This Act may be cited as the Tsunami Warning, Research, and Education Act of 2026.
(a) Definitions
Section 802 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(3) The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(4) The term Native Hawaiian organization has the meaning given the term in section 6207 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7517), except that the term includes the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
(5) The term Tribal organization has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
(b) Purposes
Section 803 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3202) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting timeliness and before accuracy;
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking and after the semicolon;
(A) by inserting, and coordination with Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, after coordination; and
(B) by striking the period and inserting; and; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
(9) to ensure data and metadata are managed, archived, and made fully available for operations, research, education, and mitigation activities.
(1) In general
Section 804 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3203) is amended—
(i) in paragraph (4), by inserting, using scientific and industry best practices, after operational condition;
(I) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) through (F) and subparagraph (G) as subparagraphs (E) through (G) and subparagraph (I), respectively;
(II) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
(D) the global navigation satellite system network;
(III) in subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, by striking; and and inserting a semicolon; and
(IV) by inserting after subparagraph (G), as so redesignated, the following:
(H) tidal gauges, water level gauges (including the National Water Level Observation Network and the National Water Monitoring Network), and buoys; and
(iii) in paragraph (6), by inserting before the semicolon and support data access and archiving pursuant to the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–435) and chapter 31 of title 44, United States Code;
(I) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking and the National Science Foundation and all that follows through shall— and inserting the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under which the Director of the United States Geological Survey, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall—;
(II) in subparagraph (A), by striking; and and inserting a semicolon;
(III) by amending subparagraph (B) to read as follows:
(B) support, including with continued financial assistance, operators of seismic stations installed before the date of enactment of the Tsunami Warning, Research, and Education Act of 2026 that supplement coverage areas of sparse instrumentation, with a focus on the most seismically active States and on stations with multi-State benefits;
(IV) by adding at the end the following:
(C) provide reliable and real-time support for the global navigation satellite system network data streams from the networks maintained by the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and supplement instrumentation coverage for rapid earthquake assessment; and
(D) assess data and information of the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for potential utilization in the warning system of the Administration, taking into consideration advancements in research and technology;
(v) by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (10) as paragraphs (9) through (11), respectively;
(vi) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following:
(8) include a cooperative effort among the Administration and the United States Geological Survey under which the Director of the United States Geological Survey shall incorporate tsunami notifications and warnings in the United States Geological Survey Earthquake Early Warning System;
(vii) in paragraph (9), as so redesignated, by striking graphical warning products, to at-risk States, territories, and tsunami communities and inserting graphical warning products and decision support aids, to at-risk States, territories, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and tsunami-prone communities;
(viii) in paragraph (10), as so redesignated, by striking and after the semicolon;
(ix) in paragraph (11), as so redesignated, by striking the period and inserting; and; and
(x) by adding at the end the following:
(12) initiate updates to maps, models, and other geographic products to support Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations with tsunami mitigation and recovery activities.
(i) by striking paragraph (1) and redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively; and
(ii) in paragraph (1), as so redesignated—
(I) by inserting timely and before adequate warnings;
(II) by striking and inundation models and inserting, inundation models, and alert levels;
(III) by striking Atlantic Ocean, including and inserting Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans, including; and
(IV) by striking that are determined— and all that follows through; and at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting that are determined to pose significant risks of tsunami for the United States (including territories of the United States) along the coastal areas of the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans; and;
(I) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking subsection (c). and inserting subsection (c), which centers shall be responsible for geographic areas of the United States (including territories of the United States), and international entities as the Administrator determines appropriate.;
(II) in subparagraph (A), by striking, which is primarily responsible for Alaska and the continental United States; and
(III) in subparagraph (B), by striking, which is primarily responsible for Hawaii, the Caribbean, and other areas of the Pacific not covered by the National Center;
(I) in subparagraph (A), by inserting current, water level after sea level,;
(II) in subparagraph (B), by striking and volcanic eruptions and inserting weather events, volcanic eruptions, and other sources;
(III) in subparagraph (C), by striking buoy data and tidal and inserting and coastal;
(IV) in subparagraph (F), by striking Federal, State, tribal, and local government officials and inserting Federal, State, and local government officials, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,;
(V) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) and subparagraphs (I) and (J) as subparagraphs (H) and (I) and subparagraphs (K) and (L), respectively;
(VI) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
(G) Providing a Tsunami Warning Coordinator at each center supported or maintained under paragraph (1) to coordinate with Federal, State, and local partners, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and emergency managers and to facilitate the use of products and services provided by each such center.
