[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 57 (Thursday, April 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2547-S2551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. REED (for himself and Mr. Isakson):
S. 2301. A bill to help prevent the occurrence of cancer resulting
from the use of ultraviolet tanning lamps by providing sufficient
information to consumers regarding the health risks associated with the
use of such devices; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senator
Isakson in introducing the Tanning Transparency and Notification Act,
or the TAN Act.
This legislation is a continuation of an initiative that we worked on
together five years ago during the Food and Drug Administration
Amendments Act, FDAAA, of 2007. That initiative required the Food and
Drug Administration, FDA, to issue a report to Congress on whether the
labeling requirements for indoor tanning devices provide sufficient
information to consumers regarding the risks that the use of such
devices pose for the development of irreversible damage to the eyes and
skin, including skin cancer.
We called for this report in 2007 because the FDA had not updated its
warnings on tanning beds since 1979. The FDA still has not acted and we
believe that users of indoor tanning beds deserve to be fully informed.
While the American Academy of Dermatology, the FDA, the National
Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
and the World Health Organization, WHO, continue to discourage the use
of indoor tanning beds, this message and up-to-date information about
the risks of indoor tanning are still not being adequately provided to
consumers.
Not surprisingly, the FDA found in its report to Congress that
updating current labeling requirements for tanning beds would better
protect consumers from irreversible skin damage. This is an excerpt
from the FDA's own report:
Based on its analysis of the results of the consumer study
required by section 230 of FDAAA, FDA has determined that
there are warnings that are capable of adequately
communicating the risks of indoor tanning,
[[Page S2548]]
and that a modified warning statement label may more
effectively convey these risks than the current labeling
requirements. FDA has also determined that changes to the
positioning requirements for the warning statement label may
communicate such risks more effectively.
Unfortunately, the FDA has not heeded its own advice. Tanning bed
labels remain unchanged and skin cancer rates continue to rise. This
year, approximately 131,810 new cases of melanoma will be diagnosed in
the United States, and nearly 9,180 people will die from melanoma. Some
of these cases result from the use of tanning beds.
Two million Americans, approximately 70 percent of whom are girls and
women, visit a tanning salon each day. The WHO reports that the risk of
cutaneous melanoma increases by 75 percent when use of tanning devices
starts before 30 years of age.
Better informing these individuals about the incidence of melanoma,
and increasing transparency and improving notification about the risks
of indoor tanning are all ways to reduce skin cancer rates. The Tanning
Transparency and Notification Act would require the FDA to carry out
the recommendations in its report and update the labeling requirements
for tanning beds.
Initiatives like this can make a difference in the health of
Americans. Indeed, just last year, the FDA finalized critical
regulations--at my and others' urging--that were 30 years in the making
regarding sunscreen labeling. Providing consumers with critical
information about the risks of indoor and outdoor tanning can help
better protect them against skin cancer. I look forward to working with
my colleagues on improving the labeling of indoor tanning beds and
continuing efforts to combat skin cancer.
______
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Kirk):
S. 2303. A bill to require rulemaking by the Administrator of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to address considerations in
evaluating the need for public and individual disaster assistance, and
for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Fairness in
Federal Disaster Declaration Act. I am introducing it on behalf of
myself and my colleague, Senator Mark Kirk. What we are trying to
achieve is fairness in FEMA's consideration of whether a community will
be granted Federal assistance after a disaster. I think this
legislation is essential because of what just happened in my State.
From 2007 to 2011, Illinois was denied Federal assistance three
times. Texas was denied nine times. The damage was caused by everything
from wildfires to tropical storms. California was denied five times
during that 5-year period. Florida was denied four times, including for
damage from Hurricane Ike. And unfortunately, as I mentioned, in my
home State of Illinois, the communities of Harrisburg and Ridgway were
denied.
This is the damage I saw when I went down to Harrisburg, IL, after a
recent tornado. This was a shopping mall, but it was virtually
collapsed by winds of 175 miles-per-hour intensity. That is the second
highest intensity of recorded winds in a tornado. This property damage,
of course, is just a minor part of what actually happened. The major
part was the loss of life. Seven people were killed as a result of the
tornado damage.
I grew up in the Midwest. I have seen tornadoes all my life. I lived
waiting to hear the air raid sirens and head toward the basement. But I
never saw anything quite as devastating as what I saw in Harrisburg.
