March 17, 2016

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) has introduced new legislation in an effort to decrease losses and damages as a result of landslides.  The new bill, the National Landslide Loss Reduction Act (H.R. 4776) would create the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program and two competitive grant programs for landslide mapping and research.

The National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program would create an interagency working group led by the USGS. Other agencies involved would include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Weather Service (NWS). The program would support federal, state, and local research and mapping of landslide hazards, and would set national standards for identifying, assessing, and inventorying landslide losses across the country.

H.R. 4776 has been referred to both the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology where it will be considered before it can reach the House floor for a vote.

Sources: Congress.gov, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene