[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1753 Reported in Senate (RS)]


                                                       Calendar No. 321
109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1753

                          [Report No. 109-204]

  To establish a unified national hazard alert system, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 22, 2005

    Mr. DeMint (for himself, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Nelson of 
Nebraska, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Lott, Ms. Landrieu and Ms. Snowe) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                            December 8, 2005

  Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 
                2005, by Mr. Stevens, with an amendment
 [Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in 
                                italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a unified national hazard alert system, and for other 
                               purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Warning, 
Alert, and Response Network Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
is as follows:</DELETED>

<DELETED>Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
<DELETED>Sec. 2. Establishment of all hazards alert system.
<DELETED>Sec. 3. National program office.
<DELETED>Sec. 4. Working group on national alert system.
<DELETED>Sec. 5. Grant program for remote community alert systems.
<DELETED>Sec. 6. Characteristics of alerts.
<DELETED>Sec. 7. Implementation and use of system.
<DELETED>Sec. 8. Definitions.
<DELETED>Sec. 9. Authorization of appropriations.

<DELETED>SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ALL HAZARDS ALERT SYSTEM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--There is established an all hazards 
alert system that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) will enable any appropriate Federal department 
        or agency or State or local governmental entity to alert the 
        public to any imminent threat from natural phenomena, 
        accidents, natural disasters, terrorist activity, and other 
        emergency situations that present a significant risk of injury 
        or death to the public;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) will be coordinated with and supplement 
        existing Federal, State, and local emergency warning and alert 
        system;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) will be flexible enough in its application to 
        permit narrowly targeted alerts in circumstances in which only 
        a small geographic area is exposed or potentially exposed to 
        the threat; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) will transmit alerts in response to natural 
        hazards, hazardous materials incidents, and terrorist attacks 
        across the greatest possible variety of media, including 
        digital and analog broadcast, cable, and satellite television 
        and radio, wireless telecommunications, and hardwire 
        telecommunications, to reach the largest portion of the 
        affected population.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Technology.--The System--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) shall incorporate multiple technologies for 
        effecting mass communications and be designed to adapt to, and 
        incorporate, future technologies for communicating directly 
        with the public;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) include mechanisms and technologies to ensure 
        that members of the public with disabilities are able to 
        receive alerts and information provided through the 
        System;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) may not interfere with existing alert, 
        warning, or emergency communications systems employed by 
        Federal, State, or local emergency response 
        personnel;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) shall be designed to provide alerts over as 
        diverse a group of media as possible, to include digital and 
        analog broadcast, cable, and satellite television and radio, 
        wireless telecommunications, and landline communications and 
        technologies for communicating within rural 
        communities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) shall incorporate existing emergency alert 
        technologies currently utilized by digital and analog 
        broadcast, cable, and satellite television and radio; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) shall incorporate technologies to alert 
        traditionally underserved communities.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Official Access and Activation.--The director shall 
implement procedures that ensure that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the System is available to, and enables, 
        credentialed personnel to access and utilize the System to 
        provide geographically targeted alerts where such alerts are 
        appropriate; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the System is available to, and enables, State 
        and local public safety officials to provide alerts for hazards 
        within their respective jurisdictions subject to a mechanism 
        developed by the Working Group for verifying the legitimacy and 
        authenticity of a proffered System alert, ensuring the 
        proffered alert's compliance with regulations established by 
        the Office, and guaranteeing the integrity of a System alert 
        from the point of origination to delivery.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Public Access.--The System shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) utilize multiple technologies for providing 
        alerts to the public, including technologies that do not 
        require members of the public to activate a particular device 
        or use a particular technology to receive an alert provided via 
        the System;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) provide redundant alert mechanisms where 
        practicable so as to reach the greatest number of people 
        regardless of whether they have access to, or utilize, any 
        specific medium of communication or any particular device; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) incorporate means by which an individual may 
        remove a passive alert device from the System or otherwise 
        block alerts transmitted through the device to the individual 
        on a device owned or controlled by that individual.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) EAS Coordination and Requirements.--The director shall 
work with the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that the 
System--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) complements, rather than duplicates, the 
        current emergency alert system; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) obtains the maximum benefit possible from the 
        utilization of existing research and development, technologies, 
        and processes developed for or utilized by the emergency alert 
        system.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Emergency Alert System.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, all broadcast licensees or permittees engaged in 
digital broadcasting shall broadcast any emergency alert, including 
alerts under the emergency alert system established pursuant to 
sections 1, 4, 303, and 706 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 151, 154, 303, and 606) governing war emergency powers of the 
President of the United States, at the request of--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the President of the United States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security; 
        or</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) a governor of a State in which it 
        broadcasts.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The National Program Office is 
        established within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Director.--The office shall be headed by a 
        director with at least 5 years' operational experience in the 
        management and issuance of warnings and alerts, hazardous event 
        management, or disaster planning.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Staff.--The office shall have a staff with 
        significant technical expertise in the telecommunications 
        industry. The director may request the detailing, with or 
        without reimbursement, of staff from any appropriate Federal 
        department or agency in order to ensure that the concerns of 
        all such departments and agencies are incorporated into the 
        daily operation of the System.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Functions and Responsibilities.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Office shall conduct the day-
        to-day operation and management of the System.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Implementation of working group 
        recommendations.--The Office shall be responsible for 
        implementing the recommendations of the Working Group 
        established by section 4 regarding--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the technical issuance of 
                alerts;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the incorporation of new technologies 
                into the System; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the technical capabilities of the 
                System.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Reports.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Initial Progress Report.--Fifteen months after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the director shall transmit 
        a report to the President, the Senate Committee on Commerce, 
        Science, and Transportation and Committee on Homeland Security 
        and Governmental Affairs and the House of Representatives 
        Committee on Energy and Commerce and Committee on Homeland 
        Security concerning--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the progress made toward operational 
                activation of the System; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the anticipated date on which the 
                System will be activated.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Annual reports.--The director shall submit an 
        annual report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation and Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs and the House of Representatives Committee 
        on Energy and Commerce and Committee on Homeland Security on 
        the status of, and plans for, the System.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) 5-year plan.--Within 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the 
        director shall publish a 5-year plan that outlines future 
        capabilities and warning technologies for the System. The plan 
        shall serve as the long-term planning document for the 
        Office.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Research and Development Program.--The director shall 
establish a research and development program to support the development 
of technology that will enable all existing and future providers of 
communications services and all existing and future communications 
devices to be utilized effectively with the System.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. WORKING GROUP ON NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Establishment of Working Group.--Not later than 60 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the director of the 
National Program Office shall establish a working group, to be known as 
the Working Group on the National Alert System. The director of the 
Office shall serve as chairperson of the Working Group.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Membership.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Federal government.--The membership of the 
        Working Group shall include appropriate personnel from the 
        National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal 
        Communications Commission, and the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency. The chair may also include in the Working Group 
        representatives of other Federal agencies as 
        appropriate.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) State and local governments, etc.--The Working 
        Group shall include 8 representatives from State and local 
        governments and 5 representatives of emergency services 
        personnel, selected by national organizations representing such 
        governments and personnel.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Communications service providers.--Membership 
        in the Working Group shall be open to representatives of--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) communications service 
                providers,</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) vendors, developers, and manufacturers 
                of facilities, equipment, and capabilities for the 
                provision of communications services, and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) trusted third party service 
                bureaus,</DELETED>
        <DELETED>who have the requisite technical knowledge and 
        expertise to assist the Working Group in the fulfillment of its 
        duties.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Appointments.--The initial meeting of the 
        Working Group shall take place not later than 60 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Working Group 
        shall not affect its powers, but shall be filled in the same 
        manner as the original appointment.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Duties of the Working Group.--Not later than 1 year 
after the enactment of this Act, the Working Group shall transmit to 
the director--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) a description of the emergency alert service 
        to be provided by the System;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) guidelines for the technical capabilities of 
        the System;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) guidelines for technical capability that 
        provides for the priority transmission of System 
        alerts;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) guidelines for the other capabilities of the 
