[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 863 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 863

   To improve communications interoperability for emergency response.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 6, 2007

 Mr. Thompson of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
  the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To improve communications interoperability for emergency response.

    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 ``Improving Communications 
Interoperability Grant Program Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Title V of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 522. IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANT 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of 
the Office of Grants and Training and in coordination with the Director 
for Emergency Communications, shall establish the Improve 
Communications for Emergency Response Grant Program to make grants to 
States and regions to carry out initiatives to improve interoperable 
emergency communications for first responders for domestic preparedness 
and the collective response to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, 
and other man-made disasters, including initiatives to achieve 
solutions to statewide, regional, national, and, where appropriate, 
international interoperability.
    ``(b) Use of Grant Funds.--A State or region receiving a grant 
under this section may use the grant for short-term or long-term goals 
for improving interoperable emergency communications, including 
interoperability within that State or region, and to assist with--
            ``(1) statewide or regional communications planning;
            ``(2) design and engineering for interoperable emergency 
        communications systems;
            ``(3) procurement and installation of interoperable 
        emergency communications equipment;
            ``(4) interoperable emergency communications exercises;
            ``(5) modeling and simulation exercises for operational 
        command and control functions;
            ``(6) technical assistance and training for interoperable 
        emergency communications; and
            ``(7) other activities determined by the Secretary to be 
        integral to interoperable emergency communications.
    ``(c) Region Defined.--For the purposes of this section, the term 
`region' means any combination of contiguous local government units, 
including such a combination established by law or mutual aid agreement 
between two or more local governments or governmental agencies.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland Security for grants under 
section 522 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by 
subsection (a)--
            (1) such sums as may be necessary for the first fiscal year 
        that begins after the later of--
                    (A) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security completes and submits to Congress the National 
                Emergency Communications Plan required under section 
                1802 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
                572);
                    (B) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security completes and submits to Congress the first 
                baseline interoperability assessment required under 
                section 1803 of such Act (6 U.S.C. 573); or
                    (C) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security, after consultation with the Director of 
                Emergency Communications, determines and notifies 
                Congress that substantial progress has been made 
                towards the development and promulgation of voluntary 
                consensus-based interoperable communications standards 
                pursuant to section 1801(c)(11) of such Act (6 U.S.C. 
                571(c)(11)); and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent 
        fiscal year.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
that Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 521 
the following:

``Sec. 522. Improve Communications for Emergency Response Grant 
                            Program.''.
                                 <all>