[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 119 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5506-H5508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        STATE WIDE INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS ENHANCEMENT ACT

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 2206) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
require recipients of State Homeland Security Grant Program funding to 
preserve and strengthen interoperable emergency communications 
capabilities, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2206

       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 ``State Wide Interoperable 
     Communications Enhancement Act'' or the ``SWIC Enhancement 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. MINIMUM CONTENTS OF APPLICATION FOR CERTAIN HOMELAND 
                   SECURITY GRANT FUNDS.

       (a) In General.--Paragraph (2) of section 2004(b) of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 605(b)) is amended 
     by--
       (1) redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as 
     subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and
       (2) inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(B)(i) certification that the Governor of the State has 
     designated a Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, 
     including identification in such certification of the 
     individual so designated, who shall be responsible for--
       ``(I) coordinating the daily operations of the State's 
     interoperability efforts;
       ``(II) coordinating State interoperability and 
     communications projects and grant applications for such 
     projects;
       ``(III) establishing and maintaining working groups to 
     develop and implement key interoperability initiatives; and
       ``(IV) coordinating and updating, as necessary, a Statewide 
     Communications Interoperability Plan that specifies the 
     current status of State efforts to enhance communications 
     interoperability within the State, including progress, 
     modifications, or setbacks, and future goals for 
     communications interoperability among emergency response 
     agencies in the State; or
       ``(ii) if a Statewide Interoperability Coordinator has not 
     been designated in accordance with clause (i)--
       ``(I) certification that the State is performing in another 
     manner the functions described in subclauses (I) through (IV) 
     of such clause; and
       ``(II) identification in such certification of an 
     individual who has been designated by the State as the 
     primary point of contact for performance of such 
     functions;''.
       (b) Limitation on Application.--The amendment made by 
     subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any grant for 
     which an application was submitted under the State Homeland 
     Security Grant Program before the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. King) and the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just say at the outset, it is great to have two 
New Yorkers running a debate. It doesn't happen often that we run the 
House; so, Kathleen, let's take advantage of it while we can. Any 
motions you can think of we can make?
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2206, the State 
Wide Interoperable Communications Enhancement Act, which was introduced 
by the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security's 
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). This bill recognizes the 
important role played by Statewide Interoperability Coordinators, 
SWICs.
  We have all witnessed the communications failures during the response 
to the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. 
Interoperability is vital during disaster response.
  However, despite investing more than $5 billion in grant funding to 
enhance communications capability over the past 10 years, 
interoperability remains a challenge. To address this challenge, States 
have appointed SWICs to ensure emergency response providers in their 
States have the ability to communicate.
  SWICs complete Statewide Interoperable Communications Plans, ensure 
grant investments are coordinated statewide, and oversee communications 
projects. Many SWICs also serve as the State point of contact to 
FirstNet for the design and construction of the Public Safety Broadband 
Network.
  H.R. 2206 requires Governors to certify, as part of their 
applications for

[[Page H5507]]

State Homeland Security grant programs, that they have designated a 
person to serve as the SWIC or, if not, that the functions of a SWIC 
are being carried out in another manner.
  The Committee on Homeland Security approved H.R. 2206 in May by a 
bipartisan voice vote. I urge Members to join me in supporting this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 2206, the State Wide 
Interoperable Communications Enhancement Act.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege to be here with my colleague and 
friend from New York. This legislation, introduced by Congressman 
Donald Payne, will help prevent Federal grant dollars from being spent 
on communications equipment that will not advance the goal of 
interoperability.
  After the September 11 attack, interoperable communications failures 
were identified as a factor that complicated first responders' efforts. 
In the immediate aftermath, Congress appropriated millions of dollars 
in grant funds to address national response capability gaps, including 
interoperable communications.
  Unfortunately, millions of dollars were invested on interoperable 
communications equipment before State and local governments had 
developed the strategies, plans, and governance structures to ensure 
that the investments would actually advance their interoperability 
goals.
  Nearly 10 years ago, when interoperability challenges plagued the 
Hurricane Katrina response, one of the major takeaways was that 
spending millions of dollars on the interoperability problem does not 
yield results unless there are mechanisms in place for coordination.
  In response to that tough lesson, Congress, in 2006, authorized the 
creation of the Office of Emergency Communications within the 
Department of Homeland Security and tasked the office with developing a 
National Emergency Communications Plan.
  The first plan, which was released in 2008, set as a milestone for 
every State the designation of a full-time Statewide Interoperability 
Coordinator. This was a major recommendation from first responders 
across the Nation.
  States initially met the goal of appointing full-time SWICs, and we 
saw the benefits firsthand during the response to the Boston Marathon 
bombings.
  In the years and months leading up to that day, the Massachusetts 
SWIC had engaged in significant planning activities and had coordinated 
with organizations at the Federal, State, and local levels to exercise 
the emergency communications capabilities.
  As a result of the high performance of the emergency communications 
systems, lives were saved that day in Boston.
  Due to recent budgetary pressures, however, the number of States that 
maintain dedicated full-time SWICs has dwindled. SWICs are charged with 
overseeing the daily operation of the State's interoperability efforts, 
coordinating interoperability and communications projects, maintaining 
governance structures, and implementing Statewide Communications 
Interoperability Plans.
  H.R. 2206 seeks to maintain the governance structures and 
coordination activities that have helped guide interoperable 
communications investments since Hurricane Katrina.
  Nationwide, over $13 billion of Federal money has been spent on 
developing robust interoperable communications capabilities, and the 
goal still has not been achieved.
  But we have made progress, and we cannot fall backwards by losing the 
governance and coordination that ensures we are making sound 
investments in emergency communications.
  H.R. 2206 requires that States, in some way, are overseeing emergency 
communications investments to ensure that the systems are 
interoperable.

