About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

1 1 (December 04, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdcsu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 







              Congressional
              Research Servkc





Landslide Hazards Legislation in the

116th Congress



Updated December 4, 2020


Authorizing a Landslide Hazards Program

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that landslides kill an average of 25-50 people each year in
the United States and account for $1 billion to $2 billion annually in damages. Three nearly identical bills,
S. 529, H.R. 1261, and H.R. 8810, titled the National Landslide Preparedness Act, would authorize a
national landslide hazards reduction program within the USGS. The USGS currently operates, under its
Organic Act of 1879 and other authorities, such as the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-288), a
Landslide Hazards Program (funding level of $4.0 million in FY2020) within its Natural Hazards
Program. The bills would broaden the USGS's current activities and require coordination with other
federal agencies.
The legislation would direct the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), acting through the Director of the
USGS,  to establish a program to identify risks and hazards from landslides, reduce losses, protect
communities at risk, and improve communication and emergency preparedness. The bills would require
the program to map and assess landslide hazards; respond to landslide events; coordinate with nonfederal
entities to identify regional and local priorities; and develop and implement landslide hazard guidelines
for geologists, engineers, emergency managers, and land-use decisionmakers.
The House passed H.R. 1261 on June 3, 2019, the Senate passed S. 529 on July 30, 2020, and the House
passed H.R. 8810 on December 3, 2020. Congress must reconcile differences in the bills (e.g., reporting,
authorization of appropriations, and technical terminology) to enact the legislation.

Managing the Program

Section 3 of the bills would structure the program with elements roughly parallel to the National
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEIIRP; P.L. 115-307). An interagency committee chaired by
the Department of the Interior (DOI) would oversee and coordinate the landslide program and support the
development and execution of a national strategy for landslide hazards and risk reduction. The national
strategy would include an interagency plan for carrying out the national strategy.

                                                              Congressional Research Service
                                                                https://crsreports.congress.gov
                                                                                   IN11008

CRS  NSIGHT
Prepared for Membersand
Commi                                 ----es o Cong rss----------------------------------

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most