A bill to reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, and for other purposes.

S. 3881 would reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and Education Act, which expired at the end of fiscal year 2023. If enacted, the bill would increase funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) tsunami programs to $30 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2030, representing a significant increase from current appropriations. The bill would require NOAA to evaluate and improve tsunami alert communications, maintain fail-safe warning capabilities, and conduct annual tsunami warning drills with federal, state, local, and tribal partners.

The bill would also expand NOAA's coordination efforts to include tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations in tsunami warnings, preparedness, and response activities. Additionally, it would direct the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the nation's emergency preparedness for a potential Cascadia Subduction Zone event and require NOAA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to implement strategies to improve tsunami preparedness based on that evaluation. The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.