar
- Public Law 115-307National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018
- Public Law 119-86Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026.
statutes-at-large
- Public Law 104–133To amend the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act to extend for two months the authority for promulgating regulations under the Act
- Public Law 105–64
- Public Law 106–377Making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes
- Public Law 97–101Making appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1982, and for other purposes
- Public LawMaking appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes
- Public Law 97–80To amend the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 and the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to authorize the appropriation of funds to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to carry out the earthquake hazards reduction programs and the fire prevention and control
- Public Law 98–371Making appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1985, and for other purposes
- Public Law 113–6Making consolidated appropriations and further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes
- Public Law 114–4Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and for other purposes
- Public Law 100–404Making appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1989, and for other purposes
- Public Law 98–45Making appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1984, and for other purposes
- Public Law 102–139Making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1992, and for other purposes
- Public Law 115–141To amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to include severe forms of trafficking in persons within the definition of transnational organized crime for purposes of the rewards program of the Department of State, and for other purposes
- Public Law 101–614To authorize appropriations for the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, and for other purposes
- Public Law 114–113Making appropriations for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and for other purposes
- Public Law 116–6
- Public Law 117–43Making continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for providing emergency assistance, and for other purposes
- Public Law 117–103Making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for providing emergency assistance for the situation in Ukraine, and for other purposes
- Public Law 110–329Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes
- Public Law 108–360To reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, and for other purposes
- Public Law 109–295Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes
- Public Law 101–144Making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1990, and for other purposes
- Public Law 116–260Making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, providing coronavirus emergency response and relief, and for other purposes
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statute-compilations
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- Sec. 819Except as expressly provided otherwise, any reference to “this Act” contained in this title or in title IV shall be treated as referring only to the provisions of this title or of title IV.
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- Sec. 901For an additional amount for “Records Center Revolving Fund” for the Federal Record Centers Program, $50,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or internationally, which shall be for offsetting the loss resulting from the coronavirus pandemic of the user charges collected by such Fund pursuant to subsection (c) under the heading “Records Center Revolving Fund” in Public Law 106-58, as amended (44 U.S.C. 2901 note): * Provided*, That the amount provided under this section in this Act may be used to reimburse the Fund for obligations incurred for this purpose prior to the date of the enactment of this Act: * Provided further*, That such amount is provided without regard to the limitation in subsection (d) under the heading “Records Center Revolving Fund” in Public Law 106-58, as amended (44 U.S.C. 2901 note): * Provided further*, That the amount provided under this section in this Act may be used to accelerate processing of requests for military service records received during the pandemic: * Provided further*, That such amount is designated by the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.
15 references not yet in our index
- 1
- Pub. L. 95–124, § 2
- 91 Stat. 1098
- Pub. L. 101–614, § 2
- 104 Stat. 3231
- 132 Stat. 4408
- Pub. L. 101–614
- Pub. L. 108–360, title I, § 101
- 118 Stat. 1668
- Pub. L. 106–503, title II, § 201
- 114 Stat. 2304
- Pub. L. 101–614, § 1
- Pub. L. 95–124, § 1
- Pub. L. 106–503, title II, § 207
- 114 Stat. 2307
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§ 7701
Congressional findings
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Fed. Reg.×44
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U.S.C.×8
Cite1
Pub. L.Pub. L. 95–124, § 2
Stat.91 Stat. 1098
Pub. L.Pub. L. 101–614, § 2
Stat.104 Stat. 3231
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