A bill to amend the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act to reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System, and for other purposes.
Sponsored By: Senator Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would modernize and reauthorize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System to expand monitoring technology, formalize who coordinates it, and increase funding for ongoing upgrades. It focuses on better instruments, clearer governance, and sustained resources.
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- Communities near volcanoes: The bill would expand on-the-ground detection and warning tools by updating positioning to Global Navigation Satellite System and adding unoccupied aerial vehicles, infrasound arrays, visible and infrared cameras, and advanced digital telemetry networks. This aims to improve detection and situational awareness for nearby residents.
- State emergency managers and partners: It would create an Implementation Committee that includes state agencies, institutions of higher education, and volcano observatories, and it would require the Secretary to coordinate public communication with state emergency management partners and explicitly recognize cooperative agreements.
- Scientists, observatories, and program managers: The bill would require maintenance and integration of new instrumentation and a cadence of management plan updates not less frequently than every 5 years to sustain modernization.
*It would increase authorized funding from $55 million to $75 million and extend the authorization window through 2033 and 2034.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More money and tools for volcano warnings
If enacted, the volcano warning system would get up to $75 million in authorized funding. It would raise the cap from $55 million to $75 million and extend authorizations to 2033 and 2034. The system would add new tools, like infrasound arrays, visible and infrared cameras, and advanced digital telemetry networks. It would keep using uncrewed aircraft and switch "GPS" to the broader "GNSS" standard. Agencies would need to maintain or expand the instruments and networks required.
New committee and clearer volcano alert roles
If enacted, the Secretary would set up an implementation committee to guide the volcano warning system. Members would include state agencies under cooperative agreements, colleges, and each volcano observatory. The committee would recommend requirements, steps, and performance standards. The bill would add the Chief of the Forest Service to the management list and recognize cooperative agreements as partnerships. It would require plan updates at least every 5 years and spell out who handles public alerts with state partners to avoid confusion.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
AK • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]
WA • D
Sponsored 3/13/2025
Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI]
HI • D
Sponsored 3/13/2025
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Sponsored 3/13/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov