[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1796 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1796

  To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national 
              emergency centers on military installations.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 29, 2007

   Mr. Hastings of Florida introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
    addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national 
              emergency centers on military installations.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Emergency Centers 
Establishment Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--In accordance with the requirements of this Act, 
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 
national emergency centers on military installations.
    (b) Purpose of National Emergency Centers.--The purpose of a 
national emergency center shall be to use existing infrastructure--
            (1) to provide temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian 
        assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an 
        emergency or major disaster;
            (2) to provide centralized locations for the purposes of 
        training and ensuring the coordination of Federal, State, and 
        local first responders;
            (3) to provide centralized locations to improve the 
        coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of 
        government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-
        based organizations; and
            (4) to meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS NATIONAL EMERGENCY 
              CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall designate not fewer 
than 6 military installations as sites for the establishment of 
national emergency centers.
    (b) Minimum Requirements.--A site designated as a national 
emergency center shall be--
            (1) capable of meeting for an extended period of time the 
        housing, health, transportation, education, public works, 
        humanitarian and other transition needs of a large number of 
        individuals affected by an emergency or major disaster;
            (2) environmentally safe and shall not pose a health risk 
        to individuals who may use the center;
            (3) capable of being scaled up or down to accommodate major 
        disaster preparedness and response drills, operations, and 
        procedures;
            (4) capable of housing existing permanent structures 
        necessary to meet training and first responders coordination 
        requirements during nondisaster periods;
            (5) capable of hosting the infrastructure necessary to 
        rapidly adjust to temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian 
        assistance needs;
            (6) required to consist of a complete operations command 
        center, including 2 state-of-the art command and control 
        centers that will comprise a 24/7 operations watch center as 
        follows:
                    (A) one of the command and control centers shall be 
                in full ready mode; and
                    (B) the other shall be used daily for training; and
            (7) easily accessible at all times and be able to 
        facilitate handicapped and medical facilities, including during 
        an emergency or major disaster.
    (c) Location of National Emergency Centers.--There shall be 
established not fewer than one national emergency center in each of the 
following areas:
            (1) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency Regions I, II, and III.
            (2) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency Region IV.
            (3) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency Regions V and VII.
            (4) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency Region VI.
            (5) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency Regions VIII and X.
            (6) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency Region IX.
    (d) Preference for Designation of Closed Military Installations.--
Wherever possible, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Defense, shall designate a closed military 
installation as a site for a national emergency center. If the 
Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense jointly determine that 
there is not a sufficient number of closed military installations that 
meet the requirements of subsections (b) and (c), the Secretaries shall 
jointly designate portions of existing military installations other 
than closed military installations as national emergency centers.
    (e) Transfer of Control of Closed Military Installations.--If a 
closed military installation is designated as a national emergency 
center, not later than 180 days after the date of designation, the 
Secretary of Defense shall transfer to the Secretary of Homeland 
Security administrative jurisdiction over such closed military 
installation.
    (f) Cooperative Agreement for Joint Use of Existing Military 
Installations.--If an existing military installation other than a 
closed military installation is designated as a national emergency 
center, not later than 180 days after the date of designation, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall enter 
into a cooperative agreement to provide for the establishment of the 
national emergency center.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) Preliminary report.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
        submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated 
        site--
                    (A) an outline of the reasons why the site was 
                selected;
                    (B) an outline of the need to construct, repair, or 
                update any existing infrastructure at the site;
                    (C) an outline of the need to conduct any necessary 
                environmental clean-up at the site;
                    (D) an outline of preliminary plans for the 
                transfer of control of the site from the Secretary of 
                Defense to the Secretary of Homeland Security, if 
                necessary under subsection (e); and
                    (E) an outline of preliminary plans for entering 
                into a cooperative agreement for the establishment of a 
                national emergency center at the site, if necessary 
                under subsection (f).
            (2) Update report.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall 
        submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated 
        site--
                    (A) an update on the information contained in the 
                report as required by paragraph (1);
                    (B) an outline of the progress made toward the 
                transfer of control of the site, if necessary under 
                subsection (e);
                    (C) an outline of the progress made toward entering 
                a cooperative agreement for the establishment of a 
                national emergency center at the site, if necessary 
                under subsection (f); and
                    (D) recommendations regarding any authorizations 
                and appropriations that may be necessary to provide for 
                the establishment of a national emergency center at the 
                site.
            (3) Final report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
        acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to 
        Congress a report that contains for each designated site--
                    (A) finalized information detailing the transfer of 
                control of the site, if necessary under subsection (e);
                    (B) the finalized cooperative agreement for the 
                establishment of a national emergency center at the 
                site, if necessary under subsection (f); and
                    (C) any additional information pertinent to the 
                establishment of a national emergency center at the 
                site.
            (4) Additional reports.--The Secretary of Homeland 
        Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, may 
        submit to Congress additional reports as necessary to provide 
        updates on steps being taken to meet the requirements of this 
        Act.

SEC. 4. LIMITATIONS ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.

    This Act does not affect--
            (1) the authority of the Federal Government to provide 
        emergency or major disaster assistance or to implement any 
        disaster mitigation and response program, including any program 
        authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
        Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); or
            (2) the authority of a State or local government to respond 
        to an emergency.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $180,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to carry out this Act. Such funds shall 
remain available until expended.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Closed military installation.--The term ``closed 
        military installation'' means a military installation, or 
        portion thereof, approved for closure or realignment under the 
        Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of 
        title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) that 
        meet all, or 2 out, of the 3 following requirements:
                    (A) Is located in close proximity to a 
                transportation corridor.
                    (B) Is located in a State with a high level or 
                threat of disaster related activities.
                    (C) Is located near a major metropolitan center.
            (2) Emergency.--The term ``emergency'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
            (3) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
        U.S.C. 5122).
            (4) Military installation.--The term ``military 
        installation'' has the meaning given such term in section 2910 
        of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A 
        of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note).
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