  On behalf of the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee Ranking Member 
Payne, I would like to thank full Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, 
Ranking Member Thompson, and Subcommittee Chairman McSally for 
supporting this measure and for helping to bring it to the floor today.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2206, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2206 will protect the progress we have made toward 
achieving nationwide interoperable emergency communications and prevent 
money from being wasted on investments that will not advance that goal.
  SWICs play a critical role in coordinating emergency communications 
investments and policies at the State level, and it is important that 
this work continue.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Ranking Member 
Payne and Chairman Martha McSally for their efforts on this.
  I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2206, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2206, 
the State Wide Interoperable Communications Enhancement Act, which 
would establish a grant program to preserve and strengthen 
interoperable emergency communications capabilities for local and state 
first responders.
  The bill requires a state to include in its application for State 
Homeland Security Grant Program funding a certification:
  That the governor of the state has designated a Statewide 
Interoperability Coordinator; or
  Indicating that the state is performing the functions of such a 
Coordinator in another manner and identifying the primary point of 
contact for performance of such functions.
  The bill would establish the role of State Interoperability 
Coordinator as:
  Overseeing the daily operations of the state's interoperability 
efforts;
  Coordinating state interoperability and communications projects and 
grant applications for such projects;
  Establishing and maintaining working groups to develop and implement 
key interoperability initiatives; and
  Implementing and updating a Statewide Communications Interoperability 
Plan that specifies the current status of state efforts to enhance 
communications interoperability within the state, including future 
goals for communications interoperability among emergency response 
agencies in the state.
  The bill would formalize the role of the State Wide Interoperability 
Coordinator to ensure that there was a single point of contact in each 
state.
  The bill will assist in establishing a single point of contact for 
Statewide interoperability for state and local first responders; 
Second, the legislation is necessary to create a seamless level of 
communication between the Department of Homeland Security and states to 
ensure that communications regarding terrorist attacks, natural or 
manmade disasters are managed appropriately.
  As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I am 
well aware, as are many of my colleagues, of the essential and 
lifesaving role of communications during a crisis.
  Because the tragedy of September 11, 2001, was compounded by 
communication failures among the brave first responders who entered the 
burning towers that comprised the World Trade Center it has been an 
imperative of the Homeland Security Committee to address first 
responder communication interoperability challenges.
  The number of first responders lost on that single day was the 
greatest loss of first responders at any single event in U.S. History: 
343 New York City Fire Department firefighters; 23 New York City Police 
Department Officers; 37 Port Authority Police Department officers, 15 
EMTs and 3 court officers were casualties of the attacks.
  The need for this bill authored by Congressman Payne is evident.
  The City of Houston covers over a 1,000 square mile region in 
Southeast Texas. It has a night-time population of nearly two million 
people, which peaks with over three million daytime inhabitants.
  The city of Houston's 9-1-1 Emergency Center manages nearly 9,000 
emergency calls per day. The volume of emergency calls can easily 
double during times of inclement weather or special City social/
sporting events like Hurricanes Ike in September 2008; and Katrina as 
well as Rita, which occurred in September and October of 2005.
  Annually, one out of every ten citizens uses EMS.
  There are over 200,000 EMS incidents involving over 225,000 patients 
or potential patients annually. On the average, EMS responds to a 
citizen every 3 minutes. Each

[[Page H5508]]

EMS response is made by one of 88 City of Houston EMS vehicles.
  In 2013, the City of Houston's fire Department lost Captain EMT 
Matthew Renaud, Engineer Operator EMT Robert Bebee, Firefighter EMT 
Robert Garner and Probationary Firefighter Anne Sullivan when they 
responded to a hotel fire.
  Each member of the House of Representatives knows of the loss of a 
first responder who was going to the aid of those in harm's way.This 
bill will offer additional resources to the first responders of the 
Department of Homeland Security.
  This bill will ensure that a critical communication element for our 
nation's first responders and the role of the Department of Homeland 
Security in providing them with support is addressed.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of H.R. 2206.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. King) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 2206, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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