Earthquake Prevention and Prediction Research Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Science and Astronautics.
Earthquake Prevention and Prediction Research Act - Directs the National Science Foundation to undertake a program of research which shall: (1) develop techniques insofar as possible for preventing the occurrences of, reducing the severity of, or otherwise directly minimizing the impact of earthquakes; (2) advance earthquake engineering research; (3) develop more accurate and reliable methods of earthquake-resistant analysis and design for all types of structures and for a variety of ground conditions; (4) develop improved methods, based upon the seismological characteristics of the area, of assessing the earthquake risk at all types of locations in populated areas of high seismic risk, and of establishing land use priorities designed to reduce the hazards from earthquakes; and (5) analyze the behavioral and psychological effects of earthquakes, and develop methods to alleviate and deal with them. Directs the National Science Foundation to develop and conduct a program of earthquake prediction which shall include: (1) heavy instrumentation of areas of high seismic risk where an earthquake would cause substantial injury to life and property, in order to obtain detailed records of data useful in developing earthquake prediction capability; (2) establishment of facilities for the collecting and computerized reduction, analysis, and interpretation from such instruments; (3) supporting procedures for field laboratory, and related theoretical studies directed toward description of predictive earthquakes phenomenon; (4) development and field testing of additional instruments which are useful in connection with the foregoing provisions of this section; (5) design and utilization of facilities and methods for the timely distribution of research and development results to the scientific and other concerned communities, including the exchange of useful information with the international earthquake research community; and (6) an analysis of the problems expected to be associated with the issuance of earthquake warnings to the population residing in high seismic risk areas and of steps which should be taken to make such warnings effective, and how to make a decision to issue such warnings. Authorizes to be appropriated to the National Science Foundation to carry out the purposes of this Act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1974, and for each of the next following three fiscal years, the sum of $20,000,000.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on October 2, 1973. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on October 2, 1973: Referred to House Committee on Science and Astronautics.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ALBERT JOHNSON (R-PA) introduced it on October 2, 1973. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on October 2, 1973, 19336 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 19336 days ago, on October 2, 1973.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers