[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2037 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 459
107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2037

                          [Report No. 107-186]

 To mobilize technology and science experts to respond quickly to the 
threats posed by terrorist attacks and other emergencies, by providing 
   for the establishment of a national emergency technology guard, a 
  technology reliability advisory board, and a center for evaluating 
  antiterrorism and disaster response technology within the National 
                 Institute of Standards and Technology.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 20, 2002

 Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Allen) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

                             June 27, 2002

              Reported by Mr. Hollings, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To mobilize technology and science experts to respond quickly to the 
threats posed by terrorist attacks and other emergencies, by providing 
   for the establishment of a national emergency technology guard, a 
  technology reliability advisory board, and a center for evaluating 
  antiterrorism and disaster response technology within the National 
                 Institute of Standards and Technology.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Science and Technology 
Emergency Mobilization Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) The National Guard has played an essential 
        role in enabling America to respond efficiently and effectively 
        to emergencies of all kinds. By providing an organized corps of 
        highly capable personnel available for prompt mobilization, the 
        National Guard significantly enhances the safety and security 
        of all Americans.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Urban Search and Rescue Teams under the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency and Medical Response Teams 
        under the Department of Health and Human Services further 
        enhance the nation's ability to respond to emergencies, by 
        making crucial specialized expertise available on a prompt 
        basis.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The National Coordinating Center for 
        Telecommunications, housed at the National Communications 
        System, enhances the Nation's ability to mitigate, respond to, 
        and recover from disruptions by coordinating with the 
        telecommunications industry.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 
        September 11, 2001, many private-sector technology and science 
        experts provided valuable assistance to rescue and recovery 
        efforts by donating their time and expertise. However, many who 
        wished to help had significant difficulty determining how they 
        could be most useful. They were hampered by the lack of any 
        organizational structure to harness their abilities and 
        coordinate their efforts.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) A prompt and well-coordinated deployment of 
        technology and science expertise could help save lives, aid 
        rescue efforts, and rebuild critical technology infrastructures 
        in the event of a future major terrorist attack, natural 
        disaster, or other emergency. Technology and science expertise 
        also could help minimize the vulnerability of critical 
        infrastructure to future attacks or natural 
        disasters.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Police, fire personnel, and other local 
        emergency responders frequently could benefit from timely 
        technological assistance, but there is not currently an 
        organized system for locating the desired help.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Efforts to develop and deploy innovative new 
        technologies for use by government emergency prevention and 
        response agencies can be hampered by the lack of a clear 
        contact point within the federal government for intake and 
        evaluation of technology ideas.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Emergency response efforts are frequently 
        hampered by the inability of police, fire, and other emergency 
        response personnel to communicate effectively with each other 
        and with their counterparts from nearby jurisdictions, due to 
        incompatible communications systems. Some programs, such as the 
        Capital Wireless Integrated Network (CapWIN), have made 
        significant progress in addressing the issue of interoperable 
        communications between emergency service providers in 
        particular urban areas and the Federal government has sought to 
        address the issue through Project SAFECOM and the Public Safety 
        Wireless Networks program. Relatively few States and 
        localities, however, have achieved a sufficient level of 
        communications interoperability.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to mobilize 
America's extensive capability in technology and science in responding 
to the threats posed by terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other 
major emergencies, by creating--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) teams of volunteers with technology and 
        science expertise, organized in advance and available to be 
        mobilized on short notice, similar to Urban Search and Rescue 
        Teams and Medical Response Teams;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) a ``virtual technology reserve'' consisting of 
        a database of private-sector equipment and expertise that 
        emergency officials may call upon in an emergency; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) a national clearinghouse and test bed for 
        innovative civilian technologies relating to emergency 
        prevention and response.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY TECHNOLOGY 
              GUARD.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the President shall establish an office within 
the Executive Branch for the purpose of mobilizing technology and 
science experts to form a national emergency technology guard. The 
office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the 
President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) National Emergency Technology Guard Teams.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Certification procedures.--The Director shall 
        develop a procedure by which a group of individuals (including 
        individuals from a single company or academic institution or 
        from multiple such entities) with technological expertise may 
        form a team and apply for certification as a national emergency 
        technology guard team. Each such team shall be comprised of 
        individuals with appropriate technological or scientific 
        expertise and be available for deployment on short notice to 
        provide technology-based assistance to Federal, State, and 
        local emergency response agencies, and nongovernmental 
        emergency aid, assistance, and relief organizations.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Team formation.--The Director may develop and 
        implement a system for facilitating the formation of such teams 
        by helping individuals that wish to participate in such teams 
        to locate and contact one another.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Criteria for certification.--The Director 
        shall establish criteria for the certification of such teams, 
