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Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§7703 Definitions

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 86— - EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION › § 7703

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The chapter gives simple meanings for key words used later. "Includes" means the things listed are examples, not the whole list. "Program" means the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. "Seismic" means about or caused by earthquakes. "State" names all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, and any other U.S. territory or possession. "United States" used geographically means those same places. "Lifeline infrastructure" covers public works and utilities like transportation, pipelines, power and communication systems, and water and sewage facilities. "Program agencies" are FEMA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. "Interagency Coordinating Committee" means the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction. "Advisory Committee" means the Advisory Committee set up under the Program. "Community resilience" means a community's ability to plan for, withstand, recover from, and adapt to damaging earthquakes.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §7703

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1)The term “includes” and variants thereof should be read as if the phrase “but is not limited to” were also set forth.
(2)The term “Program” means the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program established under section 7704 of this title.
(3)The term “seismic” and variants thereof mean having to do with, or caused by earthquakes.
(4)The term “State” means each of the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States.
(5)The term “United States” means, when used in a geographical sense, all of the States as defined in paragraph (4).
(6)The term “lifeline infrastructure” means public works and utilities, including transportation facilities and infrastructure, oil and gas pipelines, electrical power and communication facilities and infrastructure, and water supply and sewage treatment facilities.
(7)The term “Program agencies” means the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(8)The term “Interagency Coordinating Committee” means the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction established under section 7704(a) of this title.
(9)The term “Advisory Committee” means the Advisory Committee established under section 7704(a)(5) of this title.
(10)The term “community resilience” means the ability of a community to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse seismic events.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Par. (6). Pub. L. 115–307, § 2(c)(1)(A), substituted “lifeline infrastructure” for “lifelines”. Par. (10). Pub. L. 115–307, § 2(c)(2), added par. (10). 2004—Pars. (8), (9). Pub. L. 108–360 added pars. (8) and (9). 2000—Par. (6). Pub. L. 106–503 inserted “and infrastructure” after “communication facilities”. 1990—Par. (2). Pub. L. 101–614, § 4(1), amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “The term ‘program’ means the earthquake hazards reduction program established under section 7704 of this title.” Pars. (6), (7). Pub. L. 101–614, § 4(2), added pars. (6) and (7).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of all functions, personnel, assets, components, authorities, grant programs, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Under Secretary for Federal Emergency Management relating thereto, to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, see section 315(a)(1) of Title 6, Domestic Security. For

Transfer of Functions

, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including the functions of the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see former section 313(1) and section 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 7703

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73