        System as specified in this Act; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) standards to which the equipment and 
        technologies in the System must conform.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Acceptance of Gifts and Grants.--The Working Group may 
accept, use, and dispose of gifts or grants of services or property, 
both real and personal, for purposes of aiding or facilitating the work 
of the Working Group. Gifts or grants not used at the expiration of the 
Working Group shall be returned to the donor or grantor.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Other Resources.--The Working Group shall have 
reasonable access to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) materials, resources, data, and other 
        information from the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology, the Department of Commerce and its agencies, the 
        Department of Homeland Security and its bureaus, and the 
        Federal Communications Commission; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the facilities of any such agency for purposes 
        of conducting meetings.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Rules of the Working Group.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Quorum.--One-third of the members of the 
        Working Group shall constitute a quorum for conducting business 
        of the Working Group.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Meetings.--The chairperson shall convene 
        meetings. Any meetings held by the Working Group shall be duly 
        noticed at least 14 days in advance and shall be open to the 
        public.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Public Notice and Comment.--The Working Group 
        shall provide public notice and an opportunity for public 
        comment on each of the matters committed to it.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Subcommittees.--To assist the Working Group in 
        carrying out its functions, the chairperson may establish 
        appropriate subcommittees composed of members of the Working 
        Group and other subject matter experts as deemed 
        necessary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Additional rules.--The Working Group may adopt 
        other rules as needed.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Neither the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. ) nor any rule, order, or 
regulation promulgated under that Act shall apply to the Working 
Group.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR REMOTE COMMUNITY ALERT 
              SYSTEMS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Grant Program.--The Office shall establish a program 
under which grants may be made to provide for the installation of 
technologies in remote communities effectively unserved by broadcast 
and wireless technologies for the purpose of enabling residents of 
those communities to receive System alerts.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Applications and Conditions.--In conducting the 
program, the director of the Office--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) shall establish a notification and application 
        procedure; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) may establish such conditions, and require 
        such assurances, as may be appropriate to ensure the efficiency 
        and integrity of the grant program.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 6. CHARACTERISTICS OF ALERTS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The System shall be capable of--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) notifying the public of hazardous situations 
        that pose an imminent threat to the public health or 
        safety;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) providing appropriate instructions for actions 
        to be taken by individuals affected or potentially affected by 
        such a situation;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) transmitting public address by Federal, State, 
        or local officials; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) notifying the public of when the hazardous 
        situation has ended or brought under control.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Event Eligibility Regulations.--The Office shall by 
regulation specify--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the classes of events or situations for which 
        the System may be used to alert the public; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the types of alerts that may be transmitted by 
        or through use of the System.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Voluntary Alerts Retransmittal.--The System shall be 
capable of transmitting alerts that are not of a nature described in 
subsection (a) subject to the requirement that any recipient of such an 
alert shall take appropriate action to receive the alert.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 7. IMPLEMENTATION AND USE OF SYSTEM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Credentialing.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The System shall include a 
        credentialing process for public officials with responsibility 
        for issuing safety warnings to the public that will enable them 
        to access the System.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Review of requests.--The Office shall review 
        and approve requests for credentials from Federal, State, and 
        local government agencies. All such requests shall be submitted 
        to the Office by the head of the Federal department or agency, 
        or the governor of the State, concerned.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Scope and Limitations of Credentials.--The 
        Office shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) establish eligibility criteria for 
                issuing, renewing, and revoking access 
                credentials;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) limit credentials to appropriate 
                geographic areas or political jurisdictions; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) ensure that the credentials permit use 
                of the System only for alerts that are consistent with 
                the jurisdiction, authority, and basis for eligibility 
                of the individual credentialed to use the 
                System.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Periodic training.--The Office shall--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) establish a periodic training program 
                for individuals credentialed to use the System; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) require credentialed individuals to 
                undergo periodic training under the program as a 
                prerequisite for retaining their credentials to use the 
                system.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Access Points.--The System shall provide--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) widely dispersed multiple access points to 
        credentialed Federal, State, and local officials to input 
        appropriate alerts into the System for retransmission to 
        citizens; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) system redundancies to ensure functionality in 
        the event of partial system failures, power failures, or other 
        interruptive events.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Operational Announcement.--The director of the 
National Program Office shall notify the President and the Congress 
when the System is operational, ready to be deployed, and capable of 
transmitting alerts across a variety of media to the public.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Election To Carry Service.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Amendment of license.--Within 60 days after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications 
        Commission shall initiate a proceeding--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to allow any licensee providing mobile 
                service (as defined in section 3(27) of the 
                Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153(27))) to 
                transmit System alerts to all subscribers to, or users 
                of, such service; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to require any such licensee who 
                elects under paragraph (2) not to participate in the 
                transmission of System alerts, to disclose to potential 
                subscribers to its mobile service, at the point of sale 
                of any devices with which its service is included, that 
                it will not transmit System alerts via its 
                service.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Election to carry service.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--Within 60 days after 
                transmittal by the Working Group of the requirements 
                under section 4(c), each such licensee shall--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) file an election with the 
                        Commission with respect to whether or not it 
                        intends to participate in the transmission of 
                        System alerts; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) if it elects to participate, 
                        certify to the Commission that it will do so in 
                        a manner consistent with the standards and 
                        protocols implemented by the National Program 
                        Office.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Withdrawal from or later entry into 
                system.--The Commission shall establish a procedure 
                for--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) participating licensees to 
                        withdraw from the System; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) licensees to enter the System 
                        at a date later than provided in subparagraph 
                        (A).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Limitation of liability.--A licensee described 
        in paragraph (1) shall not be liable to any subscriber to, or 
        user of, such licensee's mobile service for--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) any act or omission related to or any 
                harm resulting from the transmission of, or failure to 
                transmit, a System alert to such subscriber or 
                user;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the failure, deficiency, or 
                malfunction of any network, equipment, or facility of 
                the provider or any other person, or the lack of 
                coverage or network capacity;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) the discontinuation of service or the 
                unavailability of any networks, equipment, or facility 
                of the provider or any other person; or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the release to a government agency or 
                entity, public safety, fire service or law enforcement 
                official or emergency facility of subscriber 
                information related to emergency alert 
                messages.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Digital Television Transmission Towers.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Retransmission capability.--Within 30 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal 
        Communications Commission shall initiate a proceeding to 
        require public broadcast television licensees and permittees to 
        install necessary equipment and technologies on, or as part of, 
        any broadcast television digital signal transmitter for the 
        reception, relay, and retransmission of System 
        alerts.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Compensation.--The National Program Office 
        established pursuant to section 3 shall compensate any such 
        licensee or permittee for costs incurred in complying with the 
        requirements imposed pursuant to paragraph (1).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) FCC Regulation of Compliance.--Except as provided in 
subsections (d) and (e), the Federal Communications Commission shall 
have no regulatory authority under this Act except to regulate 
compliance with this Act by licensees and permittees regulated by the 
Commission under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
seq.).</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Director.--The term ``director'' means the 
        director of the National Program Office.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the 
        National Program Office.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) System.--The term ``System'' means the 
        national alert system operated and managed by the 
        Office.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Working group.--The term ``Working Group'' 
        means the Working Group on the National Alert System 
        established in section 4.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere $250,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2006 to carry out this Act, such sum to remain available 
until expended.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Table of contents.

                     Title I--National Alert System

Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. National Alert System.
Sec. 103. Implementation and use.
Sec. 104. National Alert Office.
Sec. 105. National Alert System Working Group.
Sec. 106. Research and development.
Sec. 107. Grant program for remote community alert systems.
Sec. 108. Public familiarization, outreach, and response instructions.
Sec. 109. Telecommunications infrastructure restoration, preparedness, 
                            and response.
Sec. 110. Definitions.
Sec. 111. Funding.

                     Title II--Tsunami Preparedness

Sec. 201. Short title.
Sec. 202. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 203. Tsunami detection and warning system.
Sec. 204. Tsunami hazard mitigation program.
Sec. 205. Tsunami research program.
Sec. 206. Tsunami system upgrade and modernization.
Sec. 207. Global tsunami warning and mitigation network.
Sec. 208. Coastal community vulnerability and adaptation program.
Sec. 209. Authorization of appropriations.