And then when I went over to Ridgway, IL, about 25 miles away, I saw
that the local Catholic church, which had been standing for I think a
century, collapsed when the winds hit it.
It was clear to me and to the Governor and many others as we toured
the site that this was going to be a Federal disaster area.
That 175 mile-an-hour wind literally lifted homes off of their slab
foundations and tossed them on top of other homes. In one neighborhood
in Harrisburg, I happened to see some people leaving in a truck, and I
stopped them and they said that the lady in the front seat actually
lived in one of the houses that had been destroyed. She pointed it out
to me. She got up early enough so that she heard the air raid siren and
had the good sense to hit the floor in the bathroom right before the
tornado hit her home. Of course, after it hit, and another home
collapsed on top of it, the ceiling of her bathroom collapsed on her,
but there was enough room for her to survive. They started hearing
shortly thereafter the rescuers coming in. She made it with a few
scratches and bruises. Just across the street, in one of the homes that
was tossed was a 22-year-old local nurse who died as a result.
There were great efforts by first responders, terrific humanitarian
gestures. The local coal miners a few miles away, when they heard about
the disaster, in full gear, came out of the coal mines and rushed into
Harrisburg to pull people out of their homes after they had collapsed.
We went ahead and made our application for Federal disaster aid in
Harrisburg, IL, and we were denied. In the President's home State, we
were denied. We thought, something is wrong here. We thought, with all
of this damage from a tornado of this intensity, it must be wrong. So
Governor Quinn sat down with local and State officials and redrafted
our application for Federal assistance. It was sent to Washington, and
it was denied a second time. I was stunned by it. I couldn't believe
it, after having seen it, that this happened.
We went to FEMA and said, What did we miss here? People died, over
100 homes were destroyed, and it ripped its way through Harrisburg and
into Ridgway, IL. What was missing here? Well, they said, we have to do
a calculation under the law, and one of the elements in the calculation
is the population of your State. Well, this is how it turned out. The
damage that happened in southern Illinois, if it had happened across
the river in Indiana or in Kentucky or in Missouri, would have been a
Federal disaster. But because we have about 12 million people, we
weren't declared a Federal disaster. What is the thinking behind that?
If you are from a big State, you must have a lot of resources to take
care of your own problems. Not so. Unfortunately, the State budget of
Illinois is virtually bankrupt.
So we decided it was time to put a bill in that took into
consideration a lot of factors and did not allow this disqualification
for a large State. The bill Senator Mark Kirk and I are introducing
today assigns a value to each of the six factors that are to be
considered in a disaster declaration analysis. When it comes to
individual assistance, help for people to rebuild their homes and pay
for temporary housing, we use the same consistent factors no matter
where the disaster strikes. The population of the State is worth 5
percent of the consideration. The consideration of the concentration of
damages is worth 20 percent; the amount of trauma to the disaster area,
20 percent; the number of special populations such as the elderly or
unemployed, 20 percent of the analysis; the amount of voluntary
assistance in the area, 10 percent; and the amount of insurance
coverage for the type of damage incurred, 20 percent.
Our bill also adds a seventh consideration to FEMA's metrics: the
economics of the area. It turns out that southern Illinois is hard-
pressed. There are a lot of unemployed people, a struggling economy. So
we take a look at the local tax base, the median income as it compares
to that of the State, and the poverty rate in the area that has been
hard hit. It is reasonable that FEMA should take into consideration the
size of a State; I don't argue with that, but it shouldn't loom large
and disqualify situations which clearly deserve to be considered
Federal disasters. Assigning values to the factors will ensure that
damage to a specific community weighs more than just the State's
population.
After the tornadoes hit Harrisburg and Ridgway, the head of the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Jonathon Monken, worked with
locals and people from the FEMA regional office to determine if the
State could apply for public assistance--money to help local Mayor
Gregg in Harrisburg and others pay for overtime accrued by all the
people working around the clock to help the community dig out of the
destruction. What Director Monken and others discovered was that it
would have been a waste of the State's
[[Page S2549]]
time and resources to even consider applying for it. We didn't meet
FEMA's threshold.
