110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 338
To improve communications interoperability for emergency response.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2007
Mr. DINGELL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To improve communications interoperability for emergency response.
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 `Improving Communications Interoperability
Grant Program Act'.
SEC. 2. IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment- Title V of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
`SEC. 522. IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM.
`(a) Establishment- The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office
of Grants and Training and in coordination with the Director for Emergency
Communications, shall establish the Improve Communications for Emergency
Response Grant Program to make grants to States and regions to carry out
initiatives to improve interoperable emergency communications, including
initiatives to achieve solutions to statewide, regional, national, and,
where appropriate, international interoperability.
`(b) Use of Grant Funds- A State or region receiving a grant under this
section may use the grant for short-term or long-term goals for improving
interoperable emergency communications, including interoperability within
that State or region, and to assist with--
`(1) statewide or regional communications planning;
`(2) design and engineering for interoperable emergency communications
systems;
`(3) procurement and installation of interoperable emergency communications
equipment;
`(4) interoperable emergency communications exercises;
`(5) modeling and simulation exercises for operational command and control
functions;
`(6) technical assistance and training for interoperable emergency communications;
and
`(7) other activities determined by the Secretary to be integral to interoperable
emergency communications.
`(c) Region Defined- For the purposes of this section, the term `region'
means any combination of contiguous local government units, including such
a combination established by law or mutual aid agreement between two or
more local governments or governmental agencies.'.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary of Homeland Security for grants under section 522 of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a)--
(1) such sums as may be necessary for the first fiscal year that begins
after the later of--
(A) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security completes and
submits to Congress the National Emergency Communications Plan required
under section 1802 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 572);
(B) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security completes and
submits to Congress the first baseline interoperability assessment required
under section 1803 of such Act (6 U.S.C. 573); or
(C) the date on which the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation
with the Director of Emergency Communications, determines and notifies
Congress that substantial progress has been made towards the development
and promulgation of voluntary consensus-based interoperable communications
standards pursuant to section 1801(c)(11) of such Act (6 U.S.C. 571(c)(11));
and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year.
(c) Clerical Amendment- The table of contents in section 1(b) of that Act
is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 521 the following:
`Sec. 522. Improve Communications for Emergency Response Grant Program.'.
END