                     TITLE I--NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Warning, Alert, and Response 
Network Act''.

SEC. 102. NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a National Alert System to 
provide a public communications system capable of alerting the public 
on a national, regional, or local basis to emergency situations 
requiring a public response.
    (b) Functions.--The National Alert System--
            (1) will enable any Federal, State, tribal, or local 
        government official with credentials issued by the National 
        Alert Office under section 103 to alert the public to any 
        imminent threat that presents a significant risk of injury or 
        death to the public;
            (2) will be coordinated with and supplement existing 
        Federal, State, trival, and local emergency warning and alert 
        systems;
            (3) will be flexible enough in its application to permit 
        narrowly targeted alerts in circumstances in which only a small 
        geographic area is exposed or potentially exposed to the 
        threat; and
            (4) will transmit alerts across the greatest possible 
        variety of communications technologies, including digital and 
        analog broadcasts, cable and satellite television, satellite 
        and terrestrial radio, wireless communications, wireline 
        communications, and the Internet to reach the largest portion 
        of the affected population.
    (c) Capabilities.--The National Alert System--
            (1) shall incorporate multiple communications technologies 
        and be designed to adapt to, and incorporate, future 
        technologies for communicating directly with the public;
            (2) shall include mechanisms and technologies to ensure 
        that members of the public with disabilities and older 
        individuals (as defined in section 102(35) of the Older 
        Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002(35))) are able to receive 
        alerts and information provided through the National Alert 
        System;
            (3) may not interfere with existing alert, warning, 
        priority access, or emergency communications systems employed 
        by Federal, State, tribal, or local emergency response 
        personnel and shall incorporate existing emergency alert 
        technologies, including the NOAA All-Hazards Radio System, 
        digital and analog broadcast, cable, and satellite television 
        and satellite and terrestrial radio;
            (4) shall not be based upon any single technology or 
        platform, but shall be designed to provide alerts to the 
        largest portion of the affected population feasible and improve 
        the ability of remote areas to receive alerts;
            (5) shall incorporate technologies to alert effectively 
        underserved communities (as determined by the Commission under 
        section 107(a) of this title);
            (6) shall be capable of providing information in languages 
        other than, and in addition to, English where necessary or 
        appropriate; and
            (7) shall be designed to promote community preparedness and 
        response.
    (d) Reception of Alerts.--The National Alert System shall--
            (1) utilize multiple technologies for providing alerts to 
        the public, including technologies that do not require members 
        of the public to activate a particular device or use a 
        particular technology to receive an alert provided via the 
        National Alert System; and
            (2) provide redundant alert mechanisms where practicable so 
        as to reach the greatest number of people regardless of whether 
        they have access to, or utilize, any specific medium of 
        communication or any particular device.
    (e) Existing Federal Warning System Coordination.--The director 
shall work with the Federal Communications Commission and other 
relevant Federal agencies to ensure that the National Alert System--
            (1) complements, rather than duplicates, existing Federal 
        alert systems; and
            (2) obtains the maximum benefit possible from the 
        utilization of existing research and development, technologies, 
        and processes developed for or utilized by existing Federal 
        alert systems.
    (f) Emergency Alert System.--Within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall--
            (1) complete its proceeding Review of the Emergency Alert 
        System, EB Docket No. 04-296;
            (2) ensure that the President, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, and State Governors have access to the emergency 
        alert system; and
            (3) ensure that the Emergency Alert System can transmit in 
        languages other than English.

SEC. 103. IMPLEMENTATION AND USE.

    (a) Authority To Access System.--
            (1) In general.--The National Alert Office shall establish 
        a process for issuing credentials to Federal, State, tribal, or 
        local government officials with responsibility for issuing 
        safety warnings to the public that will enable them to access 
        the National Alert System.
            (2) Requests for credentials.--Requests for credentials 
        from Federal, State, tribal, and local government agencies 
        shall be submitted to the Office by the head of the Federal 
        department or agency, or the governor of the State or the 
        elected leader of a Federally recognized Indian tribe, 
        concerned, for review and approval.
            (3) Scope and Limitations of Credentials.--The Office 
        shall--
                    (A) establish eligibility criteria for issuing, 
                renewing, and revoking access credentials;
                    (B) limit credentials to appropriate geographic 
                areas or political jurisdictions; and
                    (C) ensure that the credentials permit use of the 
                National Alert System only for alerts that are 
                consistent with the jurisdiction, authority, and basis 
                for eligibility of the individual to whom the 
                credentials are issued to use the National Alert 
                System.
            (4) Periodic training.--The Office shall--
                    (A) establish a periodic training program for 
                Federal, State, tribal, or local government officials 
                with credentials to use the National Alert System; and
                    (B) require such officials to undergo periodic 
                training under the program as a prerequisite for 
                retaining their credentials to use the system.
    (b) Allowable Alerts.--
            (1) In general.--Any alert transmitted via the National 
Alert System, other than an alert described in paragraph (3), shall 
meet 1 or more of the following requirements:
                    (A) An alert shall notify the public of a hazardous 
                situation that poses an imminent threat to the public 
                health or safety.
                    (B) An alert shall provide appropriate instructions 
                for actions to be taken by individuals affected or 
                potentially affected by such a situation.
                    (C) An alert shall transmit public addresses by 
                Federal, State, tribal, or local officials when 
                necessary.
                    (D) An alert shall notify the public of when the 
                hazardous situation has ended or has been brought under 
                control.
            (2) Event eligibility regulations.--The director of the 
        National Alert Office, in consultation with the Working Group, 
        shall by regulation specify--
                    (A) the classes of events or situations for which 
                the National Alert System may be used to alert the 
                public; and
                    (B) the content of the types of alerts that may be 
                transmitted by or through use of the National Alert 
                System, which may include--
                            (i) notifications to the public of a 
                        hazardous situation that poses an imminent 
                        threat to the public health or safety 
                        accompanied by appropriate instructions for 
                        actions to be taken by individuals affected or 
                        potentially affected by such a situation; and
                            (ii) when technologically feasible public 
                        addresses by Federal, State, tribal, or local 
                        officials if necessary.
            (3) Opt-in procedures for optional alerts.--The director of 
        the Office may establish a procedure under which localized 
        traffic, weather, community, or other non-emergency alerts may 
        be transmitted via the National Alert System in a manner that 
        enables them to be received only by individuals who take 
        appropriate action to receive such alerts.
    (c) Access Points.--The National Alert System shall provide--
            (1) secure, widely dispersed multiple access points to 
        Federal, State, or local government officials with credentials 
        that will enable them to initiate alerts for transmission to 
        the public via the National Alert System; and
            (2) system redundancies to ensure functionality in the 
        event of partial system failures, power failures, or other 
        interruptive events.
    (d) Election To Carry Service.--
            (1) Amendment of license.--Within 60 days after the date on 
        which the National Alert Office adopts relevant technical 
        standards based on recommendations of the Working Group, the 
        Federal Communications Commission shall initiate a proceeding 
        and subsequently issue an order--
                    (A) to allow any licensee providing commercial 
                mobile service (as defined in section 332(d)(1) of the 
                Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d)(1))) to 
                transmit National Alert System alerts to all 
                subscribers to, or users of, such service; and
                    (B) to require any such licensee who elects under 
                paragraph (2) not to participate in the transmission of 
                National Alert System alerts, to provide clear and 
                conspicuous notice at the point of sale of any devices 
                with which its service is included, that it will not 
                transmit National Alert System alerts via its service.
            (2) Election to carry service.--
                    (A) In general.--Within 30 days after the 
                Commission issues its order under paragraph (1), each 
                such licensee shall file an election with the 
                Commission with respect to whether or not it intends to 
                participate in the transmission of National Alert 
                System alerts.
                    (B) Participation.--If a licensee elects to 
                participate in the transmission of National Alert 
                System alerts, the licensee shall certify to the 
                Commission that it will participate in a manner 
                consistent with the standards and protocols implemented 
                by the National Alert Office.
                    (C) Advertising.--Nothing in this title shall be 
                construed to prevent a licensee from advertising that 
                it participates in the transmission of National Alert 
                System alerts.
                    (D) Withdrawal from or later entry into system.--
                The Commission shall establish a procedure for--
                            (i) participating licensees to withdraw 
                        from the National Alert System upon 
                        notification of its withdrawal to its existing 
                        subscribers; and
                            (ii) licensees to enter the National Alert 
                        System at a date later than provided in 
                        subparagraph (A).
                    (E) Consumer choice technology.--Any licensee 
                electing to participate in the transmission of National 
                Alert System alerts may offer subscribers the 
                capability of preventing the subscriber's device from 
                receiving alerts broadcast by the system other than an 
                alert issued by the President.
            (3) Expansion of class of licensees participating.--The 
        Commission, in consultation with the National Alert Office, may 
        expand the class of licensees allowed to participate in the 
        transmission of National Alert System alerts subject to such 
        requirements as the Commission, in consultation with the 
        National Alert Office, determines to be necessary or 
        appropriate--
                    (A) to ensure the broadest feasible propagation of 
                alerts transmitted by the National Alert System to the 
                public; and
                    (B) to ensure that the functionality, integrity, 
                and security of the National Alert System is not 
                compromised.
    (e) Digital Television Transmission Towers.--
            (1) Retransmission capability.--Within 30 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications 
        Commission shall initiate a proceeding to require public 
        broadcast television licensees and permittees to install 
        necessary equipment and technologies on, or as part of, any 
        broadcast television digital signal transmitter to enable the 
        transmitter to serve as a backbone for the reception, relay, 
        and retransmission of National Alert System alerts.
            (2) Compensation.--The National Alert Office established by 
        section 104 shall compensate any such licensee or permittee for 
        costs incurred in complying with the requirements imposed 
        pursuant to paragraph (1).
    (f) Limitation of Liability.--Any person that participates in the 
transmission of National Alert System alerts and that meets its 
obligations under this title shall not be liable to any subscriber to, 
or user of, such person's service or equipment for any act or omission 
related to or any harm resulting from the transmission of, or failure 
to transmit, a National Alert System alert to such subscriber or user.
    (g) Testing.--The director shall establish testing criteria and 
guidelines for licensees that elect to participate in the transmission 
of National Alert System alerts.