Currently, FEMA multiplies the number of people in a State by $1.35
to determine the threshold of the amount of damage a State would have
to incur to qualify for public assistance. In Illinois, that figure is
$17 million. Well, Harrisburg, Ridgway, and the surrounding communities
had about $5.5 million in public assistance damage. That is a lot of
loss for rural areas and small towns, but not enough to qualify for
Federal assistance.
So we put together in this bill a standard for public assistance--
money that would go to local units of government. Per capita
consideration, 10 percent; localized impact of the disaster, 40
percent; the estimated cost of assistant needed, 10 percent; insurance
coverage, 10 percent; the number of recent multiple disasters, 10
percent; and an analysis of other Federal assistance in the area, 10
percent. The bill would also add a seventh consideration just as it did
under individual assistance, and that is the economic circumstances of
the affected area. I mentioned earlier the elements that were brought
into consideration there. I think this is a more honest and realistic
approach.
Today, in order to introduce this bill, I am talking about a disaster
which visited our State a few weeks ago. Tomorrow it could be the State
of one of my colleagues. My colleagues could find out that a
devastating natural disaster does not qualify for Federal disaster
assistance simply because of the population of their State. I don't
think that is a fair metric to use. I think our approach is fairer.
I commend this bill to my colleagues. As I say in closing, over this
last few months it was Illinois. Tomorrow, it may be a colleague's
State. Please take the time and look at this approach. I think it is
fair to taxpayers. It is certainly fair to families across America.
Those of us who have been in the Senate and the Congress for a while
have stepped up time and again when our colleagues were affected by a
natural disaster. I hope my colleagues will take the time to consider
this legislation from Senator Kirk and myself.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be
printed in the Record as follows:
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record as follows:
S. 2303
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 ``Fairness in Federal Disaster
Declarations Act of 2012''.
SEC. 2. REGULATORY ACTION REQUIRED.
(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (in this Act referred to as the
``Administrator'' and ``FEMA'', respectively) shall amend the
rules of the Administrator under section 206.48 of title 44,
Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date of
enactment of this Act, in accordance with the provisions of
this Act.
(b) New Criteria Required.--The amended rules issued under
subsection (a) shall provide for the following:
(1) Public assistance program.--Such rules shall provide
that, with respect to the evaluation of the need for public
assistance--
(A) specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to each
criterion, as follows--
(i) estimated cost of the assistance, 10 percent;
(ii) localized impacts, 40 percent;
(iii) insurance coverage in force, 10 percent;
(iv) hazard mitigation, 10 percent;
(v) recent multiple disasters, 10 percent;
(vi) programs of other Federal assistance, 10 percent; and
(vii) economic circumstances described in subparagraph (B),
10 percent; and
(B) FEMA shall consider the economic circumstances of--
(i) the local economy of the affected area, including
factors such as the local assessable tax base and local sales
tax, the median income as it compares to that of the State,
and the poverty rate as it compares to that of the State; and
(ii) the economy of the State, including factors such as
the unemployment rate of the State, as compared to the
national unemployment rate.
(2) Individual assistance program.--Such rules shall
provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the severity,
magnitude, and impact of the disaster and the evaluation of
the need for assistance to individuals--
(A) specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to each
criterion, as follows--
(i) concentration of damages, 20 percent;
(ii) trauma, 20 percent;
(iii) special populations, 20 percent;
(iv) voluntary agency assistance, 10 percent;
(v) insurance, 20 percent;
(vi) average amount of individual assistance by State, 5
percent; and
(vii) economic considerations described in subparagraph
(B), 5 percent; and
(B) FEMA shall consider the economic circumstances of the
affected area, including factors such as the local assessable
tax base and local sales tax, the median income as it
compares to that of the State, and the poverty rate as it
compares to that of the State.
______
By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Brown of
Massachusetts, Mr. Akaka, and Mr. Carper):
S. 2316. A bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to
modernize the integrated public alert and warning system of the United
States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today, I rise to introduce the Integrated
Public Alert and Warning System, IPAWS, Modernization Act of 2012. I am
pleased to be joined by Senators Lieberman, Scott Brown, Akaka, and
Carper in introducing this bill. It will ensure that more people
receive life-saving information in more parts of America, more of the
time, through current and future technologies.
Effective communication with the public before, during, and after a
disaster is vitally important and can literally mean the difference
between life and death. Since the 1950's, the U.S. Government has had a
system in place to ensure that citizens can be warned in times of
crisis. This system can also be used for local authorities to warn
citizens of impending severe weather or other hazards to public safety.