        including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the types of expertise, capabilities, 
                and equipment required; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) minimum training and practice 
                requirements, including participation in not less than 
                2 emergency drills each year.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Certification and credentials.--The Director 
        shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) certify any group of individuals 
                requesting certification as a national emergency 
                technology guard team that, in the opinion of the 
                Director, complies with the procedures established 
                under paragraph (1) and meets the criteria established 
                under paragraph (2);</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) issue such credentials and forms of 
                identification as the Director determines to be 
                appropriate identifying each such team and its members; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) suspend or withdraw certification, and 
                recover credentials from, any certified national 
                emergency technology guard team that fails to meet the 
                criteria after its initial certification, or, after 
                notice and an opportunity for a hearing, for other good 
                cause shown.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Compensation; per diem, travel, and 
        transportation expenses.--While actually engaged in performing 
        duties, including travel time, assigned by the Director, 
        members of a national emergency technology guard team not 
        otherwise employed by the Federal government may be--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) compensated for temporary or 
                intermittent services as experts or consultants under 
                section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) allowed travel or transportation 
                expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as 
                provided by section 5703 of that title.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties of the Director.--In addition to administering 
the office and certifying national emergency technology guard teams 
pursuant to subsection (b), the Director shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) activate national emergency technology guard 
        teams in an emergency (as defined in section 102(1) of the 
        Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 5122(1)) or a major disaster (as defined in section 
        102(2) of that Act);</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) provide, in consultation with the Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency, for access by team members to 
        emergency sites;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) develop and maintain a virtual technology 
        reserve consisting of a database of technology or scientific 
        expertise and equipment that nongovernmental entities have 
        volunteered to make available in an emergency to national 
        emergency technology guard teams, Federal, State, and local 
        emergency response agencies, or nongovernmental emergency aid, 
        assistance, and relief organizations, and develop such 
        procedures as may be necessary to ensure the validity, 
        reliability, and security of the information in the 
        database;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) develop procedures that enable Federal, State, 
        and local emergency response agencies and nongovernmental 
        emergency aid, assistance, and relief organizations to access 
        the database quickly in an emergency in order to identify 
        potential sources of technology assistance;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) assign, on a voluntary basis, national 
        emergency technology guard teams or individual members of such 
        teams to work, on a temporary basis and subject to subsection 
        (b)(4), on--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the development and maintenance of the 
                database described in paragraph (2) and the procedures 
                for access to the database; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) such other technology related projects 
                to improve emergency preparedness and prevention as the 
                Director determines to be appropriate, including (at 
                the discretion of the Director)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) development and maintenance of 
                        databases or other technologies that could be 
                        deployed quickly at the site of an emergency 
                        and used--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) to match offers of 
                                assistance with needs at the 
                                site;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) to identify 
                                individuals missing, injured, or killed 
                                as a result of the emergency, track 
                                their location, and facilitate the use 
                                of missing persons reports in the 
                                identification process;</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (III) to handle 
                                credentialing for controlling access to 
                                the emergency site; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) consultation with State and 
                        local emergency response agencies on ways to 
                        enhance the robustness, interoperability, and 
                        security of their emergency communications 
                        systems; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) provision of other 
                        nonemergency technology advice and assistance 
                        requested by State and local emergency response 
                        agencies;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) coordinate the activities of the office with 
        Federal, State, and local government agencies (including the 
        National Communications System), and nongovernmental emergency 
        aid, assistance, and relief organizations; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) ensure that the activities of the office build 
        upon, rather than duplicate, the work done by the National 
        Communications System and the reports and recommendations of 
        the National Security Telecommunications Advisory 
        Committee.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. TECHNOLOGY RELIABILITY ADVISORY BOARD.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Director shall appoint a Technology 
Reliability Advisory Board and designate a chair and vice-chair of the 
Board.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Membership.--The Board shall be comprised of 9 
members, selected on the basis of the relevance of their training, 
experience, and expertise and without regard to political affiliation 
for a term of 3 years, except that of the members initially appointed, 
one-third shall be appointed for a term of 1 year, one-third shall be 
appointed for a term of 2 years, and one-third shall be appointed for a 
term of 3 years. If any member appointed to the Board does not serve 
the full term to which that member was appointed, the Director shall 
appoint a successor to serve the balance of that term. The Board shall 
