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H.R. 6096 — what changed

Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2020

From Reported in House to Engrossed in House. 1 section amended and 5 removed between Reported in House and Engrossed in House.

Sec. 2 Reliable emergency alert distribution improvement

(a)
added Wireless Emergency Alerts System offerings—
(1)
added Amendment— Section 602(b)(2)(E) of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201(b)(2)(E)) is amended—
(A)
added by striking the second and third sentences; and
(B)
added by striking “other than an alert issued by the President.” and inserting the following:

added “(i) the President; or

added “(ii) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

(2)
added 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 paragraph (1)(B).
(b)
added State Emergency Alert System Plans and Emergency Communications Committees—
(1)
added State Emergency Communications Committee— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt regulations that—
(A)
added encourage the chief executive of each State—
(i)
added to establish an SECC if the State does not have an SECC; or
(ii)
added if the State has an SECC, to review the composition and governance of the SECC;
(B)
added provide that—
(i)
added each SECC, not less frequently than annually, shall—
(I)
added meet to review and update its State EAS Plan;
(II)
added certify to the Commission that the SECC has met as required under subclause (I); and
(III)
added submit to the Commission an updated State EAS Plan; and
(ii)
added not later than 60 days after the date on which the Commission receives an updated State EAS Plan under clause (i)(III), the Commission shall—
(I)
added approve or disapprove the updated State EAS Plan; and
(II)
added notify the chief executive of the State of the Commission's approval or disapproval of such plan, and reason therefor; and
(C)
added 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 subparagraph (B)(i).
(2)
added Consultation— The Commission shall consult with the Administrator regarding the adoption of regulations under paragraph (1)(C).
(3)
added Definitions— In this subsection—
(A)
added the term SECC means a State Emergency Communications Committee;
(B)
added 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
(C)
added the term State EAS Plan means a State Emergency Alert System Plan.
(c)
added 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 the causes of such false alerts.
(d)
added Repeating Emergency Alert System messages for national security—
(1)
added 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—
(A)
added the President;
(B)
added the Administrator; or
(C)
added any other entity determined appropriate under the circumstances by the Commission, in consultation with the Administrator.
(2)
added Scope of rulemaking— Paragraph (1) shall—
(A)
added apply to warnings of national security events, meaning emergencies of national significance, such as a missile threat, terror attack, or other act of war or threat to public safety; and
(B)
added not apply to more typical warnings, such as a weather alert, AMBER Alert, or disaster alert.
(3)
added Rule of construction— Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to impair, limit, or otherwise change—
(A)
added the authority of the President granted by law to alert and warn the public; or
(B)
added the role of the President as commander-in-chief with respect to the identification, dissemination, notification, or alerting of information of missile threats against the United States, or threats to public safety.
(e)
added Internet and online streaming services emergency alert examination—
(1)
added 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.
(2)
added Report— Not later than 90 days after completing the inquiry under paragraph (1), the Commission shall submit a report on the findings and conclusions of the inquiry to—
(A)
added the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
(B)
added the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
(f)
added Definitions— In this section—

removed In this Act—

(1)
renumbered was (3) the term Administrator means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(2)
renumbered was (4) the term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission;
(3)
renumbered was (5) 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)
added 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).
(4)
removed the term Wireless Emergency Alert 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 Alert System offerings

removed
(a)
removed 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)
removed by striking the second and third sentences; and
(2)
removed by striking “other than an alert issued by the President.” and inserting the following:

removed “(i) the President; or

removed “(ii) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

(b)
removed Regulations— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt regulations to implement the amendment made by subsection (a)(2).

Sec. 4 State Emergency Alert System Plans and Emergency Communications Committees

removed
(a)
removed Definitions— In this section—
(1)
removed the term SECC means a State Emergency Communications Committee;
(2)
removed 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)
removed the term State EAS Plan means a State Emergency Alert System Plan as required in part 11 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.
(b)
removed State Emergency Communications Committee— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt regulations that—
(1)
removed encourage the chief executive of each State—
(A)
removed to establish an SECC if the State does not have an SECC; or
(B)
removed if the State has an SECC, to review the composition and governance of the SECC;
(2)
removed provide that—
(A)
removed each SECC, not less frequently than annually, shall—
(i)
removed meet to review and update its State EAS Plan;
(ii)
removed certify to the Commission that the SECC has met as required under clause (i); and
(iii)
removed submit to the Commission an updated State EAS Plan; and
(B)
removed 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)
removed approve or disapprove the updated State EAS Plan; and
(ii)
removed notify the chief executive of the State of the Commission's findings; and
(3)
removed 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)
removed Consultation— The Commission shall consult with the Administrator regarding the adoption of regulations under subsection (b)(3).

Sec. 5 False alert reporting

removed

removed 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 Alert System for the purpose of recording such false alerts and examining their causes.

Sec. 6 Repeating Emergency Alert System messages for national security

removed
(a)
removed 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)
removed the President;
(2)
removed the Administrator; or
(3)
removed any other entity under specified cir­cum­stances as determined by the Commission, in consultation with the Administrator.
(b)
removed Scope of rulemaking— Subsection (a)—
(1)
removed 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)
removed 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

removed
(a)
removed 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)
removed 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)
removed the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
(2)
removed the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.