George E. Brown, Jr.: “this bill includes $15 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] to spend on research, particularly…”

“this bill includes $15 million for the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] to spend on research, particularly postearthquake investigations under section 11 of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program [NEHRP]. This program is very important to our understanding of earthquakes. It is imperative that we help the research teams that are out gathering such information to do their job as quickly as possible. It is also my understanding that all of the investigations will be carried out collaboratively among the NEHRP agencies. In view of the urgency of these investigations, I would like to request that we receive a plan from the agencies on the proposed study within 2 months of the signing of this bill. It is the intent of this provision that FEMA will distribute the funds to the NEHRP agencies as soon as possible after the enactment of this bill, and that my understanding of the uses of the $15 million concurs with the views of the chairman of the VA-HUD subcommittee of appropriations.”