[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3654 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3654

To adopt technology allowing 9-1-1 call centers to receive and respond 
          to emergency text messages, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 13, 2011

  Ms. Hochul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 adopt technology allowing 9-1-1 call centers to receive and respond 
          to emergency text messages, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Allowing Local Emergency Response 
Technicians to Accept Cellular Texts Act'' or the ``ALERT ACT''.

SEC. 2. 9-1-1 TEXT ERROR MESSAGE.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, shall complete a rulemaking requiring 
that if a consumer unsuccessfully attempts to communicate with a public 
safety answering point by sending a text message to 9-1-1 using a 
commercial mobile service, the provider of the commercial mobile 
service will respond to such consumer with an error message to ensure 
that the consumer knows that the text message has not been received by 
the public safety answering point and to instruct the consumer on 
proper steps to take to reach emergency assistance.

SEC. 3. ADVANCING 9-1-1 TECHNOLOGY.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that at least 10 
percent of the Federal funds awarded after the date of the enactment of 
this Act for emergency management performance grants shall be used to 
test or implement equipment or services allowing members of the public 
to send text messages to 9-1-1 for the purpose of obtaining emergency 
assistance.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commercial mobile service.--The term ``commercial 
        mobile service'' has the meaning given such term in section 332 
        of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332).
            (2) Emergency management performance grants.--The term 
        ``emergency management performance grants'' refers to the 
        grants authorized by section 662 of the Post-Katrina Emergency 
        Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 762).
            (3) Public safety answering point.--The term ``public 
        safety answering point'' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 222 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222).
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