National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018 Passes House with Jayapal As Democratic Co-Sponsor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, S. 1768, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018, passed the United States House of Representatives after successfully passing the Senate in September. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) was the sole Democratic co-sponsor of the House version. The bill is expected to go to President Trump’s desk in the coming weeks.

“National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization is the first step to ensure our states have the resources they need to prepare for earthquakes; states like mine that have been anticipating a catastrophic earthquake for many years,” said Jayapal. “As we’ve watched tragedies unfold around the world, it’s clear we must do everything in our power to build resilience so that when earthquakes inevitably strike, our communities are as prepared as they can be. This has been an important issue to me since my days in the Washington State Senate, given our state’s geography and the serious threats we face from earthquakes.

“This reauthorization will help make sure all our communities have the basics covered, including improving building standards, early warning systems, and better monitoring for seismic activity. I hope this bill will be one of many that we pass to invest in strong infrastructure and disaster preparedness. I look forward to working with my colleagues to push this forward in the next Congress.”