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
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.