# The Built to Last Act of 2021: Plain Language Summary

This bill is about making sure the federal government creates and shares better long-term weather and climate predictions so that buildings, infrastructure, and communities can be designed to withstand future extreme weather. Right now, different agencies use different weather data and forecasting methods, which can create confusion. This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify one consistent set of the best available weather forecasting information, and then requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to help share that information with organizations that create building codes and safety standards.

The practical effect is that when engineers, architects, and builders are creating new building codes or safety standards, they'll have access to the same reliable federal weather data about future extreme weather patterns. For example, if a region is expected to experience more intense hurricanes or flooding in the coming decades, that information would be built into the standards for how buildings should be constructed in that area. The bill specifically covers extreme weather like hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, flooding, and extreme heat, as well as longer-term environmental changes like rising sea levels and wildfires.

The bill creates a working group of federal agencies to coordinate this effort, and it directs NIST to work through existing programs like the Fire Research Center and the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program to get this information to the organizations that actually write building codes and safety standards. Essentially, it's trying to make sure that as we build new structures and infrastructure, we're doing it with the best available information about what extreme weather and environmental challenges we'll actually face in the future, rather than just building based on historical patterns that may no longer apply.

Built to Last Act of 2021

Cartwright, Matt

Built To Last Act of 2021 This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to identify and support research that enables a consistent, federal set of forward-looking long-term meteorological information that (1) models future extreme weather events, other environmental trends, projections, and up-to-date observations; and (2) is suitable for specified uses, including federal and nonfederal efforts to develop and adopt standards, building codes, and voluntary certifications. NOAA must provide the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with mesoscale meteorological information when appropriate or upon request by NIST. NIST must publish the information and advise and provide technical assistance to organizations that develop standards, model building codes, or voluntary certifications in order for such organizations to appropriately use the information. The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in coordination with the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group, shall designate a working group to identify and support research that enables such forward-looking long-term meteorological information.