elect a chair and a vice chair from among its members. The vice chair 
shall function as the chair whenever there is a vacancy in the chair or 
when requested by the chair.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Function.--The Board shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) meet at such times and places as the Director 
        may require, or, with the consent of the Director, at the call 
        of its chair;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) provide guidance to government, industry, and 
        the public on technical aspects of how to make technology 
        infrastructure less vulnerable to disruption;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) make recommendations with respect to what 
        constitute good practices with respect to redundancy, backups, 
        disaster planning, emergency preparedness and recovery of 
        technological and communications systems;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) coordinate its efforts, as appropriate, with 
        the Office of Homeland Security, the President's Critical 
        Infrastructure Protection Board, and the National 
        Communications System; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) provide advice and counsel to the 
        Director.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. CENTER FOR CIVILIAN HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY 
              EVALUATION.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall establish within the Institute a Center 
for Civilian Homeland Security Technology Evaluation.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Function.--The Center shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) serve as a national clearinghouse for 
        innovative technologies relating to security and emergency 
        preparedness and response;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) upon request consult with and advise Federal 
        agencies about the development, modification, acquisition, and 
        deployment of technology relating to security and emergency 
        preparedness and response;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) investigate promising new technologies 
        relating to security and emergency preparedness and response; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) operate, in cooperation with other Federal 
        agencies, the National laboratories, and the National Academies 
        of Sciences, a technology test bed for evaluating new 
        technology when requested by a Federal agency to determine 
        whether it meets Federal, State, or local government or 
        nongovernmental needs for homeland security and emergency 
        preparedness and response purposes.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Procurement Not Conditioned on Submission.--Nothing in 
this section requires a technology to be submitted to, or evaluated by, 
the Center in order to be eligible for procurement by Federal 
agencies.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. REPORTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Wireless Communications Capabilities for First 
Responders.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
National Communications System shall, in consultation with the National 
Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Committee, the 
Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, and other Federal agencies as appropriate, 
submit a report to the Congress setting forth policy options and 
recommendations for ensuring that emergency officials and first 
responders have access to effective and reliable wireless 
communications capabilities. The report shall include an examination of 
the possibility of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) developing a system of priority access to 
        existing commercial wireless systems;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) designating national emergency spectrum to be 
        held in reserve for public safety and emergency purposes; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) creating a specialized public safety 
        communications network or networks for use with wireless 
        devices customized for public safety use.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) In-Kind Donations.--Within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in 
consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall submit to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives a report 
on the barriers to acceptance by Federal agencies of in-kind donations 
of technology and services during emergency situations. The report 
shall include recommendations for any legislative changes or conditions 
needed to make the use of such donations possible.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. COMMUNICATIONS INTEROPERABILITY PILOT 
              PROJECTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the United States 
Fire Administration shall establish and conduct a pilot program for 
planning or implementation of interoperable communications systems for 
appropriate emergency response agencies.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Grants.--The Administrator shall, in consultation with 
the manager of the Public Safety Wireless Networks program, make grants 
under the program of $5,000,000 each to 7 different States for pilot 
projects under the program.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Criteria; Administrative Provisions.--The 
Administrator shall prescribe such criteria for eligibility for 
projects and for grantees, including applications, fund use assurance 
and accounting, and reporting requirements as the Administrator deems 
appropriate. In prescribing such criteria, the Administrator shall 
consult with the administrators of existing projects designed to 
facilitate public safety communications interoperability concerning the 
best practices and lessons learned from such projects.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) National Emergency Technology Guard.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the head of the department or agency 
in which the office established under section 3(a) is created 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to carry out sections 
3 and 4.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology to carry out section 5--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Fire Administration.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the United States Fire Administration $35,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2003 to carry out section 7 of this Act, such seems to 
remain available until expended.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) National Communications System.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated to the National Communications System $500,000 for 
fiscal year 2003 to carry out section 6 of this Act.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 9. EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act, the term ``emergency response agency'' 
includes agencies providing any of the following services:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Law Enforcement services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Fire services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Emergency Medical services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Public Safety Communications.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Emergency Preparedness.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Science and Technology Emergency 
Mobilization Act''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 
        11, 2001, many private-sector technology and science experts 
