Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Tsunami Warning, Research, and Education Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill aims to reauthorize the Tsunami Warning and Education Act. It focuses on improving the timeliness and accuracy of tsunami forecasting and warnings across the Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans. The legislation expands coordination efforts to include Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. It also establishes new requirements for data management, scientific best practices, and service back-up drills. Additionally, the bill mandates studies on alert level effectiveness and NOAA weather radio coverage. Finally, it requires a comprehensive report on preparing for specific large-scale tsunami events.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +6
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill expands coordination with Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
- Scored +5
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?
The bill enhances tsunami warning timeliness, accuracy, and coordination with various agencies to improve disaster response.
- Scored +4
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill reauthorizes and directs support for tsunami research and the use of scientific best practices.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Warning Timeliness and Accuracy: The bill amends the purpose of the Act to include the "timeliness and" of warnings, which can help people receive life-saving information faster (Section 2(b)).
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Enhanced Tribal and Native Hawaiian Inclusion: The bill adds specific provisions for coordination with, and the inclusion of, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations in warning products, decision support aids, and mitigation activities (Section 2(b) and 2(d)).
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Increased Safety through Preparedness Drills: The bill requires tsunami warning centers to conduct service back-up drills at least biannually and annual drills with various emergency managers to ensure system readiness (Section 2(c)).
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Better Community Outreach and Education: The bill directs the administration to conduct education and outreach efforts to help prepare coastal communities for tsunami hazards (Section 2(c)).
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Improved Local Emergency Planning: By including the development of standardized evacuation mapping guidelines and user-friendly repositories for inundation maps, the bill helps local governments and communities plan more effectively (Section 2(d)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No explicit negative impacts are listed within the text of the provided bill.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill expands coordination with Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill specifically addresses preparedness and outreach for tsunami-prone, rural communities.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill enhances tsunami warning timeliness, accuracy, and coordination with various agencies to improve disaster response.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill reauthorizes and directs support for tsunami research and the use of scientific best practices.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates several reports to Congress regarding tsunami preparedness and research progress.
- 2/12/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska
Dan SullivanRepublican · Alaska