SEC. 104. NATIONAL ALERT OFFICE.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The National Alert Office is established 
        within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
            (2) Director.--The office shall be headed by a director 
        with at least 5 years' operational experience in the management 
        and issuance of warnings and alerts, hazardous event 
        management, or disaster planning.
            (3) Staff.--The office shall have a staff with significant 
        technical expertise in the communications industry. The 
        director may request the detailing, with or without 
        reimbursement, of staff from any appropriate Federal department 
        or agency in order to ensure that the concerns of all such 
        departments and agencies are incorporated into the daily 
        operation of the National Alert System.
    (b) Functions and Responsibilities.--
            (1) In general.--The Office shall administer, operate, and 
        manage the National Alert System.
            (2) Implementation of working group recommendations.--The 
        Office shall be responsible for implementing the 
        recommendations of the Working Group established by section 105 
        regarding--
                    (A) the technical transmission of alerts;
                    (B) the incorporation of new technologies into the 
                National Alert System;
                    (C) the technical capabilities of the National 
                Alert System; and
                    (D) any other matters that fall within the duties 
                of the Working Group.
    (3) Transmission of Alerts.--In administering the National Alert 
System, the director of the National Alert Office shall ensure that--
                    (A) the National Alert System is available to, and 
                enables, only Federal, State, tribal, or local 
                government officials with credentials issued by the 
                National Alert Office under section 103 to access and 
                utilize the National Alert System;
                    (B) the National Alert System is capable of 
                providing geographically targeted alerts where such 
                alerts are appropriate;
                    (C) the legitimacy and authenticity of any 
                proffered alert is verified before it is transmitted;
                    (D) each proffered alert complies with formats, 
                protocols, and other requirements established by the 
                Office to ensure the efficacy and usefulness of alerts 
                transmitted via the National Alert System;
                    (E) the security and integrity of a National Alert 
                System alert from the point of origination to delivery 
                is maintained; and
                    (F) the security and integrity of the National 
                Alert System is maintained and protected.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) Annual reports.--The director shall submit an annual 
        report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation, the House of Representatives Committee on 
        Energy and Commerce, and the House of Representatives Committee 
        on Science on the status of, and plans for, the National Alert 
        System. In the first annual report, the director shall report 
        on--
                    (A) the progress made toward operational activation 
                of the alerting capabilities of the National Alert 
                System; and
                    (B) the anticipated date on which the National 
                Alert System will be available for utilization by 
                Federal, State, and local officials.
            (2) 5-year plan.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment 
        of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the director shall 
        publish a 5-year plan that outlines future capabilities and 
        communications platforms for the National Alert System. The 
        plan shall serve as the long-term planning document for the 
        Office.
    (d) GAO Audits.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General shall audit the 
        National Alert Office every 3 years after the date of enactment 
        of this Act and periodically thereafter and transmit the 
        findings thereof to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, 
        and Transportation, the House of Representatives Committee on 
        Energy and Commerce, and the House of Representatives Committee 
        on Science.
            (2) Response report.--If, as a result of the audit, the 
        Comptroller General expresses concern about any matter 
        addressed by the audit, the director of the National Alert 
        Office shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on 
        Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the House of 
        Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the House 
        of Representatives Committee on Science describing what action, 
        if any, the director is taking to respond to any such concern.

SEC. 105. NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the director of the National Alert Office shall 
establish a working group, to be known as the National Alert System 
Working Group.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment; chair.--The director shall appoint the 
        members of the Working Group as soon as practicable after the 
        date of enactment of this Act and shall serve as its chair. In 
        appointing members of the Working Group, the director shall 
        ensure that the number of members appointed under paragraph (5) 
        provides appropriate and adequate representation for all 
        stakeholders and interested and affected parties.
            (2) Federal agency representatives.--The director shall 
        appoint appropriate personnel from the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration, the Federal Communications Commission, the 
        Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory 
        Commission, and the Department of Justice to serve as members 
        of the Working Group. The director may also appoint 
        representatives of other appropriate Federal agencies to serve 
        as members of the Working Group .
            (3) State and local government representatives.--The 
        director shall appoint representatives of State and local 
        governments and representatives of emergency services 
        personnel, selected from among individuals nominated by 
        national organizations representing such governments and 
        personnel, to serve as members of the Working Group.
            (4) Tribal governments.--The director shall appoint 
        representatives from Federally recognized Indian tribes and 
        National Indian organizations.
            (5) Subject matter experts..--The director shall appoint 
        individuals who have the requisite technical knowledge and 
        expertise to assist the Working Group in the fulfillment of its 
        duties, including representatives of--
                    (A) communications service providers;
                    (B) vendors, developers, and manufacturers of 
                systems, facilities; equipment, and capabilities for 
                the provision of communications services;
                    (C) third-party service bureaus;
                    (D) technical experts from the broadcasting 
                industry;
                    (E) the national organization representing the 
                licensees and permittees of noncommercial broadcast 
                television stations; and
                    (F) other individuals with technical expertise that 
                would enhance the National Alert System.
    (c) Duties of the Working Group.--
            (1) Development of system-critical recommendations.--Within 
        1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Working 
        Group shall develop and transmit to the National Alert Office 
        recommendations for--
                    (A) protocols, including formats, source or 
                originator identification, threat severity, hazard 
                description, and response requirements or 
                recommendations, for alerts to be transmitted via the 
                National Alert System that ensures that alerts are 
                capable of being utilized across the broadest variety 
                of communication technologies, at National, State, and 
                local levels;
                    (B) procedures for verifying, initiating, 
                modifying, and canceling alerts transmitted via the 
                National Alert System;
                    (C) guidelines for the technical capabilities of 
                the National Alert System;
                    (D) guidelines for technical capability that 
                provides for the priority transmission of National 
                Alert System alerts;
                    (E) guidelines for other capabilities of the 
                National Alert System as specified in this title; and
                    (F) standards for equipment and technologies used 
                by the National Alert System.
            (2) Integration of emergency and national alert systems.--
        The Working Group shall work with the operators of nuclear 
        power plants and other critical infrastructure facilities to 
        integrate emergency alert systems for those facilities with the 
        National Alert System.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--The initial meeting of the Working 
        Group shall take place not later than 60 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
            (2) Other meetings.--After the initial meeting, the Working 
        Group shall meet at the call of the chair.
            (3) Notice; open meetings.--Any meetings held by the 
        Working Group shall be duly noticed at least 14 days in advance 
        and shall be open to the public.
    (e) Resources.--
            (1) Federal agencies.--The Working Group shall have 
        reasonable access to--
                    (A) materials, resources, data, and other 
                information from the National Institute of Standards 
                and Technology, the Department of Commerce and its 
                agencies, the Department of Homeland Security and its 
                bureaus, and the Federal Communications Commission; and
                    (B) the facilities of any such agency for purposes 
                of conducting meetings.
            (2) Gifts and grants.--The Working Group may accept, use, 
        and dispose of gifts or grants of services or property, both 
        real and personal, for purposes of aiding or facilitating the 
        work of the Working Group. Gifts or grants not used at the 
        expiration of the Working Group shall be returned to the donor 
        or grantor.
    (f) Rules.--
            (1) Quorum.--One-third of the members of the Working Group 
        shall constitute a quorum for conducting business of the 
        Working Group.
            (2) Subcommittees.--To assist the Working Group in carrying 
        out its functions, the chair may establish appropriate 
        subcommittees composed of members of the Working Group and 
        other subject matter experts as deemed necessary.
            (3) Additional rules.--The Working Group may adopt other 
        rules as needed.
    (g) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Neither the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. ) nor any rule, order, or regulation 
promulgated under that Act shall apply to the Working Group.