Most people know the Emergency Alert System, EAS, as the crawling
text on their television screens, and although this system remains the
backbone of our national alerting capability, times have changed, and
so must the way we communicate with the public during times of crisis.
This bill will strengthen the IPAWS system and ensure that as many
Americans as possible receive these alerts in a timely and useful
manner. The bill ensures that the integrated public alert and warning
system incorporates multiple communications technologies, including new
technologies such as smart phones and social networking sites;
The bill is designed to adapt to and incorporate future technologies;
The bill is designed to provide alerts to the largest portion of the
affected population, including remote areas;
The bill promotes local and regional public and private partnerships;
and
The bill provides redundant alert mechanisms in order to reach the
greatest number of people possible.
The bill also requires the FEMA Administrator to ensure the inclusion
of those with disabilities in the alert and warning system; ensure that
the system is included in future exercises conducted through DHS's
National Exercise Program, including the annual National Level
Exercises; and requires FEMA to coordinate with DHS's National
Terrorism Advisory System office. The bill provides for periodic
nationwide tests of the system, and establishes a training program to
instruct federal, state, tribal and local government officials in
system use.
The bill also establishes an IPAWS Advisory Committee composed of
federal, State and local representatives, as well as members who
represent relevant industry groups and a consumer/privacy advocate. The
committee would meet at least once a year and issue a yearly report on
improvements to IPAWS. The bill also states that the administrator may
not transmit a message from the President that does not relate to a
natural disaster, act of terrorism, other man-made disaster, or other
hazard to public safety.
This bill has been endorsed by the National Emergency Management
Association, NEMA, the National Association of Broadcasters, NAB, the
National Federation of the Blind, and the Hearing Loss Association of
America. Additionally, we have received a letter of support from the
CEOs of all 50 State broadcast trade associations.
I look forward to working with all of my colleagues to pass this bill
and have it signed into law.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that letters of support be
printed in the Record.
[[Page S2550]]
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
National Association of
Broadcasters,
Washington, DC, April 16, 2012.
Hon. Susan Collins, Ranking Member,
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Ranking Member Collins: I write in support of your
bill, the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS)
Modernization Act of 2012, which will modernize the public
alert and warning system of the United States to ensure that
the president, under all conditions, can effectively alert
and warn citizens during times of disaster. America's
broadcasters strongly support this legislation.
Broadcasters serve our local communities during emergencies
by providing life-saving information, important news and
weather reports. We have proudly worked with local and
federal governments for more than six decades, airing alerts
issued by the Emergency Alert System (EAS), and continue to
do so today. Working hand in hand with law enforcement,
broadcasters have helped to successfully recover more than
540 abducted children to date through the use of AMBER
Alerts.
The IPAWS Modernization Act of 2012 is an important step
towards expanding the nation's public warning system by
integrating multiple communications systems and future
technologies. This legislation promotes local and regional
public and private partnerships and provides redundant alert
mechanisms to reach the largest number of people during an
emergency.
Additionally, this legislation establishes a training
program to instruct federal, state, tribal and local
government officials in system use. Broadcasters are very
supportive of such a training program and view this as a
critical component to successful alerting. Strengthening
coordination among the different levels of government, the
legislation will set up an IPAWS Modernization Select
Advisory Committee composed of federal, state and local
representatives as well as members from various industry
groups. We look forward to participating in this Advisory
Committee and continuing our partnership with the federal
government.
Sincerely,
Gordon H. Smith,
President and CEO.
____
Hearing Loss Association
of America,
Bethesda, MD, April 12, 2012.
Hon. Susan Collins,
U.S. Senate, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Collins: The Hearing Loss Association of
America is pleased to endorse the Integrated Public Alert and
Warning System Modernization Act of 2012. We applaud your
efforts to update the integrated public alert and warning
system, and are particularly pleased to see that this
legislation would require specific steps to ensure
individuals with disabilities are not forgotten.
One of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)
core responsibilities is to keep Americans informed about
threats to public safety, and yet the current public alert
and warning system is not always accessible to people with
hearing loss. In fact, the November 9, 2011 testing of EAS
proved to be problematic: some cable stations did not provide
the needed text to properly inform people with hearing loss
that it was only a test; some did not provide the needed
audible alerts; others did not provide the emergency alert at
all.
