In the nature of a substitute.

SA 2669. Mr. McCONNELL (for Mr. Schatz) proposed an amendment to the
bill S. 2693, to improve oversight by the Federal Communications
Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems; as
follows:

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Reliable Emergency Alert
Distribution Improvement Act of 2020'' or ``READI Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act--
(1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of
the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(2) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission;
(3) the term ``Emergency Alert System'' means the national
public warning system, the rules for which are set forth in
part 11 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any
successor regulation); and
(4) the term ``Wireless Emergency Alerts System'' means the
wireless national public warning system established under the
Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201 et
seq.), the rules for which are set forth in part 10 of title
47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor
regulation).

SEC. 3. WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS SYSTEM OFFERINGS.

(a) Amendment.--Section 602(b)(2)(E) of the Warning, Alert,
and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201(b)(2)(E)) is
amended--
(1) by striking the second and third sentences; and
(2) by striking ``other than an alert issued by the
President.'' and inserting the following: ``other than an
alert issued by--
``(i) the President; or
``(ii) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.''.
(b) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with
the Administrator, shall adopt regulations to implement the
amendment made by subsection (a)(2).

SEC. 4. STATE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM PLANS AND EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEES.

(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``SECC'' means a State Emergency
Communications Committee;
(2) the term ``State'' means any State of the United
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any
possession of the United States; and
(3) the term ``State EAS Plan'' means a State Emergency
Alert System Plan, the rules for which are set forth in part
11 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor
regulation).
(b) State Emergency Communications Committee.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Commission shall adopt regulations that--
(1) encourage the chief executive of each State--
(A) to establish an SECC if the State does not have an
SECC; or
(B) if the State has an SECC, to review the composition and
governance of the SECC;
(2) provide that--
(A) each SECC, not less frequently than annually, shall--
(i) meet to review and update its State EAS Plan;
(ii) certify to the Commission that the SECC has met as
required under clause (i); and
(iii) submit to the Commission an updated State EAS Plan;
and
(B) not later than 60 days after the date on which the
Commission receives an updated State EAS Plan under
subparagraph (A)(iii), the Commission shall--
(i) approve or disapprove the updated State EAS Plan; and
(ii) notify the chief executive of the State of the
Commission's findings; and
(3) establish a State EAS Plan content checklist for SECCs
to use when reviewing and updating a State EAS Plan for
submission to the Commission under paragraph (2)(A).
(c) Consultation.--The Commission shall consult with the
Administrator regarding the adoption of regulations under
subsection (b)(3).

SEC. 5. FALSE ALERT REPORTING.

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Administrator,
shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to establish a system
to receive from the Administrator or State, Tribal, or local
governments reports of false alerts under the Emergency Alert
System or the Wireless Emergency Alerts System for the
purpose of recording such false alerts and examining their
causes.

SEC. 6. REPEATING EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM MESSAGES FOR
NATIONAL SECURITY.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with
the Administrator, shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to
modify the Emergency Alert System to provide for repeating
Emergency Alert System messages while an alert remains
pending that is issued by--
(1) the President;
(2) the Administrator; or
(3) any other entity under specified circumstances as
determined by the Commission, in consultation with the
Administrator.
(b) Scope of Rulemaking.--Subsection (a)--
(1) shall apply to warnings of national security events,
meaning emergencies of national significance, such as a
missile threat, terror attack, or other act of war; and
(2) shall not apply to more typical warnings, such as a
weather alert, AMBER Alert, or disaster alert.

SEC. 7. INTERNET AND ONLINE STREAMING SERVICES EMERGENCY
ALERT EXAMINATION.

(a) Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, and after providing public notice and
opportunity for comment, the Commission shall complete an
inquiry to examine the feasibility of updating the Emergency
Alert System to enable or improve alerts to consumers
provided through the internet, including through streaming
services.
(b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after completing the
inquiry under subsection (a), the Commission shall submit a
report on the findings and conclusions of the inquiry to--
(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives.

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