Commerce Committee Introduces Murkowski's Landslide and Earthquake Bill

08.01.24

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation released a positive report on the National Landslide Preparedness Reauthorization Act introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on a strong bipartisan basis. Murkowski’s bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), would reauthorize the current law for ten years, through FY 2034, and provide the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with additional authority and resources to help monitor and prepare for landslide hazards.

The committee also introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP) through FY 2028. Led by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Murkowski, the bill authorizes a total of $175.4 million annually from FY 2024-2028 across the four federal agencies responsible for long-term earthquake risk reduction under NEHRP: the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the USGS.

“Late last year, six Alaskans were killed in a landslide in Wrangell. Before that, landslides killed Alaskans in Sitka and Haines. These once-in-a-generation disasters are becoming more frequent, and smaller landslides, like the one that impacted Juneau last week, are routine,” Murkowski said. “We need to do everything we can to ensure communities in Alaska and across the country are prepared to predict, monitor and respond to landslides. Senator Cantwell and I are leading this reauthorization to modernize our federal programs and provide communities with the resources they need to save lives.”

“Alaska faces significant earthquake risks as the most seismically active state—and our communities must be prepared,” Murkowski continued. “The National Earthquake Hazard Reauthorization Act provides critical funding for federal agencies to research, develop, and implement earthquake safety measures.”

“Following the tragic landslide in Rangel in November 2023, reauthorizing the National Landslide Preparedness Act will provide our community with essential resources to assess and mitigate landslide hazards,” said Mason Villarma, Rangel City and Municipal Manager. “By strengthening advisory systems and improving emergency response strategies, this legislation will enhance Rangel’s resilience and safety. We thank Senator Murkowski for her unwavering support of this critical legislation.”

“Landslides are a major concern in Alaska. University of Alaska Fairbanks research can help communities across the state prepare for future events,” said Dan White, Chancellor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “We thank Senator Murkowski for her leadership in reauthorizing and increasing funding for the state’s primary landslide hazard program. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is grateful for her efforts to ensure Alaska is a priority in this legislation and we look forward to partnering with the appropriate federal agencies to help protect Alaskans’ lives and property from future landslides.”

“We are so grateful to Senator Murkowski for her efforts to support Alaskan communities as they face the challenge of increasing natural hazards like landslides and flooding,” said Arlie Reynolds, executive director of the Sitka Sound Science Center. “Through her efforts, the USGS, US Forest Service, National Weather Service, Alaska government agencies, tribal organizations, nonprofits, and local communities have come together in a working group to share our knowledge and best practices. As rapid environmental change drives increased frequency and severity of landslides in high latitude areas, this collaborative effort will ensure that local communities have the most up-to-date information on how to prepare and protect themselves from devastating impacts to life and infrastructure. Senator Murkowski understands the needs of our rural populations and sees how our collaboration across agencies, organizations, and local communities can serve as a model for the nation.”

“The new language in the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program will pave the way for Alaska to develop an early warning system for earthquakes, joining what already exists along the West Coast of the Lower 48 states,” said Michael West, a seismologist at the Alaska Earthquake Center. “While the National Landslide Preparedness Act will help Alaska deal with landslides in a changing climate. Both programs ensure collaboration between federal, state and university partners to ensure maximum benefit to Alaskans.”

Background to the National Landslide Preparedness Reauthorization Act: Congress passed the National Landslide Preparedness Act in early 2021, directing the USGS Hazard Reduction Program to develop a national landslide strategy, a national landslide hazard database, and a debris flow early warning system. The measure also created an interagency coordinating committee on landslide hazards, a federal landslide advisory committee, and two grant programs.

In addition to her legislation, Murkowski, a top appropriator, has secured more than $14 million in federal funding over the past three years for landslide-related work in Alaska, including in Barry Arm and Prince William Sound.

In the Interior appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 introduced out of committee last week, Murkowski added $1.5 million to the USGS landslide program in Prince William Bay and the southeastern United States, an increase of $1 million over last year, and language supporting ongoing warning work in the region. She also added $1 million to deploy, operate and maintain landslide detection and monitoring systems in high-risk areas.

Murkowski's bill would allocate $40 million annually to the USGS for landslide work, with at least $15 million annually to purchase and deploy landslide early warning systems in high-risk areas, many of which are in Alaska.

Both S. 3788, the National Landslide Preparedness Reauthorization Act, and S. 4802, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2025, will head to the Senate legislative calendar to await debate by the full Senate.

Background to the National Earthquake Hazard Reauthorization Act: This measure would authorize $10.6 million to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $5.9 million to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, $58 million to the National Science Foundation, and $100.9 million to the USGS annually from FY 2024-2028. This funding will support research, development, and implementation activities related to earthquake safety and hazard reduction.

Changes from the previous NEHRP reauthorization include:

Directing state and local entities to inventory high-risk buildings and structures; expanding the scope of seismic events to include earthquake-induced tsunamis; providing more technical assistance to tribal governments; and improving mitigation of earthquake-related risks.

Alaska faces significant earthquake risks as the most seismically active state—and all Alaskans live with earthquake risk. According to the Alaska Earthquake Center, more than 220,000 earthquakes have been reported in Alaska over the past five years, with 26 of them measuring 6.0 or greater. The most powerful earthquake to hit North America was the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, a magnitude 9.2 quake that lasted nearly five minutes and left 118 people dead and thousands more homeless.

The bill is supported by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), BuildStrong America, the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), the International Code Council (ICC), the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA), the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), the Seismological Society of America, and the Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC).

H.R. 3606, the National Earthquake Hazard Reauthorization Act, will now move to the Senate legislative calendar to await debate by the full Senate.

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