[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 396 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 396

 To provide assistance for early warning systems in foreign countries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2005

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Lantos, Mr. 
Towns, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. Owens, 
 and Mr. Rangel) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide assistance for early warning systems in foreign countries.

    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 ``Early Warning And Rapid 
Notification Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Over 160,000 people were killed in the Indian Ocean 
        region as a result of the tsunamis that occurred on December 
        26, 2004.
            (2) The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii detected 
        the earthquake and knew of the potential threat of a tsunami in 
        the Indian Ocean, but had no way to inform the countries in the 
        most danger.
            (3) Even if such countries had the information about the 
        tsunamis, some countries in the region would have had no way to 
        warn people present on the coasts.
            (4) With as little as 15 minutes advance notice, people 
        could have moved to higher ground, with a potential huge 
        reduction in the death toll.
            (5) The United Nations reports that tens of thousands of 
        people are killed and tens of billions of dollars of property 
        are lost every year as a result of disasters, and states that 
        early warning is one of the most effective ways to save lives 
        and protect property.
            (6) The World Conference on Disaster Reduction announced 
        the creation of the International Early Warning Program in 
        January 2005, sponsored by multiple United Nations 
        organizations.
            (7) The International Early Warning Program identified the 
        following four elements of effective early warning systems:
                    (A) Prior knowledge of the risks faced by 
                communities.
                    (B) Technical monitoring of hazards.
                    (C) Getting understandable warnings to those at 
                risk.
                    (D) Knowledge and preparedness of how to act by 
                those threatened by disasters.
            (8) The United States, acting through the United States 
        Agency for International Development, contributed to the 
        establishment of a typhoon early-warning system in Bangladesh.
            (9) The United States Agency for International 
        Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has been 
        funding the United Nations Development Program to help develop 
        early warning communications systems for floods and coastal 
        storms in Vietnam.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a United States program to 
provide technological and financial support to foreign countries for 
development of effective public warning systems for all-hazard events, 
and to strengthen the existing lines of communications between 
countries for the dissemination of data relating to disasters.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) All-hazard event.--The term ``all-hazard event'' means 
        an emergency or disaster resulting from--
                    (A) a natural disaster; or
                    (B) an accident or intentional or negligent act 
                that causes widespread damage or harm.
            (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. 5. DISSEMINATION OF DATA RELATING TO ALL-HAZARD EVENTS BETWEEN 
              AGENCIES AND COUNTRIES.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, acting through the 
        Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Environment and Science and in 
        consultation with the officials described in paragraph (2), 
        shall conduct a study that--
                    (A) determines the extent to which departments and 
                agencies of the Government of the United States that 
                receive or collect relevant data regarding all-hazard 
                events that could have an impact on lives or property 
                have well established procedures for disseminating that 
                data to other United States Government departments and 
                agencies;
                    (B) evaluates the quality of communications links 
                between the United States and agencies in foreign 
                countries that would be responsible for disseminating 
                information about all-hazard events to their citizens; 
                and
                    (C) examines the feasibility of the Department of 
                State directly contacting foreign media organizations 
                with information relating to all-hazard events if such 
                information could be used to mitigate the effects of 
                the hazards in foreign countries.
            (2) Officials.--The officials referred to in paragraph (1) 
        are the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
        International Development, the Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of 
        the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director 
        of the United States Geological Survey, and the Director of the 
        National Science Foundation,
    (b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committees on 
International Relations and Science of the House of Representatives and 
the Committees on Foreign Relations and Commerce, Science and 
Transportation of the Senate a report that contains--
            (1) the results of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a); and
            (2) recommendations for improving any deficiencies in the 
        lines of communication uncovered in the study conducted under 
        subsection (a), where such deficiencies decrease the ability 
        for the United States to disseminate all-hazard event warnings 
        between different departments and agencies of the United States 
        Government, or between the United States Government and foreign 
        governments.

SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE FOR EFFECTIVE PUBLIC WARNING SYSTEMS IN FOREIGN 
              COUNTRIES.

    (a) Assistance.--The President, acting through the Secretary of 
State and in coordination with the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development, is authorized to provide 
assistance, including providing such assistance through the United 
Nations' International Early Warning Program or other international 
organizations, for programs that enhance the effective public warning 
capability of foreign countries. The goals of such programs should be 
to--
            (1) provide assistance to establish and support the 
        communications infrastructure necessary to provide effective 
        public warnings;
            (2) provide technical expertise and training to foreign 
        countries about risk assessment procedures and the design and 
        deployment of effective public warning systems; and
            (3) establish public education campaigns that inform local 
        populations about the proper ways to react to effective public 
        warnings concerning all-hazard events so as to minimize the 
        loss of life and property.
    (b) Research.--The Secretary of State, in cooperation with the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Chairman of the Federal 
Communications Commission, the Administrator of the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the heads of 
other appropriate departments and agencies of the United States 
Government, shall--
            (1) ensure that the results of domestic research on 
        effective public warning systems for all-hazard events are 
        disseminated internationally, unless it is determined that such 
        dissemination would be detrimental to the national security of 
        the United States;
            (2) broaden the scope of research programs of warning 
        system research programs established under sections 7403 and 
        7404 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 
        2004 (Public Law 108-458) to include a component to investigate 
        how the results of those research programs could be applied in 
        other countries;
            (3) study evolving technologies for emergency warning 
        systems (such as broadcast media, wireline and wireless 
        telephones, other wireless devices, instant messaging via 
        computer, and electronic bulletin boards) that could be used to 
        provide effective public warning for all-hazard events in the 
        United States and its territories and to international 
        locations; and
            (4) work through the World Radio Conference and with other 
        international forums and organizations to study the role of 
        satellites, wireless technology, and radio frequency 
        assignments in providing emergency alert systems.
    (c) Cooperation.--In carrying out this section, the Secretary of 
State shall, to the maximum extent possible, coordinate with the 
efforts of the United Nations' International Early Warning Program.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
President to carry out this Act $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2006 through 2010.
    (b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) are authorized to 
remain available until expended.
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