[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1250 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1250

To improve, enhance, and promote the Nation's homeland security, public 
 safety, and citizen activated emergency response capabilities through 
  the use of enhanced 911 services, to further upgrade Public Safety 
 Answering Point capabilities and related functions in receiving E-911 
calls, and to support in the construction and operation of a ubiquitous 
       and reliable citizen activated system and other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 12, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve, enhance, and promote the Nation's homeland security, public 
 safety, and citizen activated emergency response capabilities through 
  the use of enhanced 911 services, to further upgrade Public Safety 
 Answering Point capabilities and related functions in receiving E-911 
 calls, and to support the construction and operation of a ubiquitous 
       and reliable citizen activated system and other purposes.

    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 ``Enhanced 911 Emergency 
Communications Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) for the sake of our Nation's homeland security and 
        public safety, a universal emergency telephone number (911) 
        that is enhanced with the most modern and state-of-the-art 
        telecommunications capabilities possible should be available to 
        all citizens in all regions of the Nation;
            (2) enhanced emergency communications require Federal, 
        State, and local government resources and coordination;
            (3) any funds that are collected from fees imposed on 
        consumer bills for the purposes of funding 911 services or 
        enhanced 911 should go only for the purposes for which the 
        funds are collected; and
            (4) enhanced 911 is a high national priority and it 
        requires Federal leadership, working in cooperation with State 
        and local governments and with the numerous organizations 
        dedicated to delivering emergency communications services.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to coordinate emergency communications systems, 
        including 911 services and E-911 services, at the Federal, 
        State, and local levels;
            (2) to provide stability and resources to State and local 
        Public Safety Answering Points, to facilitate the prompt 
        deployment of enhanced 911 services throughout the United 
        States in a ubiquitous and reliable infrastructure; and
            (3) to ensure that funds collected on telecommunications 
        bills for enhancing emergency 911 services are used only for 
        the purposes for which the funds are being collected.

SEC. 4. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATION.

    (a) In General.--Part C of title I of the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47 
U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 158. COORDINATION OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

    ``(a) Establishment of Task Force.--The Assistant Secretary shall 
establish an Emergency Communications Task Force to facilitate 
coordination between Federal, State, and local emergency communications 
systems, emergency personnel, and public safety organizations. The task 
force shall include the following:
            ``(1) Representatives from Federal agencies, including--
                    ``(A) the Department of Justice;
                    ``(B) the Department of Homeland Security;
                    ``(C) the Department of Defense;
                    ``(D) the Department of the Interior;
                    ``(E) the Department of Transportation; and
                    ``(F) the Federal Communications Commission;
            ``(2) State and local first responder agencies;
            ``(3) national 911 and emergency communications leadership 
        organizations;
            ``(4) telecommunications industry representatives; and
            ``(5) other individuals designated by the Assistant 
        Secretary.
    ``(b) Purpose of Task Force.--The task force shall provide advice 
and recommendations with respect to methods to improve coordination and 
communications between agencies and organizations involved in 
emergency communications, including 911 services to enhance homeland 
security and public safety.
    ``(c) Reports.--The Assistant Secretary shall provide an annual 
report to Congress by the first day of October of each year on the task 
force activities and make recommendations on how Federal, State, and 
local governments and emergency communications organizations can 
improve coordination and communications.
    ``(d) Miscelleanous Provisions.--Members of the task force shall 
serve without special compensation with respect to their activities on 
behalf of the task force.''.

SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR E-911 ENHANCEMENT.

    Part C of title I of the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901), as amended 
by section 4, is amended by adding at the end:

``SEC. 159. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS GRANTS.

    ``(a) Matching Grants.--The Assistant Secretary, after consultation 
with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall provide grants to State 
and local governments and tribal organizations (as defined in section 
4(l) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 450b(l))) for the purposes of enhancing emergency communications 
services through planning, infrastructure improvements, equipment 
purchases, and personnel training and acquisition.
    ``(b) Matching Requirement.--The Federal share of the cost of a 
project eligible for a grant under this section shall not exceed 50 
percent. The non-Federal share of the cost shall be provided from non-
Federal sources.
    ``(c) Preference.--In providing grants under subsection (a), the 
Assistant Secretary shall give preference to applicants who--
            ``(1) coordinate their applications with the needs of their 
        public safety answering points; and
            ``(2) integrate public and commercial communications 
        services involved in the construction, delivery, and 
        improvement of emergency communications, including 911 
        services.
    ``(d) Criteria.--The Assistant Secretary shall issue regulations 
within 180 days of the enactment of the Enhanced E-911 Emergency 
Communications Act of 2003, after a public comment period of not less 
than 60 days, prescribing the criteria for selection for grants under 
this section and shall update such regulations as necessary.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Assistant Secretary not more than $500,000,000 for 
each fiscal year for grants under this section.''.

SECTION 6. STATE AND LOCAL 911 PRACTICES.

    (a) Certification.--Part IV of title VI of the Communications Act 
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 642. DIVERSION OF 911 FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Assessment and audit.--The Commission shall review, 
        no less frequently than twice a year--
                    ``(A) the imposition of taxes, fees, or other 
                charges imposed by States or political subdivisions of 
                States that--
                            ``(i) appear on telecommunications services 
                        customers' bills; and
                            ``(ii) are designated or presented as 
                        dedicated to improve emergency communications 
                        services, including 911 services or enhanced 
                        911 services, or related to emergency 
                        communications services operations or 
                        improvements; and
                    ``(B) the use of revenues derived from such taxes, 
                fees, or charges.
            ``(2) Certification.--Each State shall certify annually to 
        the Commission that no portion of the revenues derived from 
        such taxes, fees, or charges have been obligated or expended 
        for any purpose other than the purposes for which such taxes, 
        fees, or charges are designated or presented.
    ``(b) Notification of Congress and the Public.--If the Commission 
fails to receive the certification described in subsection (a)(2), 
then, within 30 days after the date on which such certification was 
due, the Commission shall cause to be published in the Federal 
Register, and notify the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of--
            ``(1) the identity of each State or political subdivision 
        that failed to make the certification; and
            ``(2) the amount of revenues obligated or expended by that 
        State or political subdivision for any purpose other than the 
        purposes for which such taxes, fees, or charges were designated 
        or presented.
    ``(c) Withholding of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, the Assistant Secretary shall withhold any Federal grant funds 
that would otherwise be made available under section 159 of the 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization 
Act to a State or political subdivision identified by the Commission 
under subsection (b)(1) in an amount not to exceed twice the amount 
described in subsection (b)(2). In lieu of withholding grant funds 
under this subsection, the Secretary may require a State or political 
subdivision to repay to the Secretary the appropriate amount of funds 
already disbursed to that State or political subdivision.''.
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