SEC. 106. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--The director shall establish an extramural 
research and development program to support the development of 
technology that will enable all existing and future providers of 
communications services and all existing and future communications 
devices to be utilized effectively with the National Alert System.
    (b) Functions.--In carrying out subsection (a) the director shall--
            (1) fund research and development which may include 
        academia, the private sector, and government laboratories; and
            (2) ensure that the program addresses, at a minimum--
                    (A) developing innovative technologies that will 
                transmit geographically targeted emergency messages to 
                the public;
                    (B) enhancing participation in the national alert 
                system;
                    (C) understanding and improving public response to 
                warnings; and
                    (D) enhancing the ability of local communities to 
                integrate the National Alert System into their overall 
                operations management.
    (c) Use of Existing Programs and Resources.--In developing the 
program, the director shall utilize existing programs and expertise of 
the Department of Commerce, including the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology.

SEC. 107. GRANT PROGRAM FOR REMOTE COMMUNITY ALERT SYSTEMS.

    (a) Grant Program.--The Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere shall establish a program under which grants may be made to 
provide for the installation of technologies in remote communities 
effectively unserved by commercial mobile radio service (as determined 
by the Federal Communications Commission within 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act) for the purpose of enabling residents of 
those communities to receive National Alert System alerts.
    (b) Applications and Conditions.--In conducting the program, the 
Undersecretary--
            (1) shall establish a notification and application 
        procedure; and
            (2) may establish such conditions, and require such 
        assurances, as may be appropriate to ensure the efficiency and 
        integrity of the grant program.
    (c) Sunset.--The Undersecretary may not make grants under 
subsection (a) more than 5 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 108. PUBLIC FAMILIARIZATION, OUTREACH, AND RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS.

    The director of the National Office, in consultation with the 
Working Group, shall conduct a program of public outreach to ensure 
that the public is aware of the National Alert System and understands 
its capabilities and uses for emergency preparedness and response. The 
program shall incorporate multiple communications technologies and 
methods, including inserts in packaging for wireless devices, Internet 
websites, and the use of broadcast radio and television Non-Commercial 
Sustaining Announcement Programs.

SEC. 109. TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE RESTORATION, PREPAREDNESS, 
              AND RESPONSE.

    (a) Restoration of Telecommunications Infrastructure.--
            (1) Eligibility for Federal assistance.--Section 403(a)(1) 
        of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170b(a)(1)) is amended to read as 
        follows:
            ``(1) Federal resources.--Utilizing, lending, or donating 
        Federal equipment, supplies, facilities, personnel, and other 
        resources (other than the extension of credit)--
                    ``(A) to State and local governments for use or 
                distribution by such governments in accordance with the 
                purposes of this Act; or
                    ``(B) to assist telecommunications service 
                providers in the maintenance and restoration of 
                communications during an emergency or major 
                disaster.''.
            (2) Telecommunications service provider defined.--Section 
        102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122) is amended by adding the at the 
        end the following:
            ``(10) Telecommunications service provider.--The term 
        `telecommunications service provider' means a provider of 
        telecommunications service as that term is defined in section 
        3(46) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153(46)).''.
    (b) Telecommunications Infrastructure Preparedness and Response.--
            (1) Responsibilities.--Section 502(5) of the Homeland 
        Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 312(5)) is amended by inserting 
        ``in consultation with providers of telecommunications services 
        (as defined in section 3(46) of the Communications Act of 1934 
        (47 U.S.C. 153(46))) owning or operating communications 
        infrastructure,'' after ``authorities,''.
            (2) Responsibilities.--Section 502 of the Homeland Security 
        Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 312) is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon in 
                paragraph 6);
                    (B) by striking ``technology.'' in paragraph (7) 
                and inserting ``technology; and ''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) developing comprehensive mechanisms to work with and 
        support critical infrastructure providers, including but not 
        limited to providers of telecommunications services (as defined 
        in section 3(46) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        153(46))), to ensure sufficient communications during a crisis 
        or major disaster response.''.

SEC. 110. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Director.--The term ``director'' means the director of 
        the National Alert Office.
            (2) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the National Alert 
        Office established by section 104.
            (3) National Alert System.--The term ``National Alert 
        System'' means the National Alert System established by section 
        102.
            (4) Non-commercial sustaining announcement program.--The 
        term ``Non-Commercial Sustaining Announcement Program'' means a 
        radio and television campaign conducted for the benefit of a 
        nonprofit organization or government agency using unsold 
        commercial air time donated by participating broadcast stations 
        for use in such campaigns, and for which the campaign's 
        sponsoring organization or agency funds the cost of 
        underwriting programs that serve the public convenience, 
        interest, and necessity, as described in section 307 of the 
        Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 307).
            (5) Working group.--The term ``Working Group'' means the 
        National Alert System Working Group on the established under 
        section 105.

SEC. 111. FUNDING.

    Funding for this title shall be provided from the Digital 
Transition and Public Safety Fund in accordance with section 5 of the 
Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005.

                     TITLE II--TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS

SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.

    This title may be cited as the ``Tsunami Preparedness Act''.