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
Modernization Act of 2012 updates the system to incorporate
multiple communication technologies and adapt to emerging
technology, and it requires the system to reach people with
hearing loss and other disabled people. The bill also ensures
that organizations representing people with hearing loss will
sit on an advisory committee that will make recommendations
on modernization of the system, keeping people with hearing
loss engaged with Federal agencies during this process.
By requiring the system to incorporate new technologies but
still reaching people with hearing loss and other people with
disabilities, FEMA will be supporting technology that is
accessible to all. The modernization will also ensure that
people with hearing loss are provided with the same critical
information at the same time as the rest of the country,
allowing everyone to make independent, educated decisions
during emergencies. On behalf of Americans with hearing loss,
we thank you again for taking the initiative in this matter
and sponsoring this important legislation.
Sincerely,
Brenda Battat,
Executive Director.
____
National Emergency
Management Association,
Washington, DC, March 7, 2012.
Hon. Susan Collins,
Ranking Member, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Collins: On behalf of the National Emergency
Management Association (NEMA) representing the emergency
management director of all 50 states, Territories, and the
District of Columbia, we are pleased to endorse The
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act
of 2012.
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) was
designed to bring together different and emerging
communication technologies into a fully coordinated network
so comprehensive communication may occur in the event of an
emergency or disaster. Created by a 2006 Executive order,
IPAWS represents a step forward from outdated systems which
relied on radio and television alone to reach the population
at-large when there is an incident.
Since the 2006 Executive Order, IPAWS has languished
without a true direction, appropriate authorization, or
codified organization. Your legislation brings about all
these needed aspects to the program that we have supported in
recent years. In 2008, NEMA unanimously approved a position
paper regarding IPAWS. One aspect of the program in which we
felt needed improvement was greater coordination with state
and local governments. Since last year, outreach to state
officials has certainly improved, but we believe your
recommendation of the IPAWS Advisory Committee will help
bring about even more coordination with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
Alert systems represent critical components of local and
state emergency operations plans, so it remains essential the
IPAWS system is integrated, coordinated, and comprehensive.
We must remain careful, however, that these components to not
come at the expense of already stressed state budgets.
We greatly appreciate your leadership on this issue and
look forward to working together with you, Chairman
Lieberman, and the rest of the committee to ensure passage of
this bill. Please feel free to utilize our membership as a
resource as The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
Modernization Act of 2012 moves through the legislative
process. You may also call upon our Director of Government
Relations, Matt Cowles any time.
Sincerely,
Jim Mullen,
NEMA President, Director, Washington Military Department
Division of Emergency Management.
____
National Federation
of the Blind,
Baltimore, MD, April 18, 2012.
Hon. Susan Collins,
U.S. Senate, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Collins: The National Federation of the Blind
(NFB), the nation's largest and oldest organization of blind
people, endorses the Integrated Public Alert and Warning
System Modernization Act of 2012. We thank you for sponsoring
a bill that updates the integrated public alert and warning
system to require inclusion of individuals with disabilities,
and we encourage the U.S. Senate to pass this legislation
promptly.
One of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)
core responsibilities is to keep Americans informed about
threats to public safety, and yet many aspects of the current
public alert and warning system are not accessible to blind
people. This inaccessibility is perpetuated by misconceptions
about blindness and the ever-growing popularity of
inaccessible digital technology. As a result, blind people
are regularly denied access to critical public information.
The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization
Act of 2012 updates the system to incorporate multiple
communication technologies and adapt to emerging technology,
and it requires the system to reach blind and other disabled
people. The bill also ensures that a representative from a
blindness advocacy group will sit on an advisory committee
that will make recommendations on the modernization, keeping
the blind engaged with Federal agencies during this process.
By requiring the system to incorporate new technologies but
still reach blind and other disabled people, FEMA will be
encouraging manufacturers and carriers to make their
communication technologies accessible by nonvisual means. The
modernization will also ensure that blind people are provided
with the same critical information at the same time as the
rest of the country, allowing blind people to make
independent, educated decisions during emergencies. On behalf
of blind Americans, we thank you again for taking the
initiative in this matter and sponsoring this legislation.
Sincerely,
John G. Pare, Jr.,
Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives.
____
National Alliance of State
Broadcasters Associations,
April 16, 2012.
