[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 645 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 645
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national
emergency centers on military installations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2009
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 2009 and 2010 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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