SEC. 202. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Tsunami are a series of large waves of long wavelength 
        created by the displacement of water by violent undersea 
        disturbances such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, 
        landslides, explosions, and the impact of cosmic bodies.
            (2) Tsunami have caused, and can cause in the future, 
        enormous loss of human life, injury, destruction of property, 
        and economic and social disruption in coastal and island 
        communities.
            (3) While 85 percent of tsunami occur in the Pacific Ocean, 
        and coastal and island communities in this region are the most 
        vulnerable to the destructive results, tsunami can occur at any 
        point in any ocean or related body of water where there are 
        earthquakes, volcanoes, or any other activity that displaces a 
        large volume of water.
            (4) A number of States and territories are subject to the 
        threat of tsunamis, including Alaska, California, Hawaii, 
        Oregon, Washington, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. 
        Virgin Islands.
            (5) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is 
        responsible for maintaining a tsunami detection and warning 
        system for the Nation, issuing warnings to United States 
        communities at risk from tsunami, and preparing those 
        communities to respond appropriately, through--
                    (A) the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa 
                Beach, Hawaii, which serves as a warning center for 
                Hawaii, all other United States assets in the Pacific, 
                and Puerto Rico;
                    (B) the Alaska/West Coast Tsunami Warning Center in 
                Palmer, Alaska, which is responsible for issuing 
                warnings for Alaska, British Columbia, California, 
                Oregon, and Washington;
                    (C) the Federal-State national tsunami hazard 
                mitigation program;
                    (D) a tsunami research and assessment program, 
                including programs conducted by the Pacific Marine 
                Environmental Laboratory;
                    (E) the TsunamiReady Program, which educates and 
                prepares communities for survival before and during a 
                tsunami;
                    (F) an archive of historical tsunami data, held at 
                the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
                National Geophysical Data Center; and
                    (G) other related programs, including those 
                operated in coordination with academic institutions.
            (6) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        also represents the United States as a member of the 
        International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System 
        in the Pacific, administered by the Intergovernmental 
        Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, for which the Pacific 
        Tsunami Warning Center acts as the operational center and 
        shares seismic and water level information with 26 member 
        states, and maintains UNESCO's International Tsunami 
        Information Center, in Honolulu, Hawaii, which provides 
        technical and educational assistance to member states.
            (7) The Tsunami Warning Centers receive seismographic 
        information from the Global Seismic Network, an international 
        system of earthquake monitoring stations, from the United 
        States Geological Survey National Earthquake Information 
        Center, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center, and 
        cooperative regional seismic networks, and use these data to 
        issue tsunami warnings and integrate the information with data 
        from their own tidal and deep ocean monitoring stations, to 
        cancel or verify the existence of a damaging tsunami. Warnings 
        are disseminated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration to State emergency operation centers.
            (8) Current gaps in the International Tsunami Warning 
        System, such as the lack of regional warning systems in the 
        Indian Ocean, the southwest Pacific Ocean, Central and South 
        America, the Mediterranean Sea, and Caribbean, pose risks for 
        coastal and island communities.
            (9) The tragic and extreme loss of life experienced by 
        countries in the Indian Ocean following the magnitude 9.0 
        earthquake and resulting tsunami in that region on December 26, 
        2004, illustrates the destructive consequences which can occur 
        in the absence of an effective tsunami warning and notification 
        system.
            (10) An effective tsunami warning and notification system 
        is part of a multi-hazard disaster warning and preparedness 
        program and requires real-time seismic, sea level, and 
        oceanographic data, high-speed data analysis capabilities, a 
        high-speed tsunami warning and notification system, a sustained 
        program of education and risk assessment to develop response 
        strategies, and an established local infrastructure for timely 
        and effective dissemination of warnings to activate evacuation 
        of tsunami hazard zones.
            (11) The Tsunami Warning System for the Pacific is a model 
        for other regions of the world to adopt, and can be expanded 
        and modernized to increase detection, forecast, and warning 
        capabilities for vulnerable states and territories, reduce the 
        incidence of costly false alarms, improve reliability of 
        measurement and assessment technology, and increase community 
        preparedness.
            (12) Tsunami warning and preparedness capability can be 
        developed in other vulnerable areas of the world, such as the 
        Indian Ocean, by identifying tsunami hazard zones, educating 
        populations, developing alert and notification infrastructure, 
        and by deploying near real-time tsunami detection sensors and 
        gauges, establishing hazard notification and warning networks, 
        expanding global monitoring of seismic activity, encouraging 
        the increased exchange of seismic and tidal data between 
        nations, and improving international coordination when a 
        tsunami is detected.
            (13) UNESCO has recognized the need to establish tsunami 
        warning systems for regions beyond the Pacific Basin that are 
        vulnerable to tsunami, including the Indian Ocean, and has 
        convened a working group to lead an effort to expand the 
        International Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific to such 
        vulnerable regions.
            (14) The international community and all vulnerable nations 
        should take coordinated efforts to establish and participate in 
        regional tsunami warning systems and other hazard warnings 
        systems developed to meet the goals of the United Nations 
        International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.
            (15) On February 16, 2005, the United States, together with 
        53 other Nations participating in the Third Earth Observation 
        Summit in Brussels, Belgium, adopted a 10-year implementation 
        plan as the basis for establishing the Global Earth Observation 
        System of Systems.
            (16) The Global Earth Observation System of Systems will 
        consist of existing and future earth observation systems, 
        including the United States tsunami detection and warning 
        system.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this title are--
            (1) to improve tsunami detection, forecast, warnings, 
        notification, preparedness, and mitigation in order to protect 
        life and property both in the United States and elsewhere in 
        the world;
            (2) to improve and modernize the existing Pacific Tsunami 
        Warning System to increase coverage, reduce false alarms and 
        increase accuracy of forecasts and warnings, and expand 
        detection and warning systems to include other vulnerable 
        States and United States territories, including the Caribbean/
        Atlantic/Gulf region;
            (3) to increase and accelerate mapping, modeling, research, 
        assessment, education, and outreach efforts in order to improve 
        forecasting, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery 
        of tsunami and related coastal hazards;
            (4) to provide technical and other assistance to speed 
        international efforts to establish regional tsunami warning 
        systems in vulnerable areas worldwide, including the Indian 
        Ocean; and
            (5) to improve Federal, State, and international 
        coordination for tsunami and other coastal hazard warnings and 
        preparedness.

SEC. 203. TSUNAMI DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall operate regional tsunami detection and 
warning systems for the Pacific Ocean region and for the Atlantic 
Ocean, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico region that will provide maximum 
detection capability for United States coastal tsunami.
    (b) System Requirements.--
            (1) Pacific system.--The Pacific tsunami warning system 
        shall cover the entire Pacific Ocean area, including the 
        Western Pacific, the Central Pacific, the North Pacific, the 
        South Pacific, and the East Pacific and Arctic areas.
            (2) Atlantic, caribbean, and gulf of mexico system.--The 
        Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf system shall cover areas of the 
        Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico that the 
        Administrator determines--
                    (A) to be geologically active, or to have 
                significant potential for geological activity; and
                    (B) to pose measurable risks of tsunamis for States 
                along the coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean or the 
                Gulf of Mexico.
            (3) Components.--The systems shall--
                    (A) utilize an array of deep ocean detection buoys, 
                including redundant and spare buoys;
                    (B) include an associated tide gauge and water 
                level system designed for long-term continuous 
                operation tsunami transmission capability;
                    (C) allow for such additional sensors as may be 
                necessary for tsunami and weather warnings and 
                forecasts;
                    (D) provide for the establishment of a cooperative 
                effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration and the United States Geological Survey 
                under which the Geological Survey and State earthquake 
                information centers provide rapid and reliable real-
                time seismic information to the Administration from 
                international and domestic seismic networks;
                    (E) provide for information and data processing 
                through the tsunami warning centers established under 
                subsection (c);
                    (F) be integrated into United States and global 
                ocean and earth observing systems, including the Global 
                Earth Observation System of Systems;
                    (G) provide an infrastructure, building on local 
                systems, for at-risk tsunami communities that supports 
                rapid and reliable alert and notification to the 
                public, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration's Weather, Alert, and Readiness Network, 
                which includes the weather radio and the All Hazard 
                Alert Broadcasting Radio; and
                    (H) the integration of NOAA's Advanced Weather 
                Interactive Processing System with other technologies.
            (4) Federal cooperation.--In deploying and maintaining 
        detection buoys utilized in the tsunami warning system, the 
        Administrator should leverage the assistance and assets of the 
        United States Coast Guard, the Navy, and other Federal agency 
        assets in the region. Within 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall provide a report 
        to the Senate committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation, the House of Representatives Committee on 
        Science, and the House of Representatives Committee on 
        Resources that summarizes the extent to which the United States 
        Coast Guard or any other Federal agency is assistance in 
        deploying and maintaining such buoys.
    (c) Tsunami Warning Centers.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall establish tsunami 
        warning centers to provide a link between the detection and 
        warning system and the tsunami hazard mitigation program 
        established under section 204 including--
                    (A) a Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii;
                    (B) a West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center 
                in Alaska; and
                    (C) any additional warning centers determined by 
                the Administrator to be necessary.
            (2) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of each tsunami 
        warning center shall include--
                    (A) continuously monitoring data from seismological 
                stations, deep ocean detection buoys, and tidal 
                monitoring stations and providing such data to the 
                national tsunami archive;
                    (B) evaluating earthquakes that have the potential 
                to generate tsunami;
                    (C) evaluating deep ocean buoy data and tidal 
                monitoring stations for indications of tsunami 
                resulting from sources other than earthquakes; and
                    (D) disseminating information and warning bulletins 
                appropriate for local and distant tsunamis to 
                government agencies and the public and alerting 
                potentially impacted coastal areas for evacuation.
    (d) Data Management.--The Administrator shall maintain national and 
regionally-based data management systems to support and establish data 
management requirements for the tsunami detection and monitoring 
system, including requirements for--
            (1) quality control and quality assurance;
            (2) archiving and maintaining data;
            (3) supporting integration of observations from the system 
        with other national and international water level measurements, 
        such as the Global Sea Level Monitoring System;
            (4) integration of observations from the system with other 
        elements of the global and coastal components of the integrated 
        ocean and coastal observing system and the Global Earth 
        Observation System of Systems; and
            (5) the development of and access to data sets and 
        integrated data products designed to support multi-hazard 
        regional vulnerability assessment and adaptation programs such 
        as the program established under section 208.

