# What the Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act Does

This bill creates a new government committee focused on preparing the United States for extreme, large-scale disasters that could threaten the entire country. Think of it as establishing an official team dedicated to planning for worst-case scenarios—things like nuclear war, massive pandemics, asteroid impacts, or catastrophic failures of multiple critical systems at once.

The bill requires the President to set up an interagency committee within 90 days, bringing together leaders from nearly every major federal agency—from the Department of Defense and Homeland Security to NASA, the FBI, and the Environmental Protection Agency. These officials would work together to assess how likely these catastrophic events are, what damage they could cause, and whether the government is prepared to handle them. Within a year, the President must deliver a detailed report to Congress analyzing these risks, including estimates of how likely various threats are and what their consequences might be.

Beyond just studying the problem, the bill requires the government to develop an actual strategy for keeping Americans alive and safe if a catastrophic event destroys multiple critical systems like power grids, water supplies, transportation networks, and communications. This strategy needs to explain how the government would provide food, water, shelter, and emergency services when normal systems aren't working. It also requires coordination with state and local governments, private companies, nonprofits, and international allies. The bill emphasizes that people should be encouraged to prepare themselves rather than rely entirely on government help.

Finally, the bill mandates that the government test these plans through a large-scale national exercise involving federal, state, and local agencies, as well as companies that run critical infrastructure. The goal is to identify gaps and problems before a real crisis occurs, then report back to Congress on what worked and what needs improvement.

Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act of 2022

McCaul, Michael T.

Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act of 2022 This bill directs the President to establish an interagency committee on global catastrophic risk. Global catastrophic risk is defined as the risk of events or incidents consequential enough to significantly harm, set back, or destroy human civilization at the global scale. The President must (1) conduct and submit to Congress a detailed assessment of global catastrophic and existential risk; and (2) produce a report on the adequacy of continuity of operations and continuity of government plans based on the assessed risk. The President, with support from the committee, shall develop and submit a strategy to <ul> <li>provide for the basic needs of the civilian population that is impacted by catastrophic incidents in the United States;</li> <li>coordinate response efforts with state and local governments, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations;</li> <li>promote personal and local readiness and non-reliance on government relief during periods of heightened tension or after catastrophic incidents; and </li> <li> develop international partnerships with allied nations for the provision of relief services and goods. </li> </ul> The President must issue a plan to implement and operationalize the strategy. The Department of Homeland Security shall lead a national exercise to test and enhance the operationalization of the implementation plan. The President must provide recommendations to Congress for (1) actions that should be taken to prepare the United States to implement the strategy, increase readiness, and address preparedness gaps; and (2) additional authorities that should be considered to more effectively implement the strategy.