[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 671 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 671

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
need for a comprehensive public alert and warning system for the United 
                    States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 31, 2012

 Mr. Cassidy submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
           the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives concerning the 
need for a comprehensive public alert and warning system for the United 
                    States, and for other purposes.

Whereas the safety and security of the Nation depends on an effective, reliable, 
        integrated, flexible, and comprehensive system to timely alert and warn 
        the people of the United States, regardless of their location, in 
        situations of war, terrorist attack, natural disaster, imminent danger, 
        or emergency and in other hazardous situations that threaten the health, 
        safety, or well-being of persons or their properties;
Whereas Executive Order 13407, signed by President George W. Bush on June 26, 
        2006, called for the establishment of a comprehensive public alert and 
        warning system;
Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency established the Integrated 
        Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and the IPAWS Program Management 
        Office in April 2007;
Whereas in 2009, the Government Accountability Office found that IPAWS had 
        encountered shifting program goals, a lack of continuity of planning, 
        and poorly organized program information;
Whereas the legislative bodies of several States have called on Congress to 
        analyze, evaluate, and assess current Federal, State, territorial, 
        tribal, and local public alert and warning systems, the methods and 
        approaches used by such systems, the potential for integrating such 
        systems and their resources, the effectiveness of such systems, and the 
        ability of such systems to simultaneously alert 100 percent of a 
        geographic location, including remote locations and especially those 
        remote locations where surface communications do not exist, have been 
        compromised, or have been otherwise rendered ineffective;
Whereas natural disasters and terrorist attacks have demonstrated that the 
        United States requires the capability to give early warnings and alerts 
        to all people in danger and especially to special needs populations, 
        including children, persons who are disabled, persons with limited 
        English proficiency, persons who are confined to hospital or nursing 
        home care, and persons who, because of the digital divide or poverty, 
        have limited access to multiple broadcast and other communications 
        pathways;
Whereas to avoid overreach, public alerts and warnings should be given only to 
        those persons in danger, regardless of the size or form of the targeted 
        geographical area, whether it be a single home or location or the entire 
        Nation;
Whereas there should be seamless cooperation, coordination, and education with 
        owners and operators of communications facilities, including all 9-1-1 
        facilities and facilities of the Emergency Alert System program and the 
        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association;
Whereas there should be renewed Federal support for training, tests, exercises, 
        and public education efforts in order that Federal, State, territorial, 
        tribal, local governments, the private sector, and the people of the 
        United States are aware and understand the functions of IPAWS and have 
        access to updates on threats and dangers at all times; and
Whereas these functions should be coordinated by the Federal Communications 
        Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of 
        Commerce, and other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, along 
        with emergency response providers and users: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives should initiate and 
        conduct analyses and hearings, acting through appropriate House 
        committees, to assess the financial and technical resources 
        that are required to realize the goals of the Integrated Public 
        Alert and Warning System; and
            (2) upon completion of the hearings, the committees should 
        cooperate to jointly propose legislation, and utilize such 
        other means and technologies as may be available, to provide 
        for a comprehensive public alert and warning system for the 
        United States.
                                 <all>