SEC. 204. TSUNAMI HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall, in coordination with other agencies 
and academic institutions, develop and conduct a community-based 
tsunami hazard mitigation program to improve tsunami preparedness of 
at-risk areas.
    (b) Coordinating Committee.--In developing and conducting the 
program, the Administrator shall establish a coordinating committee 
comprising representatives of Federal agencies and other governmental 
entities involved in tsunami mitigation and response, including--
            (1) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
            (2) the United States Geological Survey;
            (3) the National Science Foundation;
            (4) the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
            (5) affected coastal States and territories.
    (c) Program Components.--The program shall--
            (1) improve the quality and extent of inundation mapping, 
        including assessment of vulnerable inner coastal areas;
            (2) promote and improve community outreach and education 
        networks and programs to ensure community awareness and 
        readiness, including the development of multi-hazard risk and 
        vulnerability assessment training and decision support tools, 
        implementation of technical training and public education 
        programs, and provide for certification of prepared 
        communities;
            (3) integrate tsunami awareness, preparedness, and 
        mitigation programs into ongoing hazard warning and risk 
        management programs in affected areas including the National 
        Response Plan and State coastal zone management plans;
            (4) promote the adoption of tsunami warning and mitigation 
        measures by Federal, State, tribal, and local governments and 
        non-governmental entities through a grant program for training, 
        development of guidelines, and other purposes;
            (5) develop tsunami specific rescue and recovery guidelines 
        for the National Response Plan, including long-term mitigation 
        measures, educational programs regarding the consequences of 
        development in high-risk areas, and use of remote sensing and 
        other technology in rescue and recovery operations;
            (6) require budget coordination, through the 
        Administration, to carry out the purposes of this title and to 
        ensure that participating agencies provide necessary funds for 
        matters within their respective areas of authority and 
        expertise; and
            (7) provide for periodic external review of the program and 
        for inclusion of the results of such reviews in the report 
        required by section 206(e).

SEC. 205. TSUNAMI RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall, in coordination with other agencies 
and academic institutions, establish a tsunami research program to 
develop detection, prediction, communication, and mitigation science 
and technology that supports tsunami forecasts and warnings, including 
advanced sensing techniques, information and communication technology, 
data collection, analysis and assessment for tsunami tracking and 
numerical forecast modeling that will--
            (1) help determine--
                    (A) whether an earthquake or other seismic event 
                will result in a tsunami; and
                    (B) the likely path, severity, duration, and travel 
                time of a tsunami;
            (2) develop techniques and technologies that may be used to 
        communicate tsunami forecasts and warnings as quickly and 
        effectively as possible to affected communities;
            (3) develop techniques and technologies to support 
        evacuation products, including real-time notice of the 
        condition of critical infrastructure along tsunami evacuation 
        routes for public officials and first responders; and
            (4) develop techniques for utilizing remote sensing 
        technologies in rescue and recovery operations.
    (b) Technology.--The Administrator, in consultation with other 
appropriate Federal agencies, shall investigate the potential for 
improved technology for tsunami and other hazard warnings by 
incorporating into the existing system a full range of options for 
providing those warnings to the public.

SEC. 206. TSUNAMI SYSTEM UPGRADE AND MODERNIZATION.

    (a) System Upgrades.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall--
            (1) authorize and direct the immediate repair of existing 
        deep ocean detection buoys and related components of the 
        system;
            (2) ensure the deployment of an array of deep ocean 
        detection buoys capable of carrying multi-observation 
        technology in the regions described in section 203(a) of this 
        title;
            (3) ensure expansion or upgrade of the seismic monitoring 
        and tide gauge networks in the regions described in section 
        203(a); and
            (4) complete the upgrades not later than December 31, 2007.
    (b) Transfer of Technology; Maintenance and Upgrades.--In carrying 
out this section, the Administrator shall--
            (1) promulgate specifications and standards for forecast, 
        detection, and warning systems, including detection equipment;
            (2) develop and execute a plan for the transfer of 
        technology from ongoing research to long-term operations;
            (3) ensure that detection equipment is maintained in 
        operational condition to fulfill the forecasting, detection and 
        warning requirements of the regional tsunami detection and 
        warning systems;
            (4) obtain, to the greatest extent practicable, priority 
        treatment in budgeting for, acquiring, transporting, and 
        maintaining weather sensors, tide gauges, water level gauges, 
        and tsunami buoys incorporated into the system including 
        obtaining ship time; and
            (5) ensure integration of the tsunami detection system with 
        other United States and global ocean and coastal observation 
        systems, the Global Earth Observation System of Systems, global 
        seismic networks, and the Advanced National Seismic System.
    (c) Certification.--Amounts appropriated for any fiscal year 
pursuant to section 209 to carry out this section may not be obligated 
or expended for the acquisition of services for construction or 
deployment of tsunami detection equipment unless the Administrator 
certifies in writing to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, the House of Representatives Committee on Science, and 
the House of Representatives Committee on Resources within 60 calendar 
days after the date on which the President submits the Budget of the 
United States for that fiscal year to the Congress that--
            (1) each contractor for such services has met the 
        requirements of the contract for such construction or 
        deployment;
            (2) the equipment to be constructed or deployed is capable 
        of becoming fully operational without the obligation or 
        expenditure of additional appropriated funds; and
            (3) the Administrator does not reasonably foresee 
        unanticipated delays in the deployment and operational schedule 
        specified in the contract.
    (d) Congressional Notifications.--The Administrator shall notify 
the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the 
House of Representatives Committee on Science, and the House of 
Representatives Committee on Resources of--
            (1) impaired regional detection coverage due to equipment 
        or system failures; and
            (2) significant contractor failures or delays in completing 
        work associated with the tsunami detection and warning system.
    (e) Annual Report.--The Administrator shall transmit an annual 
report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
and the House of Representatives Committee on Science the status of the 
tsunami detection and warning system, including accuracy, false alarms, 
equipment failures, improvements over the previous year, and goals for 
further improvement (or plans for curing failures) of the system, as 
well as progress and accomplishments of the national tsunami hazard 
mitigation program.
    (f) External Review.--The National Academy of Science shall review 
the tsunami detection, forecast, and warning system operated by the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under this title to 
assess further modernization and coverage needs, as well as long-term 
operational reliability issues, taking into account measures 
implemented under this title, and transmit a report containing its 
recommendations, including an estimate of the costs of implementing 
those recommendations, to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on 
Science within 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 207. GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION NETWORK.

