H.R. 3168, National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025
H.R. 3168 would amend the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to make changes to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, an interagency program focused on reducing earthquake-related risks to life and property. H.R. 3168 also would authorize appropriations of $83 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to implement the program. Of that amount, $30 million would be used for the Advanced National Seismic System which disseminates real-time information to communities about seismic activity to support response efforts.
Additionally, the bill would require the USGS to coordinate with the Federal Communications Commission and other agencies to improve and expand early warning systems for earthquakes, aftershocks, and tsunamis. The agencies also would be required to report to the Congress every two years about activities related to the program.
CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted near the end of calendar year 2025 and that the authorized amounts will be provided for each year beginning in 2026. In 2024, the USGS allocated $100 million for the program from funds provided in the appropriation acts for that year. Based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that reauthorizing the program would cost $383 million over the 2025-2030 period and $26 million after 2030, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
|
Table 1. Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under H.R. 3168 | |||||||
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars |
|||||||
2025 |
2026 |
2027 |
2028 |
2029 |
2030 |
2025-2030 |
|
Authorization |
0 |
83 |
83 |
83 |
83 |
83 |
415 |
Estimated Outlays |
0 |
60 |
78 |
81 |
82 |
82 |
383 |
On June 24, 2025, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for S. 320, the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 30, 2025. The Senate bill would authorize appropriations for multiple agencies for different amounts and for a different period than the House bill. The estimates reflect those differences.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel
Director, Congressional Budget Office
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