ACCURATE Act

Summary#

This bill directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology to create a Commission on Hazard Risk Assessment Tools. The Commission will advise the Under Secretary and will: identify hazard risk assessment tools (for example, hazard maps, flood maps, hazard scores, and risk scores); identify key data inputs and parameters used to build those tools; develop recommended standards and specifications to validate tool quality; create standardized methods for collecting and checking key data; catalog tool quality and transparency needs; and recommend best practices for federal procurement of such tools. The Commission must include members from federal and state agencies, emergency responders, academia, industry groups (insurance, banking, utilities, construction, real estate, transportation), and other specialists. It must follow conflict-of-interest disclosure and recusal rules for members, deliver a series of reports to relevant congressional committees on a 9- to 18-month schedule, and terminate 5 years after enactment. If the Under Secretary adopts standards, federal agencies are to incorporate them "to the maximum extent practicable," and private sellers must document how tools conform to adopted standards when selling to federal agencies. The bill sets definitions for terms such as "built environment," "hazard risk," "hazard risk assessment tools," "natural hazards," and "material change."

What it means for you#

  • For federal agencies: A new advisory Commission will produce recommended standards, methods, and procurement guidance. Agencies that use or buy hazard assessment tools are asked to follow adopted standards when practical. Agencies may use nonconforming tools only if no standard applies or during a national emergency (with a required notification to Congress in the emergency case).
  • For vendors and model providers: If standards are adopted, vendors selling to federal agencies must document how their products meet those standards and how any material changes conform.
  • For state and local emergency organizations, researchers, and industry groups: The Commission includes representatives from these groups, so they may participate in developing recommendations and standards.
  • For individual members of the public: The bill does not directly change services or benefits to individuals. It focuses on standard-setting, reporting, and procurement practices for hazard risk assessment tools.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs, funding, or required appropriations is included in the bill text or metadata. The bill does not specify an appropriation or budget for the Commission.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text or metadata states proponents' arguments or stated benefits.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text or metadata states opponents' arguments or stated concerns.