    (a) International Tsunami Warning System.--The Administrator of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in coordination with 
other members of the United States Interagency Committee of the 
National Tsunami Mitigation Program, shall provide technical assistance 
and advice to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, 
the World Meteorological Organization, the Group on Earth Observations, 
and other international entities, as part of international efforts to 
develop a fully functional global tsunami warning system comprised of 
regional tsunami warning networks, modeled on the International Tsunami 
Warning System of the Pacific, and consistent with the 10-year 
implementation plan for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.
    (b) International Tsunami Information Center.--The Administrator 
shall operate an International Tsunami Information Center to improve 
tsunami preparedness for all Pacific Ocean nations participating in the 
International Tsunami Warning System of the Pacific, and which may also 
provide such assistance to other nations participating in a global 
tsunami warning system established through the International 
Oceanographic Committee of UNESCO. As part of its responsibilities in 
the Pacific, the Center shall--
            (1) monitor international tsunami warning activities in the 
        Pacific;
            (2) assist member states in establishing national warning 
        systems, and make information available on current technologies 
        for tsunami warning systems;
            (3) maintain a library of materials to promulgate knowledge 
        about tsunamis in general and for use by the scientific 
        community; and
            (4) disseminate information, including educational 
        materials and research reports.
    (c) Technical Assistance.--In carrying out this section, the 
Administrator--
            (1) shall give priority to assisting nations in identifying 
        vulnerable coastal areas, creating inundation maps, obtaining 
        or designing real-time detection and reporting equipment, and 
        establishing communication and warning networks and contact 
        points in each vulnerable nation;
            (2) may establish a process for transfer of detection and 
        communication technology to affected nations for the purposes 
        of establishing the international tsunami warning system; and
            (3) shall provide technical and other assistance to support 
        international tsunami education, response, vulnerability, and 
        adaptation programs.
    (d) Data-sharing Requirement.--The Administrator may not provide 
assistance under this section for any region unless all affected 
nations in that region participating in the tsunami warning network 
agree to share relevant data associated with the development and 
operation of the network.
    (e) Funding Assistance.--The Administrator, in coordination with 
the Secretary of State, shall seek funding assistance from 
participating nations needed to ensure establishment of a fully 
functional global tsunami warning system.
    (f) Receipt of International Reimbursement Authorized.--The 
Administrator may accept payment to, or reimbursement of, the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in cash or in kind from 
international organizations and foreign authorities, or payment or 
reimbursement made on behalf of such an authority, for expenses 
incurred by the Administrator in carrying out any activity under this 
title. Any such payments or reimbursements shall be considered a 
reimbursement to the appropriated funds of the Administration.

SEC. 208. COASTAL COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall establish an integrated coastal 
vulnerability and adaptation program focused on improving the 
resilience of coastal communities to natural hazards and disasters. The 
program shall be regional in nature, build upon and integrate existing 
Federal and State programs, and provide usable products that will 
improve preparedness of communities, businesses, and government 
entities. The program may include the following activities:
            (1) Development of multi-hazard vulnerability maps to 
        characterize and assess risks of coastal communities to a range 
        of natural hazards and provide a baseline for assessing future 
        risks.
            (2) Multi-disciplinary vulnerability assessment research 
        and education that will help integrate risk management with 
        community development planning and policies.
            (3) Risk management and leadership training for the public, 
        local officials, and institutions that will enhance 
        understanding and preparedness.
            (4) Risk assessment technology development, including 
        research and development of emerging technologies and practical 
        application of existing or emerging technologies, such as 
        modeling, remote sensing, geospatial technology, engineering, 
        and observing systems.
            (5) Risk management data and information services, 
        including access to data and products derived from observing 
        and detection systems, as well as development and maintenance 
        of new integrated data products that would support risk 
        assessment and risk management programs.
            (6) Risk notification systems that coordinate with and 
        build upon existing systems and actively engage policy 
        officials, government agencies, businesses, communities, non-
        governmental organizations, and the media.
    (b) Regional Pilot Projects.--
            (1) In general.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment 
        of this Act, the Administrator shall, in consultation with the 
        appropriate Federal, State, tribal, and local governmental 
        entities, establish 3 pilot projects to conduct regional 
        assessments of the vulnerability of coastal areas of the United 
        States to hazards associated with tsunami and other natural 
        hazards or coastal disasters. Priority shall be given to 
        collaborative partnership proposals from regionally-based 
        multi-organizational coalitions. In preparing the regional 
        assessments, the Administrator shall collect and compile 
        current information on tsunami and other natural hazards or 
        coastal disasters.
            (2) Scope.--Regional assessments under the pilot program 
        shall include an evaluation of--
                    (A) the social impacts associated with threats to 
                and potential losses of housing, communities, and 
                infrastructure;
                    (B) the physical impacts such as coastal erosion, 
                flooding and loss of estuarine habitat, saltwater 
                intrusion of aquifers and saltwater encroachment, and 
                species migration;
                    (C) the economic impact on local, State, tribal, 
                and regional economies, including the impact on coastal 
                infrastructure and the abundance or distribution of 
                economically important living marine resources; and
                    (D) opportunities to enhance the resilience of at-
                risk communities, economic sectors, and natural 
                resources.
    (c) Selection Criteria.--The Administrator shall rely on the 
following criteria in identifying appropriate regional pilot projects:
            (1) Vulnerability to tsunami and other natural hazards or 
        coastal disasters.
            (2) Dependence on economic sectors and natural resources 
        that are particularly sensitive to coastal hazards.
            (3) Opportunities to link and leverage related regional 
        risk observation, research, forecasting, assessment, 
        educational and risk management programs.
            (4) Demonstration of strong, interagency collaboration in 
        the area of risk management for tsunami and other natural 
        hazards or coastal disasters.
            (5) Access to NOAA and other Federal agency programs, 
        facilities, and infrastructure related to tsunami and other 
        coastal hazards monitoring, warning, forecasting, research 
        assessment, and data management.
    (d) Regional Adaptation Plans.--The Administrator shall, within 3 
years after the commencement of each project under subsection (b), 
submit to the Congress regional adaptation plans--
            (1) based on the information contained in the regional 
        assessments conducted under subsection (b);
            (2) developed with the participation of other Federal 
        agencies, State, tribal, and local government agencies, and 
        non-governmental entities (including academia and the private 
        sector) that will be critical in the implementation of the plan 
        at the State, tribal, and local levels;
            (3) that recommend targets and strategies to address 
        impacts associated with tsunami and other natural hazards or 
        coastal disasters;
            (4) that include recommendations for both short- and long-
        term adaptation strategies; and
            (5) that include recommendations on--
                    (A) Federal flood insurance program modifications;
                    (B) areas that have been identified as high risk 
                through mapping and assessment;
                    (C) enhancing the effectiveness of State coastal 
                zone management programs in mitigating or preventing 
                coastal risks;
                    (D) mitigation incentives such as rolling 
                easements, strategic retreat, State or Federal 
                acquisition in fee simple or other interest in land, 
                construction standards, and zoning;
                    (E) land and property owner education;
                    (F) economic planning for small communities 
                dependent upon affected coastal resources, including 
                fisheries; and
                    (G) funding requirements and mechanisms.
    (e) Technical Planning and Financial Assistance.--The 
Administrator, through the National Ocean Service, shall establish a 
coordinated program--
            (1) to provide technical planning assistance and financial 
        assistance to coastal States, tribes, and local governments as 
        they develop and implement adaptation or mitigation strategies 
        and plans under this section; and
            (2) to make products, information, tools, and technical 
        expertise generated from the development of the regional 
        assessment and the regional adaptation plan available to 
        coastal States for the purposes of developing their own State, 
        tribal, and local plans.

SEC. 209. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--
            (1) $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2012 
        to carry out this title (other than section 208); and
            (2) $5,000,000 for each of such fiscal years to carry out 
        section 208, of which at least $3,000,000 for each fiscal year 
        shall be used to carry out the pilot projects authorized by 
        section 208(b).
    (b) Funding.--The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to use 
amounts from the Digital Transition and Public Safety Fund in 
accordance with section 5 of the Digital Transition and Public Safety 
Act of 2005 to carry out this title as an offsetting collection in, and 
credited to, the account providing appropriations to carry out this 
title.




                                                       Calendar No. 321

109th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1753

                          [Report No. 109-204]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To establish a unified national hazard alert system, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            December 8, 2005

                       Reported with an amendment