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National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

A research and implementation partnership

About Us

Background&History

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) was established by the U.S. Congress when it passed the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, Public Law (PL) 95–124. At the time of its creation, Congress' stated purpose for NEHRP was "to reduce the risks of life and property from future earthquakes in the United States through the establishment and maintenance of an effective earthquake hazards reduction program." In establishing NEHRP, Congress recognized that earthquake-related losses could be reduced through improved design and construction methods and practices, land use controls and redevelopment, prediction techniques and early-warning systems, coordinated emergency preparedness plans, and public education and involvement programs.

Since NEHRP's creation, it has become the Federal government's coordinated long-term nationwide program to reduce risks to life and property in the United States that result from earthquakes. Since NEHRP's 1977 beginnings, Congress has periodically reviewed and reauthorized NEHRP (1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2004.) While changes have occurred in program details in some of the reauthorizations, the four basic NEHRP goals remain unchanged:

  • Develop effective practices and policies for earthquake loss reduction and accelerate their implementation.
  • Improve techniques for reducing earthquake vulnerabilities of facilities and systems.
  • Improve earthquake hazards identification and risk assessment methods, and their use.
  • Improve the understanding of earthquakes and their effects.

In its initial NEHRP authorization in 1977, and in subsequent reauthorizations, Congress has recognized that several key Federal agencies can contribute to earthquake mitigation efforts. Today, there are four primary NEHRP agencies:

Congress recently completed a thorough review of NEHRP, resulting in the NEHRP Reauthorization Act of 2004, PL 108–360 (PDF 102KB), which the President signed into law on October 25, 2004. Congress recognized that the slow implementation of new mitigation technologies, combined with continued widespread development in areas of high seismic risk, has resulted in rapid, steady increases in societal vulnerabilities to major earthquakes. Potential loss estimates for a large earthquake in a major U.S. urban area now approach $200 billion. (Also see Unofficial Amendment to PL 108–360 PDF 38KB.)

PL 108–360 directed that NEHRP activities be designed to develop effective measures for earthquake hazard reduction; promote the adoption of earthquake hazards reduction measures by government agencies, standards and codes organizations, and others involved in planning and building infrastructure; improve the understanding of earthquakes and their effects through interdisciplinary research; and, develop, operate, and maintain both the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) and the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). In a major new initiative, PL 108–360 also directed that NEHRP support development and application of performance-based seismic design (PBSD).

PL 108–360 levied a new responsibility on NIST to establish an Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR) that will assess scientific and engineering trends; program effectiveness (and consequent need for program revisions); and program management, coordination, and implementation. NIST is working in consonance with the other NEHRP agencies in 2006 to establish this committee. Congress specifically exempted this new committee from the requirement of Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) for all such committees to expire within two years of creation. The 2000 reauthorization of NEHRP similarly established the Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC) to provide guidance to USGS on its activities under NEHRP.

PL 108–360 also established the NEHRP Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC). The committee consists of the directors of the four primary program agencies, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The NIST Director chairs the ICC. The ICC oversees NEHRP planning, management, and coordination. It is further responsible for developing and updating the NEHRP strategic plan that established goals and priorities and a management plan that implements the strategic plan. The ICC must also develop and submit a coordinated interagency NEHRP budget and an annual report to Congress that ensures appropriate balance among NEHRP activities.

For more information on the events that led up to NEHRP, visit Milestones in Earthquake Research.

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NEHRP Agencies

The four NEHRP agencies work in close coordination to improve the Nation's understanding of earthquake hazards and to mitigate their effects. The missions of the four agencies are complementary, and the agencies work together to improve our understanding, characterization, and assessment of hazards and vulnerabilities; improve model building codes and land use practices; reduce risks through post-earthquake investigations and education; improve design and construction techniques; improve the capacity of government at all levels and the private sector to reduce and manage earthquake risk; and accelerate the application of research results. All four agencies are responsible for coordinating program activities with similar activities in other countries.

