H. R. 5441—85

‘‘SEC. 1805. REGIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATION.

‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in each Regional Office

a Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working

Group (in this section referred to as an ‘RECC Working Group’).

Each RECC Working Group shall report to the relevant Regional

Administrator and coordinate its activities with the relevant

Regional Advisory Council.

‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—Each RECC Working Group shall consist

of the following:

‘‘(1) NON-FEDERAL.—Organizations representing the

interests of the following:

‘‘(A) State officials.

‘‘(B) Local government officials, including sheriffs.

‘‘(C) State police departments.

‘‘(D) Local police departments.

‘‘(E) Local fire departments.

‘‘(F) Public safety answering points (9–1–1 services).

‘‘(G) State emergency managers, homeland security

directors, or representatives of State Administrative Agencies.

‘‘(H) Local emergency managers or homeland security

directors.

‘‘(I) Other emergency response providers as appropriate.

‘‘(2) FEDERAL.—Representatives from the Department, the

Federal Communications Commission, and other Federal

departments and agencies with responsibility for coordinating

interoperable emergency communications with or providing

emergency support services to State, local, and tribal governments.

‘‘(c) COORDINATION.—Each RECC Working Group shall coordinate

its activities with the following:

‘‘(1) Communications equipment manufacturers and vendors

(including broadband data service providers).

‘‘(2) Local exchange carriers.

‘‘(3) Local broadcast media.

‘‘(4) Wireless carriers.

‘‘(5) Satellite communications services.

‘‘(6) Cable operators.

‘‘(7) Hospitals.

‘‘(8) Public utility services.

‘‘(9) Emergency evacuation transit services.

‘‘(10) Ambulance services.

‘‘(11) HAM and amateur radio operators.

‘‘(12) Representatives from other private sector entities and

nongovernmental organizations as the Regional Administrator

determines appropriate.

‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The duties of each RECC Working Group shall

include—

‘‘(1) assessing the survivability, sustainability, and interoperability

of local emergency communications systems to meet

the goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan;

‘‘(2) reporting annually to the relevant Regional Administrator,

the Director for Emergency Communications, the Chairman

of the Federal Communications Commission, and the

Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of

H. R. 5441—86

the Department of Commerce on the status of its region in

building robust and sustainable interoperable voice and data

emergency communications networks and, not later than 60

days after the completion of the initial National Emergency

Communications Plan under section 1802, on the progress of

the region in meeting the goals of such plan;

‘‘(3) ensuring a process for the coordination of effective

multijurisdictional, multi-agency emergency communications

networks for use during natural disasters, acts of terrorism,

and other man-made disasters through the expanded use of

emergency management and public safety communications

mutual aid agreements; and

‘‘(4) coordinating the establishment of Federal, State, local,

and tribal support services and networks designed to address

the immediate and critical human needs in responding to natural

disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

‘‘SEC. 1806. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PREPAREDNESS CENTER.

‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Emergency

Communications Preparedness Center (in this section referred to

as the ‘Center’).

‘‘(b) OPERATION.—The Secretary, the Chairman of the Federal

Communications Commission, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary

of Commerce, the Attorney General of the United States,

and the heads of other Federal departments and agencies or their

designees shall jointly operate the Center in accordance with the

Memorandum of Understanding entitled, ‘Emergency Communications

Preparedness Center (ECPC) Charter’.

‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Center shall—

‘‘(1) serve as the focal point for interagency efforts and

as a clearinghouse with respect to all relevant intergovernmental

information to support and promote (including specifically

by working to avoid duplication, hindrances, and counteractive

efforts among the participating Federal departments and

agencies)—

‘‘(A) the ability of emergency response providers and

relevant government officials to continue to communicate

in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and

other man-made disasters; and

‘‘(B) interoperable emergency communications;

‘‘(2) prepare and submit to Congress, on an annual basis,

a strategic assessment regarding the coordination efforts of

Federal departments and agencies to advance—

‘‘(A) the ability of emergency response providers and

relevant government officials to continue to communicate

in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and

other man-made disasters; and

‘‘(B) interoperable emergency communications;

‘‘(3) consider, in preparing the strategic assessment under

paragraph (2), the goals stated in the National Emergency

Communications Plan under section 1802; and

‘‘(4) perform such other functions as are provided in the

Emergency Communications Preparedness Center (ECPC)

Charter described in subsection (b)(1).