[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 5197-5201]
[From the U.S. 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, 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

[[Page 5198]]

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 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,

[[Page 5199]]

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 5200]]

  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.

[[Page 5201]]

     
                                  ____
                                        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, 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.

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