HR 7848
National Weather Safety Board Act
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Bill overview
This bill establishes the National Weather Safety Board, an independent entity responsible for investigating major disasters declared as ‘covered major disasters’ under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act. The Board will analyze preparedness and response efforts of various entities, including federal agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers, following severe weather events. It will produce reports and make recommendations to improve disaster response and preparedness, ensuring public access to this information.
Key provisions
- Establishes the National Weather Safety Board with a 7-member board appointed by the President.
- Requires the Board to develop a system for gathering information about covered major disasters.
- Authorizes the Board to investigate disasters declared as ‘covered major disasters’.
- Specifies entities to be investigated, including federal agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers.
- Mandates the submission of preliminary and final reports to Congress and the President.
- Requires the Board to make its reports and recommendations publicly available online.
- Provides the Board with subpoena authority to obtain necessary testimony and evidence.
- Defines ‘covered major disaster’ based on fatalities, injuries, and rapid-onset mass-casualties.
Who is affected
- Federal Agencies (Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, NOAA, National Weather Service, Federal Communications Commission, Army Corps of Engineers)
- State and Local Governments
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 7848
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To establish the National Weather Safety Board to investigate certain major disasters, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the National Weather Safety Board Act
.
National Weather Safety Board(in this section referred to as the
Safety Board).
The Safety Board shall be composed of not fewer than 7 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Not more than 4 members may be appointed from the same political party.
The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall jointly submit to the President a list of candidates for consideration for appointment to the Safety Board under paragraph (1). Such candidates shall have professional backgrounds in any of the following:
Atmospheric and hydrological sciences.
Commercial meteorological sciences.
Social sciences.
Academia.
The term of office of each member of the Safety Board shall be 5 years.
Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor is appointed in accordance with this subsection.
The President may only remove a member for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
Five members of the Safety Board shall constitute a quorum.
The information described in this subparagraph is the following:
The number of people impacted by a covered major disaster referred to in subparagraph (A).
The severity of such disaster.
The economic impact of such disaster.
If the Safety Board votes in the affirmative to investigate a covered major disaster pursuant to paragraph (2), the Safety Board shall carry out the following:
Investigate, with respect to such disaster, the preparedness for and response to such disaster of the entities specified in subparagraph (C), as the Safety Board determines relevant.
Whether such determinations were sufficient.
Upon request of the Safety Board, an entity specified in subparagraph (C) subject to an investigation conducted pursuant to this subsection, shall provide to the Safety Board any data or information the Safety Board determines necessary to aid in such investigation.
An entity specified in this subparagraph is any of the following, as the Safety Board determines relevant:
The Department of Homeland Security, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Federal Communications Commission.
A summary of the findings of such investigation.
The Safety Board shall develop, update, and make publicly available on a website of the Safety Board the following information:
The recommendations included in a report submitted under subsection (e)(2)(B).
The entity specified in subsection (d)(3)(C) with respect to which each such recommendation was made.
Whether each such entity has implemented each such recommendation.
The Safety Board shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date on which the final member of the Safety Board is confirmed by the Senate.
The term covered major disaster
means any of the following:
A severe weather event that is declared under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) to be a major disaster.
A severe weather event that results in any of the following:
At least 10 fatalities.
At least 100 injuries.
Rapid-onset mass-casualties, as determined by the Safety Board.
The term severe weather event
means a hurricane, tropical storm, flood, tornado, winter weather event, extreme cold event, or tsunami.