S.Amdt. 5300

SA 5300. Mr. FEINGOLD submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 3001, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2009 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 245, strike line 14 and all that follows through page 246, line 6, and insert the following:

(b) Establishment Within the Armed Forces of Units for Assistance in Managing Consequences of Incidents of National Significance Involving a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear Device, or High-Yield Explosives.--

(1) In general.--Subject to the direction and control of the President, the Secretary of Defense shall, by not later than December 31, 2009, establish within the Armed Forces three units having the primary mission of assisting State and local governments with managing the consequences of multiple incidents of national significance involving a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear device, or high-yield explosives.

(2) Requirements.--The responsibilities of the units established under subsection (a) in providing assistance under that subsection shall include, but not be limited to, the initial conduct of medical triage, search and rescue, decontamination, and such other activities in response to an incident described in that subsection as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate in managing the consequences of such incident.

(3) Additional requirements.--In establishing the units required by subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall establish such requirements relating to the equipping and training of such units, and for Department of Defense support of such units, as the Secretary determines appropriate in order to ensure that each unit is, commencing not later than December 31, 2009, at a state of full operational readiness for its domestic mission at all times.