S.Amdt. 1421
What it does: Adds SEC. 1088. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROTECTION OF CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC POWER GRID FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE EVENTS at the end of subtitle H of title X
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)What it changes
1 change to S. 1867 · shown in the bill's text
Adds SEC. 1088. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROTECTION OF CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC POWER GRID FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE EVENTS at the end of subtitle H of title X
Adds a sectionIn S. 1867 · Placed on Calendar Senate
Section 382 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking "biological or chemical" each place it appears in subsections (a) and (b).
Inserted: SEC. 1088. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROTECTION OF CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC POWER GRID FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE EVENTS.
Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
Inserted: (1) The United States Government has a primary responsibility to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.
Inserted: (2) The society, economy, and national security apparatus of the United States are critically dependent upon the availability of electricity.
Inserted: (3) A continuing supply of electricity is necessary for sustaining water supplies, production and distribution of food, fuel, communications, financial services, and other very significant elements of the United States economy.
Inserted: (4) Contemporary United States society is not structured, nor does it have the means, to provide for the needs of nearly 300,000,000 Americans without electricity.
Inserted: (5) Because the existing United States electrical power grid operates at or near its physical capacity, relatively modest damage to the grid could cause functional collapse.
Inserted: (6) Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a threat to the overall electrical power system of the United States.
Inserted: (7) A major electromagnetic pulse event could couple ultimately unmanageable currents and voltages into an electric power grid routinely operated with little margin and cause the collapse of large portions of the United States electric power grid for a substantial length of time.
Inserted: (8) The current strategy for recovery from an electromagnetic pulse event leaves the United States ill-prepared to respond effectively, resulting in potential damage to vast numbers of electric components over an unprecedented geographic scale.
Inserted: (9) A collapse of large portions of the United States electric power grid will result in significant periods of power-outage, and restoration from collapse or loss of significant portions of the system may be exceedingly difficult.
Inserted: (10) If the United States electric power grid is lost for any substantial period of time, the consequences are potentially catastrophic to civilian society.
Show 9 more inserted paragraphsShow less
Inserted: (11) Electromagnetic pulse occurs both naturally, such as geomagnetic storms, and via manmade causes, such as the high-altitude detonation of a nuclear device.
Inserted: (12) The International Atomic Energy Agency released a report in November 2011 that cites concerns over nuclear weapons-related developments in Iran.
Inserted: (13) A perceived vulnerability of the United States electric power grid to electromagnetic pulse could invite a potential enemy to attempt an electromagnetic pulse attack.
Inserted: (14) The Department of Defense relies upon civilian sources outside Department installations for ninety-nine percent of electricity needs.
Inserted: (15) Eighty-five percent of the electricity supply for the Department is outside of Department control.
Inserted: (16) There is deep concern regarding the negative impacts on the United States electric power infrastructure and Department interests from an electromagnetic pulse event unless practical steps are taken to provide protection for critical elements of the United States electric power grid.
Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
Inserted: (1) it is in the national interest of the United States to immediately address vulnerabilities to its electric power grid from natural and manmade electromagnetic pulse events, particularly by engaging in efforts to ensure that the United States electric power grid, especially portions of the grid critical to national security, are protected from natural or manmade electromagnetic pulse; and
Inserted: (2) the Department of Defense should ascertain which of its critical sources of electricity are not protected against interruptions from natural or manmade electromagnetic pulse and develop and implement a plan to remedy any such vulnerabilities.
Original wording
At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 1421. Mr. KYL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1867, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 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:
At the end of subtitle H of title X, add the following:
SEC. 1088. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROTECTION OF CRITICAL COMPONENTS OF THE UNITED STATES ELECTRIC POWER GRID FROM ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE EVENTS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States Government has a primary responsibility to provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.
(2) The society, economy, and national security apparatus of the United States are critically dependent upon the availability of electricity.
(3) A continuing supply of electricity is necessary for sustaining water supplies, production and distribution of food, fuel, communications, financial services, and other very significant elements of the United States economy.
(4) Contemporary United States society is not structured, nor does it have the means, to provide for the needs of nearly 300,000,000 Americans without electricity.
(5) Because the existing United States electrical power grid operates at or near its physical capacity, relatively modest damage to the grid could cause functional collapse.
(6) Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is a threat to the overall electrical power system of the United States.
(7) A major electromagnetic pulse event could couple ultimately unmanageable currents and voltages into an electric power grid routinely operated with little margin and cause the collapse of large portions of the United States electric power grid for a substantial length of time.
(8) The current strategy for recovery from an electromagnetic pulse event leaves the United States ill-prepared to respond effectively, resulting in potential damage to vast numbers of electric components over an unprecedented geographic scale.
(9) A collapse of large portions of the United States electric power grid will result in significant periods of power-outage, and restoration from collapse or loss of significant portions of the system may be exceedingly difficult.
(10) If the United States electric power grid is lost for any substantial period of time, the consequences are potentially catastrophic to civilian society.
(11) Electromagnetic pulse occurs both naturally, such as geomagnetic storms, and via manmade causes, such as the high-altitude detonation of a nuclear device.
(12) The International Atomic Energy Agency released a report in November 2011 that cites concerns over nuclear weapons-related developments in Iran.
(13) A perceived vulnerability of the United States electric power grid to electromagnetic pulse could invite a potential enemy to attempt an electromagnetic pulse attack.
(14) The Department of Defense relies upon civilian sources outside Department installations for ninety-nine percent of electricity needs.
(15) Eighty-five percent of the electricity supply for the Department is outside of Department control.
(16) There is deep concern regarding the negative impacts on the United States electric power infrastructure and Department interests from an electromagnetic pulse event unless practical steps are taken to provide protection for critical elements of the United States electric power grid.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) it is in the national interest of the United States to immediately address vulnerabilities to its electric power grid from natural and manmade electromagnetic pulse events, particularly by engaging in efforts to ensure that the United States electric power grid, especially portions of the grid critical to national security, are protected from natural or manmade electromagnetic pulse; and
(2) the Department of Defense should ascertain which of its critical sources of electricity are not protected against interruptions from natural or manmade electromagnetic pulse and develop and implement a plan to remedy any such vulnerabilities.
Legislative Activity
Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action
Senate amendment submitted
November 29, 2011