(VII) in subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, by inserting monitoring needs, after response,; and
(VIII) by inserting after subparagraph (I), as so redesignated, the following:
(J) In coordination with State and local partners, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations, updating, as the Administrator considers appropriate, forecast points, breakpoints, and special procedure areas.
(iii) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
(A) In general
The Administrator shall support and maintain fail-safe warning capability for the tsunami warning centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1).
(i) Service back-up drills
Not less than biannually, such centers shall conduct a service back-up drill to ensure they are able to perform back-up duties for each other.
(ii) Annual drills
Not less than annually, such centers shall conduct a tsunami warning drill with Federal, State, and local emergency managers, and emergency managers of Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(I) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)—
(aa) by inserting weather before forecast offices each place it appears;
(bb) by inserting national and regional before program offices; and
(cc) by striking 805(d) and inserting 805(b);
(II) in subparagraph (B), by striking and after the semicolon;
(III) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and inserting; and; and
(IV) by adding at the end the following:
(D) conduct education and outreach efforts to help prepare coastal communities for tsunami hazards.
(I) in the paragraph heading, by striking Uniform and inserting Standardized;
(II) in subparagraph (B), by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as subclauses (I) through (III), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
(III) in subparagraph (C), by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as subclauses (I) and (II), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
(IV) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as clauses (i) through (v), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly;
(V) by striking The Administrator and inserting the following:
(A) In general
The Administrator
(VI) in clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking uniform and inserting standardized;
(VII) in clause (ii), as so redesignated—
(aa) in subclause (II), as so redesignated, by striking; and and inserting a semicolon;
(bb) in subclause (III), as so redesignated, by striking the semicolon and inserting; and; and
(cc) by adding at the end the following:
(VI) are consistent across all tsunami warning centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1);
(VIII) in clause (iii)(II), as so redesignated, by striking uniform manner across such warning system and inserting standardized manner across such warning system and across the tsunami warning centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1); and
(IX) by adding at the end the following:
(B) Regional differences
Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall allow for regional differences with respect to the communication methods and decision support tools used by the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1) in order to meet the unique needs of the community served by such centers.
(vi) in paragraph (6), in the second sentence, by striking ensuring supercomputing and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting “ensuring—
(A) supercomputing resources are available to run, as rapidly as possible, such computer models as are needed for purposes of the tsunami warning system operated under subsection (c); and
(B) adequate staff capacity is maintained.
(vii) by adding at the end the following:
(7) Reporting
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this paragraph and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report and briefing on the progress and expected timelines of the following:
(A) Standardizing procedures, processes, products, and protocols under paragraph (5), including tsunami assessments, forecast guidance, and related products.
(B) Migrating the message generation systems of the centers supported or maintained under paragraph (1) to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, or a successor system.
(C) Compliance with paragraph (1), including any structural reorganization and updated organizational charts as may be necessary following the amendments to such paragraph by the Tsunami Warning, Research, and Education Act of 2026.
(D) Hiring for such centers of Tsunami Warning Coordinators under paragraph (2)(G) and other additional employees.
(E) Such centers conducting the drills required clauses (i) and (ii) of paragraph (3)(B).
(I) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting detect, measure, and after used to; and
(II) in subparagraph (C), by striking and the Advanced National Seismic System and inserting the Advanced National Seismic System, and the global navigation satellite system; and
(ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting in accordance with scientific and industry best practices before the period; and
(E) in subsection (g)(2)—
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking accuracy of the tsunami model used and inserting accuracy and timeliness of the tsunami model and forecast used to issue the warning; and
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking local, and tribal partners and inserting and local partners, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
(A) In general
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in collaboration with social scientists, Federal, State, and local emergency personnel, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and high-risk communities, shall initiate a study to—
(i) evaluate terminology, timing, and effectiveness with respect to tsunami alert levels of the tsunami warning system under section 804(c) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3203(c)); and
(ii) determine if tsunami alerts of such system produce the desired response and understanding from possible tsunami-prone communities.
