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.
This bill would reauthorize and modernize the National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System (NVEWS) established under the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act. It expands the technical toolkit used for detecting and monitoring volcanic activity by updating the system to include Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology (broader than GPS alone), unmanned aerial systems (drones), infrasound arrays, visible and infrared cameras, and advanced digital telemetry networks. It also requires ongoing maintenance or expansion of instrumentation for these technologies and mandates regular updates to the system’s management plan, with checks every five years. The bill creates an implementation committee to guide requirements, steps, and performance standards, and clarifies communication responsibilities to avoid confusion during volcanic events. Funding authorization is increased and extended into the 2030s, signaling a longer-term commitment to improving volcanic monitoring and public safety.
Key Points
- 1Modernization of monitoring tech: The system must include GNSS (not just GPS), UAVs, infrasound arrays, visible/IR cameras, and advanced digital telemetry networks, and must maintain or expand the necessary infrastructure for these technologies.
- 2Enhanced management plan requirements: The plan must include new or existing cooperative agreements, and updates must occur not less frequently than every five years after the plan is submitted.
- 3Establishment of an implementation committee: The Secretary must establish a committee that includes state agency representatives, institutions of higher education, and each volcano observatory, to advise on requirements, steps, and performance standards for the System.
- 4Clear communications framework: The Secretary, working with state emergency management partners, must allocate and coordinate public communication responsibilities to prevent confusion or duplication during volcanic events.
- 5Increased and extended funding authorization: The annual funding authorization is raised from $55 million to $75 million, with the authorization extended through 2033 (for the first year) and 2034 (for the following year), effectively lengthening the program’s fiscal outlook.