Hon. Susan M. Collins,
U.S. Senator,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Collins: The undersigned, who are the chief
executive officers of the named State Broadcasters
Associations, are pleased to offer our support and
endorsement for your proposed bill authorizing the Integrated
Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS).
If passed, this bill will ensure that more people receive
life saving information in more parts of America, more of the
time,
[[Page S2551]]
through current and future alert and warning technologies,
while strengthening broadcasters' role as the backbone of
America's public alerting system.
Many of us serve as chairs or members of our respective
State Emergency Communications Committees, which are charged
with managing the Emergency Alert System (EAS) in our states.
We have all worked tirelessly over the years to ensure that a
robust, reliable alerting system is available when it is
needed.
We have observed over the years that the system needs a
higher level of coordination among the various federal, state
and local public safety and emergency management agencies as
``message originators,'' on the one hand, and the broadcast,
cable and satellite ``message relayers'' on the other hand;
and that the absence of any formal, on-going training of
state and local public safety and emergency management
personnel on the use of EAS has hampered state and local
officials' willingness and ability to use it efficiently in
times of emergency, thus putting lives and property at risk.
Your bill will address these problems and will make giant
strides toward improvement of alert and warning capability in
our states and across our nation. We look forward to working
with you toward successful passage of this important measure.
Very truly yours,
The Undersigned CEOs of the Fifty State Broadcast Trade
Associations.
Alabama Broadcasters Association, Sharon Tinsley; Alaska
Broadcasters Association, Darlene Simono; Arizona
Broadcasters Association, Art Brooks; Arkansas Broadcasters
Association, Doug Krile; California Broadcasters Association,
Stan Statham; Colorado Broadcasters Association, Byron
Grandy; Connecticut Broadcasters Association, Mike Rice;
Florida Association of Broadcasters, Pat Roberts; Georgia
Association, of Broadcasters, Jere Pigue; Hawaii Association
of Broadcasters, Jamie Hartnett; Idaho State Broadcasters
Association, Connie Searles; Illinois Broadcasters
Association, Dennis Lyle; Indiana Broadcasters Association,
Linda Compton; Iowa Broadcasters Association, Sue Toma;
Kansas Association of Broadcasters, Kent Cornish; Kentucky
Broadcasters Association, Gary White; Louisiana Association
of Broadcasters, Lou Munson; Maine Association of
Broadcasters, Suzanne Goucher; Maryland/D.C./Delaware (MDCD)
Broadcasters Association, Lisa Reynolds; Massachusetts
Broadcasters Association, Jordan Walton; Michigan Association
of Broadcasters, Karole L. White; Minnesota Broadcasters
Association, Jim du Bois; Mississippi Association of
Broadcasters, Jackie Lett; Missouri Broadcasters Association,
Donald Hicks; Montana Broadcasters Association, Greg
MacDonald; Nebraska Broadcasters Association, Marty
Riemenschneider; Nevada Broadcasters Association, Robert
Fisher; New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters, Jordan
Walton; New Jersey Broadcasters Association, Paul Rotella;
New Mexico Broadcasters Association, Paula Maes; New York
State Broadcasters Association, David Donovan; North Carolina
Association of Broadcasters, Wade Hargrove, Esq.; North
Dakota Broadcasters Association, Beth Helfrich; Ohio
Association of Broadcasters, Chris Merritt; Oklahoma
Association, of Broadcasters, Vance Harrison; Oregon
Association of Broadcasters, Bill Johnstone; Pennsylvania
Association of Broadcasters, Rich Wyckoff; Radio Broadcasters
Association of Puerto Rico, Jose A. Ribas Dominicci; Rhode
Island Broadcasters Association, Lori Needham; South Carolina
Broadcasters Association, Shani White; South Dakota
Broadcasters Association, Steve Willard; Tennessee
Association of Broadcasters, Whit Adamson; Texas Association
of Broadcasters, Ann Arnold; Utah Broadcasters Association,
Dale Zabriskie; Vermont Association of Broadcasters, Jim
Condon; Virginia Association of Broadcasters, Doug Easter;
Washington State Association of Broadcasters, Mark Allen;
West Virginia Broadcasters Association, Michele Crist;
Wisconsin Broadcasters Association, Michelle Vetterkind;
Wyoming Association of Broadcasters, Laura Grott.
____________________