(B) Updates and report to Congress
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall—
(i) update the alert level system of the tsunami warning system under section 804(c) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act for increased effectiveness; and
(ii) provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a briefing on the findings of the study under subparagraph (A).
(3) Review of NOAA Weather Radio coverage
The Administrator shall—
(A) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, initiate a review of the extent to which coverage by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards Program extends to areas at risk of tsunami; and
(B) not later than 1 year after such date of enactment—
(i) develop recommendations for increasing coverage by such Program in areas at risk of tsunami;
(ii) make the results of the review under subparagraph (A) available to the public; and
(iii) provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a briefing on the findings of the review required under subparagraph (A) and the recommendations required under clause (i).
(A) In general
The Administrator, in consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission, shall clarify and document the responsibilities and decision-making processes of the Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Communications Commission with respect to the use of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to deliver tsunami alerts to the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alerts system.
(B) Memorandum of understanding
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall—
(i) update its memorandum of understanding with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission to reflect the responsibilities and processes clarified under subparagraph (A); and
(ii) provide the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives with a copy of such updated memorandum of understanding.
(A) In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall initiate a comprehensive study to assess the coordination efforts between the tsunami programs under the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.) and the relevant Federal agencies, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations that could be affected by tsunamigenic events regarding tsunami forecasting and warning systems. Such study shall identify—
(i) the effectiveness of the internal collaboration, information sharing, and communication protocols between—
(I) the tsunami forecasting and warning program under section 804 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 3203);
(II) the tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 3204);
(III) the tsunami research program under section 806 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 3025);
(IV) the global tsunami warning and mitigation network under section 807 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 3206);
(V) the Tsunami Science and Technology Advisory Panel under section 808 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 3206a); and
(VI) any other programs of the Administration relevant to the functions of the tsunami programs under the Tsunami Warning and Education Act;
(ii) the effectiveness of the collaboration, information sharing, and communication protocols between the tsunami programs described in clause (i) and the United States Geological Survey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and any other Federal agencies, institutions of higher education, including Tribal Colleges or Universities, and other research institutions, determined relevant by the Comptroller General to the functions of such tsunami programs;
(iii) the effectiveness of the collaboration, information sharing, and communication protocols between such tsunami programs and the State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations in tsunami-prone areas, with a focus on outreach activities, warning dissemination, and evacuation guidance; and
(iv) recommendations for enhancing coordination efforts to strengthen the tsunami warning capabilities of the United States.
(B) Completion
Not later than 15 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall complete the study under this paragraph.
(C) Report to Congress; public availability
Not later than 180 days after completion of the study under this paragraph, the Comptroller General shall—
(i) submit a detailed report of the findings of the study to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and
(ii) make such findings publicly available.
(D) Recommendations
Not later than 1 year after completion of the study under this paragraph, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report that outlines for each recommendation in such study under subparagraph (A)(iv)—
(i) a description of the actions taken, or to be taken, to implement such recommendation; or
(ii) an explanation for why the Administrator considers the implementation of such recommendation as infeasible or inadvisable.
(d) National tsunami hazard mitigation program
Section 805 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3204) is amended—
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—
(i) by inserting and maintain after establish each place it appears; and
(ii) by striking Federal, State, local, and tribal government officials and inserting Federal, State, local, and Tribal government officials and representatives of Native Hawaiian organizations; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the semicolon, including vertical evacuation structures, sirens, and other potentially life-saving measures to ensure that communities designated as TsunamiReady have sufficient tsunami response options;
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking tribes, and inserting Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations,;
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking tribal, and local governments and inserting and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,;
(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting for seismic and non-seismic sources, including subduction zones, crustal faults, landslides, meteotsunamis, and volcanic activity before the period;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (B) and subparagraphs (C) through (G) as subparagraph (C) and subparagraphs (E) through (I), respectively;
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:
(B) Coastal digital elevation models to support the development of inundation maps.
