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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-102

§7705e Post-earthquake Investigations Program

Title 42 › CHAPTER 86 — EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION › § 7705e

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

USGS must run a post‑earthquake program to study major quakes and find ways to reduce deaths and property damage. USGS will quickly organize investigations with program agencies. Studies can use grantees or contractors. Agencies must share findings widely. The Survey Director can hire experts from the Agency, the National Science Foundation, NIST, federal agencies, and private contractors and pay them. At minimum, investigations must include: NSF and USGS studying quake causes and ground motion; NSF and NIST studying how structures and lifelines behaved; and each program agency reviewing its mitigation efforts and ways to strengthen them.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §7705e

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

There is established within the United States Geological Survey a post-earthquake investigations program, the purpose of which is to investigate major earthquakes, so as to learn lessons which can be applied to reduce the loss of lives and property in future earthquakes. The United States Geological Survey, in consultation with each Program agency, shall organize investigations to study the implications of the earthquake in the areas of responsibility of each Program agency. The investigations shall begin as rapidly as possible and may be conducted by grantees and contractors. The Program agencies shall ensure that the results of investigations are disseminated widely. The Director of the Survey is authorized to utilize earthquake expertise from the Agency, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, other Federal agencies, and private contractors, on a reimbursable basis, in the conduct of such earthquake investigations. At a minimum, investigations under this section shall include—
(1)analysis by the National Science Foundation and the United States Geological Survey of the causes of the earthquake and the nature of the resulting ground motion;
(2)analysis by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology of the behavior of structures and lifeline infrastructure, both those that were damaged and those that were undamaged; and
(3)analysis by each of the Program agencies of the effectiveness of the earthquake hazards mitigation programs and actions relating to its area of responsibility under the Program, and how those programs and actions could be strengthened.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Par. (2). Pub. L. 115–307 substituted “lifeline infrastructure” for “lifelines”.

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. Report on Funding of Program Pub. L. 101–614, § 11(b), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3239, directed Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency in consultation with other agencies of National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, not later than one year after Nov. 16, 1990, to report to Congress on possible options for funding a program for post-earthquake investigations, which would, at a minimum, consider funding such a program either by setting aside a percentage of disaster relief funds provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency after a major earthquake or by a revolving fund, and which would also include a recommendation on how the funding for such investigations would be allocated among the other Program agencies.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 7705e

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102