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
    NEHRP responsibilities include: promoting the implementation of research results; promoting better building practices; providing assistance to enable states to improve earthquake preparedness, emergency response and management; supporting the implementation of a earthquake education and public awareness program; assisting NIST and others in the implementation of improved earthquake-resistant design guidance for building codes and standards for new and existing buildings, structures, and lifelines; aiding in the development of performance-based design procedures; developing, coordinating, and executing the National Response Plan when required following earthquakes; and, developing approaches to combine earthquake hazards reduction measures with measures for reducing hazards for other natural and technological hazards ("multi-hazard design").

  • National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
    Designated as the lead NEHRP agency and has the primary responsibility for NEHRP planning and coordination. NIST conducts applied earthquake engineering research to provide the technical basis for building codes, standards, and practices, and is responsible for working with FEMA and others to implement improved earthquake-resistant design guidance for building codes and standards for new and existing buildings, structures, and lifelines. PL 108–360 assigns NIST significant new research and development (R&D) responsibilities to close the research-to-implementation gap and accelerate the use of new earthquake risk mitigation technologies based on the earth sciences and engineering knowledge developed through NEHRP efforts. These new responsibilities address a major technology transfer gap identified in the NEHRP Strategic Plan 2001-2005 (PDF 217KB)—developed in partnership with the stakeholder community. This gap is the limited adaptation of basic research knowledge gained through NSF-sponsored research into practical application. At the request of NIST, the Applied Technology Council (ATC) developed an R&D roadmap in 2003 to address the research-to-implementation gap (visit Summary Overview of the R&D Roadmap for more information). NIST is also responsible for supporting the development of performance-based design tools for building codes, standards, and construction practices.

  • National Science Foundation (NSF)
    Supports fundamental research at the frontiers of science and engineering to advance the nation's health, welfare, and safety. NSF supports research in seismology, structural and geotechnical earthquake engineering, and social, behavioral, and economic sciences pertinent to preparation for, mitigation of, responses to, and recovery from earthquakes and related events such as tsunamis and landslides. NSF also supports research to improve the safety and performance of geomaterials, buildings, structures, and lifeline systems using the large-scale experimental facilities of the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). Experimental and computational research is also supported at other institutions and through earthquake-related centers to develop a better understanding of the behavior of the Earth, foundations, buildings, bridges, and other structures, including the use of high-performance materials, advanced technologies, and smart structures for seismic hazard mitigation. NSF also supports post-earthquake reconnaissance, and collection of perishable data following a catastrophic event. NSF cooperates with USGS in the construction and operation of the Global Seismograph Network (GSN) and the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), to provide accurate, thorough, and timely information about earthquake ground motions and related effects. These research activities also support the NSF priority of broadening participation in science and engineering. NSF emphasizes programs aimed at tapping the potential of underrepresented groups, and ensuring that the United States maintains a world-class science and engineering workforce.

  • United States Geological Survey (USGS)
    Provides the Nation with earthquake monitoring and notification, delivers regional and national seismic hazard assessments, conducts targeted geoscience research, and coordinates post-earthquake investigations. The USGS Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) includes regional and national seismic networks and the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC), which provides rapid reporting of global earthquake information, and it develops and maintains national seismic hazard maps that form the basis for seismic provisions in building codes and performance-based structural design. The USGS program receives oversight and guidance from the external Scientific Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee (SESAC), which was established in the 2000 reauthorization of NEHRP. NSF and USGS jointly support the GSN, which provides high-quality seismic data to support earthquake and tsunami disaster response, hazards assessments, national security (through nuclear test treaty monitoring), and fundamental research into earthquake processes and the structure of the Earth.

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Legislation&Testimony

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Logo&Identity Guidelines

Please follow the NEHRP Identity Guidelines (PDF 355KB) to ensure consistent use of the NEHRP logo across all communication products.

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Send general inquiries and all feedback to info@nehrp.gov