Official Summary

3/15/2010--Introduced.National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to establish within USGS a National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System program to monitor volca

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Official Summary

3/15/2010--Introduced.National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System Act - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to establish within USGS a National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System program to monitor volcanic activity and to warn and protect U.S. citizens from harm. Sets forth as System purposes to organize, modernize, standardize, and stabilize monitoring systems of U.S. volcano observatories and to unify monitoring systems into a single interoperative system. Sets forth as System objectives to monitor all U.S. volcanoes at a level commensurate with the threat they pose by upgrading existing networks on monitored volcanoes and installing new networks on unmonitored volcanoes. Requires the System to include:
(1) a national volcano watch office that is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
(2) a national volcano data center; and
(3) an external grants program to support research in volcano monitoring science and technology. Directs the Secretary to:
(1) submit to Congress a five-year management plan for establishing and operating the System and an annual report;
(2) establish an advisory committee; and
(3) coordinate activities under this Act with the heads of relevant federal agencies. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with universities and state agencies as volcano observatory partners.

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