[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2537 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2537

     To develop and coordinate a national emergency warning system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 19, 2003

Mrs. Maloney (for herself, Mr. Frost, and Mr. McIntyre) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
  and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To develop and coordinate a national emergency warning system.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Warning Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Effective public warnings save lives, prevent economic 
        losses, reduce uncertainty and fear, and quicken recovery.
            (2) Effective public warnings empower citizens to take 
        appropriate actions when they are at risk from natural hazards, 
        technological accidents, and acts of terrorism.
            (3) Over ninety percent of public warnings issued are 
        related to weather events and natural disasters.
            (4) The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather 
        Service, is the sole official voice of the United States for 
        issuing warnings during life-threatening weather situations.
            (5) The Secretary of Transportation, through the Research 
        and Special Programs Administration of the Department of 
        Transportation, is charged with--
                    (A) protecting the public from the risks to life 
                and property related to the transportation of hazardous 
                materials (including chemicals and spent nuclear 
                materials) by air, water, rail, and highway;
                    (B) assuring safety from the risks of pipeline 
                transport;
                    (C) providing civil sector preparedness and first-
                responder training for the Nation's transportation 
                emergencies; and
                    (D) coordinating the restoration of essential 
                transportation systems after emergencies.
            (6) Other Federal civilian agencies, including the 
        Transportation Security Administration, the United States Coast 
        Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are tasked 
        with gathering, coordinating, and disseminating information and 
        assistance relating to threats to security on the land, on the 
        sea, and in the air.
            (7) The National Telecommunications Information 
        Administration and the Federal Communications Commission 
        possess expertise concerning new technologies to improve the 
        speed and breadth of communications to the general public 
        concerning threats from weather, natural disasters, acts of 
        terrorism, and other threats.
            (8) Metropolitan and State authorities, in partnership with 
        the National Weather Service and other Federal agencies, have 
        the primary responsibility for providing emergency warnings and 
        rely on national procedures, standards, and systems for 
        delivering such warnings.
            (9) The current patchwork of warning mechanisms often 
        fails--
                    (A) to provide all necessary information regarding 
                threats and appropriate responses; and
                    (B) to reach all those at risk, particularly those 
                in isolated places.
            (10) National procedures, standards, and systems for public 
        warnings, including technology protocols for the delivery of 
        such warnings, will significantly improve the effectiveness of 
        public warnings at saving lives, reducing injuries, and 
        reducing the costs of disasters and terrorist acts to the 
        American people.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to ensure that an effective public 
warning system exists to alert Americans to specific risks from natural 
disasters, man-made disasters, and other hazardous events, including 
chemical and biological threats and other acts of terrorism.

SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ALL-HAZARD WARNING SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, working in coordination with appropriate Federal agencies, 
shall establish comprehensive national standards and systems for 
providing effective public warnings.
    (b) Development of Emergency Warning Network.--In carrying out 
subsection (a) the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Transportation, the 
Secretary of Defense, representatives of other Federal departments and 
agencies, representatives of State and local governments, 
representatives of the private sector, media, and academia involved in 
the collection, issuance, dissemination, and distribution of public 
warnings, as well as other interested public and private entities, 
shall--
            (1) develop and implement benchmarks for assessing current 
        all-hazard warning capabilities, including such capabilities of 
        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National 
        Weather Service, the United States Geological Survey's National 
        Earthquake Information Center, and the Department of 
        Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety;
            (2) conduct research and pilot programs on ways to 
        determine and improve the effectiveness of all-hazard warnings;
            (3) develop specifications for a national backbone, modeled 
        after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
        National Weather Radio, to be used to collect all-hazard 
        warnings from designated authorities and route them to 
        appropriate dissemination systems;
            (4) work with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
        Communications and Information to use the full range of 
        communications technologies to provide warnings, including, as 
        appropriate--
                    (A) traditional telephones, including special alert 
                rings to warn individuals in their homes or businesses;
                    (B) wireless technology, including cellular 
                telephones and pagers; and
                    (C) the Internet, including electronic mail;
            (5) work with the Federal Communications Commission to 
        provide warnings to the public through automatic alert 
        televisions and radios;
            (6) educate the public about all-hazard warnings; and
            (7) engage in other necessary or appropriate activities to 
        carry out the purpose of this Act.
    (c) Terminology, Protocols, and Terrorism Warnings.--In carrying 
out subsection (a) the Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
            (1) develop and recommend standards and guidelines for 
        universal all-hazard warning terminology and protocols in 
        coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 
        Transportation, the Secretary of Defense, representatives of 
        other Federal departments and agencies, representatives of 
        State and local governments, representatives of the private 
        sector, media, and academia involved in the collection, 
        issuance, dissemination, and distribution of public warnings, 
        as well as other interested public and private entities; and
            (2) issue warnings related to acts of terrorism and other 
        public safety threats within its jurisdiction via the public 
        warning system developed in accordance with the standards and 
        systems established under subsection (a).
    (d) Effect on Intelligence Sources.--The Secretary of Commerce and 
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate their respective 
and joint activities under this section with the Director of Central 
Intelligence to ensure that the procedures, standards, and systems 
established under this Act do not adversely affect the protection of 
sources and methods.
    (e) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary of Commerce and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a joint report to the 
Congress on the status of public warning capability in the United 
States not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act 
and every 6 months thereafter.
    (f) Advisory Committees.--The Secretary of Commerce and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security may utilize 1 or more advisory 
committees in carrying out their respective and joint responsibilities 
under this Act.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) All-hazard.--The term ``all-hazard'' means an emergency 
        or disaster resulting from--
                    (A) a natural disaster;
                    (B) an accident; or
                    (C) an intentional or negligent act.
            (2) Effective public warning.--The term ``effective public 
        warning'' means practical, comprehensible, and timely 
        information given to all individuals threatened by an all-
        hazard event sufficient to enable them to act to protect their 
        safety and well-being in a timely manner.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying 
out the provisions of this Act--
            (1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
        years 2005 through 2008.
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