        provided valuable assistance to rescue and recovery efforts by 
        donating their time and expertise. However, many who wished to 
        help had significant difficulty determining how they could be 
        most useful. They were hampered by the lack of any 
        organizational structure to harness their abilities and 
        coordinate their efforts.
            (2) A prompt and well-coordinated volunteer base of 
        technology and science expertise could help save lives, aid 
        rescue efforts, and rebuild critical technology infrastructures 
        in the event of a future major terrorist attack, natural 
        disaster, or other emergency. Technology and science expertise 
        also could help minimize the vulnerability of critical 
        infrastructure to future attacks or natural disasters.
            (3) Police, fire personnel, and other local emergency 
        responders frequently could benefit from timely technological 
        assistance, and efforts to organize a system to assist in 
        locating the desired help should be expedited.
            (4) Efforts to develop and deploy innovative new 
        technologies for use by government emergency prevention and 
        response agencies would be improved by the designation of a 
        clear contact point within the federal government for intake 
        and evaluation of technology ideas.
            (5) The creation of compatible communications systems would 
        strengthen emergency response efforts of police, fire, and 
        other emergency response personnel to communicate effectively 
        with each other and with their counterparts from nearby 
        jurisdictions. Some programs, such as the Capital Wireless 
        Integrated Network (CapWIN), have made significant progress in 
        addressing the issue of interoperable communications between 
        emergency service providers in particular urban areas and the 
        Federal government has sought to address the issue through the 
        Public Safety Wireless Networks program. Relatively few States 
        and localities, however, have achieved a sufficient level of 
        communications interoperability.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to reinforce, focus, and 
expedite ongoing efforts to mobilize America's extensive capability in 
technology and science in responding to the threats posed by terrorist 
attacks, natural disasters, and other major emergencies, by creating--
            (1) a national emergency technology guard or ``NET Guard'' 
        that includes--
                    (A) rapid response teams of volunteers with 
                technology and science expertise, organized at the 
                local level; and
                    (B) opportunities for NET Guard volunteers to 
                assist with non-emergency tasks related to local 
                preparedness and prevention, including reducing the 
                vulnerability of government information technology 
                systems;
            (2) a national clearinghouse for innovative civilian 
        technologies relating to emergency prevention and response; and
            (3) a pilot program to assist state efforts to achieve the 
        interoperability of communications systems used by fire, law 
        enforcement, and emergency preparedness and response agencies.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY TECHNOLOGY GUARD.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the President shall designate an appropriate department, 
agency, or office to compile and maintain a repository database of 
nongovernmental technology and science experts who have offered, and 
who can be mobilized, to help Federal agencies counter terrorism.
    (b) Net Guard Disaster Response Teams.--
            (1) Certification procedures.--The President shall also 
        designate an appropriate department, agency, or office (which 
        may be the department, agency, or office designated under 
        subsection (a)) to develop a procedure to encourage groups of 
        volunteers with technological or scientific expertise to team 
        with individuals from State and local governments, local 
        emergency response agencies, and nongovernmental emergency aid, 
        assistance, and relief organizations.
            (2) Team formation.--The department, agency, or office 
        designated under paragraph (1) may develop and implement a 
        system for facilitating the formation of local teams of such 
        volunteers by helping individuals that wish to participate in 
        such teams to locate and contact one another.
            (3) Criteria for certification.--The department, agency, or 
        office designated under paragraph (1) shall establish criteria 
for the certification of such teams, including--
                    (A) the types of expertise, capabilities, and 
                equipment required; and
                    (B) minimum training and practice requirements, 
                including participation in not less than 2 emergency 
                drills each year.
            (4) Certification and credentials.--The department, agency, 
        or office designated under paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) certify any group of individuals requesting 
                certification as a NET Guard disaster response team 
                that complies with the procedures established under 
                paragraph (1) and meets the criteria established under 
                paragraph (3);
                    (B) issue credentials and forms of identification 
                as appropriate identifying each such team and its 
                members; and
                    (C) suspend, withdraw, or terminate certification 
                of and recover credentials and forms of identification 
                from any NET Guard disaster response team, or any 
                member thereof, when the head of the entity designated 
                deems it appropriate.
            (5) Compensation; per diem, travel, and transportation 
        expenses.--The department, agency, or office designated under 
        paragraph (1) may authorize the payment to a member of a NET 
        Guard disaster response team, for the period that member is 
        engaged in performing duties as such member at the request of 
        the United States--
                    (A) compensation as employees for temporary or 
                intermittent services as experts or consultants under 
                section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; and
                    (B) travel or transportation expenses, including 
                per diem in lieu of subsistence, as provided by section 
                5703 of title 5.
    (c) Additional Authorities.--The head of the department, agency, or 
office designated under paragraph (1) may--
            (1) activate NET Guard disaster response teams in an 
        emergency (as defined in section 102(1) of the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5122(1)) or a major disaster (as defined in section 
        102(2) of that Act);
            (2) provide for access by team members to emergency sites; 
        and
            (3) assign, on a voluntary basis, NET Guard volunteers to 
        work, on a temporary basis on--
                    (A) the development and maintenance of the database 
                described in subsection (a) and the procedures for 
                access to the database; and
                    (B) such other technology related projects to 
                improve emergency preparedness and prevention as may be 
                appropriate.

