[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 118 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 118
To develop and coordinate a national emergency warning system.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 9, 2003
Mr. Edwards (for himself and Mr. Hollings) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To develop and coordinate a national emergency warning system.
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 ``Emergency Warning Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Effective public warnings save lives, prevent economic
losses, reduce uncertainty and fear, and quicken recovery.
(2) Effective public warnings empower citizens to take
appropriate actions when they are at risk from natural hazards,
technological accidents, and acts of terrorism.
(3) Over ninety percent of public warnings issued are
related to weather events and natural disasters.
(4) The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather
Service, is the sole official voice of the United States for
issuing warnings during life-threatening weather situations.
(5) The Secretary of Transportation, through the Research
and Special Programs Administration of the Department of
Transportation, is charged with--
(A) protecting the public from the risks to life
and property related to the transportation of hazardous
materials (including chemicals and spent nuclear
materials) by air, water, rail, and highway;
(B) assuring safety from the risks of pipeline
transport;
(C) providing civil sector preparedness and first-
responder training for the Nation's transportation
emergencies; and
(D) coordinating the restoration of essential
transportation systems after emergencies.
(6) Other Federal civilian agencies, including the
Transportation Security Administration, the United States Coast
Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are tasked
with gathering, coordinating, and disseminating information and
assistance relating to threats to security on the land, on the
sea, and in the air.
(7) The National Telecommunications Information
Administration and the Federal Communications Commission
possess expertise concerning new technologies to improve the
speed and breadth of communications to the general public
concerning threats from weather, natural disasters, acts of
terrorism, and other threats.
(8) Metropolitan and State authorities, in partnership with
the National Weather Service and other Federal agencies, have
the primary responsibility for providing emergency warnings and
rely on national procedures, standards, and systems for
delivering such warnings.
(9) The current patchwork of warning mechanisms often
fails--
(A) to provide all necessary information regarding
threats and appropriate responses; and
(B) to reach all those at risk, particularly those
in isolated places.
(10) National procedures, standards, and systems for public
warnings, including technology protocols for the delivery of
such warnings, will significantly improve the effectiveness of
public warnings at saving lives, reducing injuries, and
reducing the costs of disasters and terrorist acts to the
American people.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to ensure that an effective public
warning system exists to alert Americans to specific risks from natural
disasters, man-made disasters, and other hazardous events, including
chemical and biological threats and other acts of terrorism.
SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ALL-HAZARD WARNING SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Homeland
Security, working in coordination with appropriate Federal agencies,
shall establish comprehensive national standards and systems for
providing effective public warnings.
(b) Development of Emergency Warning Network.--In carrying out
subsection (a) the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Transportation, the
Secretary of Defense, representatives of other Federal departments and
agencies, representatives of State and local governments,
representatives of the private sector, media, and academia involved in
the collection, issuance, dissemination, and distribution of public
warnings, as well as other interested public and private entities,
shall--
(1) develop and implement benchmarks for assessing current
all-hazard warning capabilities, including such capabilities of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service, the United States Geological Survey's National
Earthquake Information Center, and the Department of
Transportation's Office of Pipeline Safety;
(2) conduct research and pilot programs on ways to
determine and improve the effectiveness of all-hazard warnings;
(3) develop specifications for a national backbone, modeled
after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Weather Radio, to be used to collect all-hazard
warnings from designated authorities and route them to
appropriate dissemination systems;
(4) work with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information to use the full range of
communications technologies to provide warnings, including, as
appropriate--
(A) traditional telephones, including special alert
rings to warn individuals in their homes or businesses;
(B) wireless technology, including cellular
telephones and pagers; and
(C) the Internet, including electronic mail;
(5) work with the Federal Communications Commission to
provide warnings to the public through automatic alert
televisions and radios;
(6) educate the public about all-hazard warnings; and
(7) engage in other necessary or appropriate activities to
carry out the purpose of this Act.
(c) Terminology, Protocols, and Terrorism Warnings.--In carrying
out subsection (a) the Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
(1) develop and recommend standards and guidelines for
universal all-hazard warning terminology and protocols in
coordination with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of
Transportation, the Secretary of Defense, representatives of
other Federal departments and agencies, representatives of
State and local governments, representatives of the private
sector, media, and academia involved in the collection,
issuance, dissemination, and distribution of public warnings,
as well as other interested public and private entities; and
(2) issue warnings related to acts of terrorism and other
public safety threats within its jurisdiction via the public
warning system developed in accordance with the standards and
systems established under subsection (a).
(d) Effect on Intelligence Sources.--The Secretary of Commerce and
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate their respective
and joint activities under this section with the Director of Central
Intelligence to ensure that the procedures, standards, and systems
established under this Act do not adversely affect the protection of
sources and methods.
(e) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary of Commerce and the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a joint report to the
Congress on the status of public warning capability in the United
States not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act
and every 6 months thereafter.
(f) Advisory Committees.--The Secretary of Commerce and the
Secretary of Homeland Security may utilize 1 or more advisory
committees in carrying out their respective and joint responsibilities
under this Act.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) All-hazard.--The term ``all-hazard'' means an emergency
or disaster resulting from--
(A) a natural disaster;
(B) an accident; or
(C) an intentional or negligent act.
(2) Effective public warning.--The term ``effective public
warning'' means practical, comprehensible, and timely
information given to all individuals threatened by an all-
hazard event sufficient to enable them to act to protect their
safety and well-being in a timely manner.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying
out the provisions of this Act--
(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal
years 2005 through 2008.
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