
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document affected by Public Law 106-503 Section 201]
[Document affected by Public Law 106-503 Section 207]
[CITE: 42USC7701]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                CHAPTER 86--EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION
 
Sec. 7701. Congressional findings

    The Congress finds and declares the following:
        (1) All 50 States 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, South Carolina, 
    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) 
    prediction techniques and 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 in earthquake 
    prediction could provide data adequate for the design, of an 
    operational system that could predict accurately the time, place, 
    magnitude, and physical effects of earthquakes in selected areas of 
    the United States.
        (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, lifelines, 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 lifelines, such as dams, bridges, and public works, must remain 
    in service during and after an earthquake. Federally owned, 
    operated, and influenced structures and lifelines 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.

(Pub. L. 95-124, Sec. 2, Oct. 7, 1977, 91 Stat. 1098; Pub. L. 101-614, 
Sec. 2, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3231.)


                               Amendments

    1990--Pars. (5) to (11). Pub. L. 101-614 added pars. (5) to (7), 
struck out former pars. (5) and (6), and redesignated former pars. (7) 
to (10) as (8) to (11), respectively. Prior to amendment, pars. (5) and 
(6) read as follows:
    ``(5) An operational earthquake prediction system can produce 
significant social, economic, legal, and political consequences.
    ``(6) There is a scientific basis for hypothesizing that major 
earthquakes may be moderated, in at least some seismic areas, by 
application of the findings of earthquake control and seismological 
research.''


                      Short Title of 1990 Amendment

    Section 1 of Pub. L. 101-614 provided that: ``This Act [enacting 
sections 7705a to 7705e, amending this section and sections 7702 to 
7705, and 7706 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes 
under sections 7704, 7705b, and 7705e of this title] may be cited as the 
`National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act'.''


                               Short Title

    Section 1 of Pub. L. 95-124 provided: ``That this Act [enacting this 
chapter] may be cited as the `Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 
1977'.''

                         Delegation of Functions

    Functions of President under Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 
1977 delegated, transferred, or reassigned to Director of Federal 
Emergency Management Agency pursuant to sections 1-104 and 4-204 of Ex. 
Ord. No. 12148, July 20, 1979, 44 F.R. 43239, set out as a note under 
section 5195 of this title.