SEC. 4. CENTER FOR CIVILIAN HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION.

    (a) In General.--The President shall establish a Center for 
Civilian Homeland Security Technology Evaluation within the Executive 
Branch to evaluate innovative technologies relating to security and 
emergency preparedness and response and to serve as a national 
clearinghouse for such technologies.
    (b) Function.--The Center shall--
            (1) serve as a principal, national contact point for the 
        intake of innovative technologies relating to security and 
        emergency preparedness and response;
            (2) evaluate promising new technologies relating to 
        security and emergency preparedness and response;
            (3) assure persons and companies that have submitted a 
        technology receive a timely response to inquiries;
            (4) upon request by Federal agencies consult with and 
        advise Federal agencies about the development, modification, 
        acquisition, and deployment of technology relating to security 
        and emergency preparedness and response; and
            (5) provide individuals and companies that have submitted 
        information about a technology the ability to track, to the 
        extent practicable, the current status of their submission 
        online.
    (c) Model.--The Center may be modeled on the Technical Support 
Working Group that provides an interagency forum to coordinate research 
and development of technologies for combating terrorism.
    (d) Internet Access.--
            (1) In general.--The President shall create an online 
        portal accessible through the FirstGov Internet website 
        (www.firstgov.gov), or any successor to such website, to 
        provide individuals and companies with innovative technologies 
        a single point of access to the Center and a single point of 
        contact at each Federal agency participating in the Center.
            (2) Functions.--The Center portal shall--
                    (A) provide individuals and companies with an 
                online opportunity to obtain information about various 
                open solicitations relevant to homeland security and 
points of contact for submission of solicited and unsolicited 
proposals; and
                    (B) include safeguards to ensure that business 
                proprietary information is protected and that no 
                personally identifiable information is accessible to 
                unauthorized persons.
    (e) Procurement Not Conditioned on Submission.--Nothing in this 
section requires a technology to be submitted to, or evaluated by, the 
Center in order to be eligible for procurement by Federal agencies.

