§2.Commission on hazard risk assessment tools
This section establishes the Commission on Hazard Risk Assessment Tools as an advisory body to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, to be created not later than 180 days after enactment.
The commission's duties include (1) identifying hazard risk assessment tools and models (e.g., hazard maps, flood maps, risk scores) procured by federal agencies; (2) identifying sources of key data inputs (e.g., natural hazard frequency and severity, built environment inventories, vulnerabilities, and mitigation practices); (3) developing recommended standards and specifications for quality control of such tools, covering data inputs, model assumptions, and output validation; (4) developing recommended standardized methodologies and protocols for data collection, validation, and analysis; (5) cataloguing quality needs (e.g., reliability, usability, timeliness, accuracy, consistency, transparency) for federal tools; and (6) recommending best procurement practices, including evaluation of Federal Acquisition Regulations. Not later than 180 days after receiving recommendations, the Under Secretary must review them and determine whether to adopt, modify, or decline, potentially issuing guidance, standards, or directives for federal agencies.
The commission comprises representatives from 17 specified categories (e.g., federal hazard-modeling agencies, FEMA, state/local entities, industries such as insurance and construction, NGOs for urban/rural communities, and academia), chaired by the Under Secretary or designee. Appointments ensure expertise in at least one of seven areas (e.g., emergency management, hazard modeling, AI applications) with balanced representation, and vacancies must be filled within 30 days from the same category.