II
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1630
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 7, 2005
Mr. Obama introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish the National Emergency Family Locator System.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
National Emergency Family Locator
Act
.
Definitions
In this Act:
Department
The term Department
means
the Department of Homeland Security.
Emergency
The term emergency
has the
meaning given the term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
Secretary
The term Secretary
means the
Secretary of Homeland Security.
System
The term System
means the
National Emergency Family Locator System established under section 3(a).
National Emergency Family Locator System
In general
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish within the Department the National Family Locator System.
Purposes
The purposes of the System are—
to enable individuals displaced by an emergency to provide to the Department the name and location of the displaced individuals and any other relevant information using the telephone, the Internet, and other means determined to be appropriate by the Secretary; and
to enable the Department—
to compile the information collected under paragraph (1); and
to provide the information collected and compiled under the System to the family members of the displaced individuals and law enforcement officials.
Considerations
In establishing the System under subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into account and, to the maximum extent practicable, incorporate into the System—
intermediary-based locator systems such as the National Next of Kin Registry; and
information from existing family locator databases, such as the Family News Network of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.