SEC. 5. COMMUNICATIONS INTEROPERABILITY PILOT PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--The President shall establish within an 
appropriate department, agency, or office a pilot program for planning 
or implementation of interoperable communications systems for 
appropriate emergency response agencies.
    (b) Grants.--The head of the department, agency, or office in which 
the program is established under subsection (a) shall make grants of 
$5,000,000 each to 7 different States for pilot projects under the 
program.
    (c) Criteria; Administrative Provisions.--The head of the 
department, agency, or office in which the program is established under 
subsection (a), in consultation with other appropriate agencies, shall 
prescribe such criteria for eligibility for projects and for grantees, 
including applications, fund use assurance and accounting, and 
reporting requirements as the head of the entity deems appropriate. In 
prescribing such criteria, the head of the department, agency, or 
office shall consult with the administrators of existing projects 
designed to facilitate public safety communications interoperability 
concerning the best practices and lessons learned from such projects.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) Wireless Communications Capabilities for First Responders.--
Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President 
shall designate an appropriate department, agency, or office to submit 
a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives 
setting forth policy options for ensuring that emergency officials and 
first responders have access to effective and reliable wireless 
communications capabilities. The report shall include an examination of 
the possibility of--
            (1) developing a system of priority access to existing 
        commercial wireless systems;
            (2) designating national emergency spectrum to be held in 
        reserve for public safety and emergency purposes; and
            (3) creating a specialized public safety communications 
        network or networks for use with wireless devices customized 
        for public safety use.
    (b) In-Kind Donations.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in consultation 
with other appropriate Federal agencies, shall submit to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives a report on the 
barriers to acceptance by Federal agencies of in-kind donations of 
technology and services during emergency situations.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) National Emergency Technology Guard.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to 
carry out section 3.
    (b) Pilot Programs.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
department, agency, or office in which the program is established under 
section 5(a) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2003 to carry out section 5 of 
this Act, such sums to remain available until expended.
    (c) Report.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
department, agency, or office designated in section 6(a) $500,000 for 
fiscal year 2003 to carry out section 6(a) of this Act.

SEC. 8. EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES.

    In this Act, the term ``emergency response agency'' includes 
agencies providing any of the following services:
            (1) Law Enforcement services.
            (2) Fire services.
            (3) Emergency Medical services.
            (4) Public Safety Communications.
            (5) Emergency Preparedness.




                                                       Calendar No. 459

107th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2037

                          [Report No. 107-186]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To mobilize technology and science experts to respond quickly to the 
threats posed by terrorist attacks and other emergencies, by providing 
   for the establishment of a national emergency technology guard, a 
  technology reliability advisory board, and a center for evaluating 
  antiterrorism and disaster response technology within the National 
                 Institute of Standards and Technology.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 27, 2002

                       Reported with an amendment