[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3476 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3476

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 2010

Mr. Casey (for himself and Mr. Specter) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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; and
            (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.

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

    (a) Designations.--
            (1) Initial designations.--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 2 military installations as sites for the 
        establishment of national emergency centers, of which--
                    (A) 1 shall be located in the area consisting of 
                Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions I, II, III, 
                IV and V; and
                    (B) 1 shall be located in the area consisting of 
                Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions VI, VII, 
                VIII, IX, and X.
            (2) Additional designations.--Not later than 18 months 
        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 4 military 
        installations as sites for the establishment of national 
        emergency centers in addition to the military installations 
        designated under paragraph (1).
    (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 1 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 Military Installations Designated as Regional 
Joint Readiness Centers and Closed or Materially Affected Military 
Installations.--
            (1) In general.--In making designations under subsection 
        (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with 
        the Secretary of Defense, shall--
                    (A) give preference to any military installation 
                designated as a Regional Joint Readiness Center 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 meets the requirements of subsections 
                (b) and (c); and
                    (B) after the application of subparagraph (A), give 
                preference to any closed military installation or 
                materially affected military installation that meets 
                the requirements of subsections (b) and (c).
            (2) Designation of portions of military installations.--If 
        the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of 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 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 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as necessary to 
carry out this Act.

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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