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January 07, 2015

House Passes Legislation on Tsunamis, Windstorms, and Radiation Research

(Washington, DC) – Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 35, the Low-Dose Radiation Research Act; H.R. 23, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization; and H.R. 34, the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act. These are all bills that passed the House with strong bipartisan support last Congress.  

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, “Though last Congress was a challenging environment for bipartisanship, we were able to work across the aisle and pass these bills.  I am pleased that we are considering these non-controversial bills again so early in this Congress. I hope that this signals the start of a more productive Congress in the 114th.”

H.R.35  – The Low-Dose Radiation Research Act - to increase the understanding of the health effects of low doses of ionizing radiation. (Passed by voice vote under suspension of the rules)

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) said of the bill, “This bill authorizes an important research program carried out by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science to examine the health impacts of exposure to low doses of radiation, such as doses resulting from certain medical tests, nuclear waste clean-up activities, or even terrorism events like dirty bombs.”

H.R.23 - The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014 - reauthorizes the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP). (Passed by a vote of 381 to 39 under suspension of the rules)

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), an original cosponsor of the bill, said, “I was born and raised in South Florida and I am a survivor of Hurricane Andrew, so I have seen my share of severe weather and I know first-hand that natural hazards are a leading threat to American lives and America’s economy. While we cannot stop a hurricane or tornado from happening, this Congress can act to make sure our communities have the tools they need to respond to and recover from these disasters.”

H.R.34 - The Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2014 - reauthorizes and strengthens the tsunami detection, forecast, warning, research, and mitigation program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (Passed by voice vote under suspension of the rules)

Ms. Bonamici said of her legislation, “In the ten years since tragedy struck the Indian Ocean region, we have made significant strides in our understanding of how to prepare for, mitigate, and respond to a tsunami. I have no doubt that the progress we have made, in large part through NOAA’s efforts under the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, has enhanced the safety of our communities and will save lives. But this good work must be continued and this bipartisan bill will ensure the ongoing protection of our coastal communities from the impacts of tsunami events.”