[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2101 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2101

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
  Homeland Security to develop and implement the READICall emergency 
                             alert system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2005

Mr. Meek of Florida (for himself, Mrs. McCarthy, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of 
  California, Mr. Ford, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Slaughter, Ms. 
   Norton, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Towns, Ms. Corrine Brown of 
 Florida, Mrs. Lowey, and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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 amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
  Homeland Security to develop and implement the READICall emergency 
                             alert system.

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

SECTION 1. READICALL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Title V of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(Public Law 107-296; 6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:

``SEC. 510. READICALL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.

    ``(a) In General.--As soon as is practicable, but not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, 
working in coordination with appropriate Federal agencies, State, and 
local domestic security agencies, and national private sector networks 
and infrastructure, shall develop and implement an emergency telephonic 
alert notification system which shall be known as the Responsive 
Emergency Alert and Dissemination of Information Call System or 
READICall System.
    ``(b) Functions.--The System shall be designed--
            ``(1) to alert persons in the United States of imminent or 
        current hazardous events caused by an act of terrorism, any 
        other man-made disaster, any natural disaster, or any 
        combination of the foregoing; and
            ``(2) to provide information to individuals regarding 
        appropriate measures that may be undertaken to alleviate or 
        minimize threats to their safety and welfare posed by such 
        events.
    ``(c) Coordination and Collaboration.--In implementing this 
section, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) to the maximum extent possible, make use of national 
        private sector networks, technology, personnel, and 
        infrastructure to develop and implement the System;
            ``(2) develop coordinated infrastructure for the System, in 
        collaboration with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
        Communications and Information, the national telecommunications 
        and teleservices industries, and other Federal, State, and 
        local governmental agencies as may be necessary, that--
                    ``(A) uses the full range of available 
                telecomunications technology; and
                    ``(B) will be able to--
                            ``(i) provide immediate notification and 
                        warning upon approval by the Secretary, via 
                        telephone to all telephone subscribers within 
                        the United States and its territories in the 
                        event of an act of terrorism, any other man-
                        made disaster, any natural disaster, or any 
                        combination of the foregoing;
                            ``(ii) target specific regions, 
                        communities, neighborhoods, or locations of 
                        emergent local crises and provide notification 
                        and warning to just the affected areas if 
                        appropriate;
                            ``(iii) to the extent possible, provide for 
                        a distinct ring so that telephone subscribers 
                        are immediately aware of the emergency nature 
                        of the call; and
                            ``(iv) disseminate necessary information to 
                        a telephone subscriber related to the emergency 
                        situation and appropriate courses of action to 
                        take; and
            ``(3) in developing the System, undertake a collaborative 
        effort between the Department and other Federal agencies, 
        State, and local domestic security agencies, and organizations 
        of first responders, so that--
                    ``(A) the System will allow for necessary 
                interoperability between different sources of terrorist 
                threat information;
                    ``(B) the System will allow for the immediate 
                dissemination of information both laterally and 
                horizontally, such that information can be provided 
                from all levels of governmental sources; and
                    ``(C) appropriate standards, protocols, procedures, 
                and terminology are determined to minimize 
                inconsistencies and miscommunication with intelligence 
                information, including appropriate definitions for 
                situations that would constitute a threat for which the 
                System would be used.
    ``(d) Authorities.--The Secretary may conduct research and pilot 
programs as may be necessary to determine and improve the effectiveness 
of the System.
    ``(e) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit a report to 
the Congress on the status of the System--
            ``(1) by not later than 6 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act; and
            ``(2) yearly thereafter.
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) System.--The term `System' means the Responsive 
        Emergency Alert and Dissemination of Information Call System or 
        READICall System established under this section.
            ``(2) Telephone subscriber.--The term `telephone 
        subscriber' means any residents of the United States (including 
        territories of the United States) who receives telephone 
        service via a traditional residential telephone, business 
        telephone, or wireless telephone.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 509 
the following:

``510. READICall emergency alert system.''.
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