(iv) by inserting after subparagraph (C), as so redesignated, the following:
(D) Probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis maps.
(v) by adding at the end the following:
(J) Evaluation of the variation of inundation impact resulting from tsunami-driven sediment transport.
(K) Evaluation of tsunami debris impact on critical infrastructure (as defined in subsection (e) of the Critical Infrastructures Protection Act of 2001 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e))) and lifelines.
(L) High-resolution and high-quality digital elevation models needed for at-risk waterways, ports, and harbors, particularly for regions with outdated or low-quality data, not covered by existing inundation maps, or identified as a priority by the Administrator.
(i) in subparagraph (C), by inserting and behavioral after social; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
(E) The development and continued maintenance of a user-friendly and up-to-date repository of inundation and evacuation maps for States, local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations on the website of the program conducted under subsection (a).
(F) The development of regularly updated standardized evacuation mapping guidelines using social and behavioral science and current best practices.
(i) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively; and
(ii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
(ii) tsunami source parameters;
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking tribal and inserting Tribal; and
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking tribal, and territorial governments and agencies, and inserting and territorial governments and agencies, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,; and
(4) in subsection (e), by striking tribes, and inserting Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations,.
(e) Tsunami research program
Section 806 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3205) is amended—
(A) by striking State, tribal, and territorial governments, and academic institutions and inserting State and territorial governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and academic institutions (including Tribal Colleges or Universities);
(B) by striking section 805(d) and inserting section 805(b); and
(C) by inserting and management after data collection;
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking, which may include and inserting for tsunamis with seismic and non-seismic sources, which may include deployment and;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking social science research and inserting social and behavioral science research, including data collection,;
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking and after the semicolon;
(D) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (7);
(E) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
(5) develop and maintain a data portal for advancing research and model development;
(6) develop decision support tools; and
(F) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by inserting before the period consistent with law and policy; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
(c) Research and development plan
Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this subsection and not less frequently than every 36 months thereafter, the Administrator, in consultation with the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services, shall develop a research plan to improve tsunami detection and forecasting capabilities that—
(1) identifies and prioritizes research and development priorities to satisfy section 804;
(2) identifies key research needs for better detecting and monitoring tsunamis that may occur in open ocean and along the coastlines of the United States and its territories, improving forecasting of tsunamis that are not seismically driven, and other opportunities determined appropriate by the Administrator, in consultation with the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services;
(3) develops plans for transitioning research to operations; and
(4) identifies collaboration opportunities that may further and align tsunami research, warnings, and operations between the centers supported or maintained under section 804(d), the tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Center for Tsunami Research, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, State and local governments, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, institutions of higher education, private entities, stakeholders, and others determined appropriate by the Administrator, in consultation with the Interagency Council for Advancing Meteorological Services.
(f) Global tsunami warning and mitigation network
Section 807(d) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3206(d)) is amended by inserting and management after data sharing.
(g) Tsunami Science and Technology Advisory Panel
Section 808(b)(1) of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3206a(b)(1)) is amended by inserting and behavioral after social.
(1) In general
The Tsunami Warning and Education Act (33 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.) is amended—
(A) by redesignating section 809 as section 811; and
(B) by inserting after section 808 the following:
Section 809. Annual reports
Not later than September 30 of each fiscal year, the Administrator shall provide the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report with an accounting of funds spent in such fiscal year for the programs authorized under this title, that includes—
(1) the amount of funds allocated for the tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805; and
(2) the amount of funds allocated for the tsunami research program under section 806.
Section 810. Government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes
The Administrator shall conduct government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes in implementing this title.
(2) Table of contents amendment
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–479; 120 Stat. 3575) is amended by striking the item relating to section 809 and inserting the following:
(i) Authorization of appropriations
Section 811 of the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, as redesignated by subsection (h), is amended to read as follows:
Section 811. Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this title $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031, of which—
(1) not less than 27 percent of the amount appropriated shall be for the tsunami hazard mitigation program under section 805; and
(2) not less than 8 percent of the amount appropriated shall be for the tsunami research program under section 806.