6 U.S.C. § 573

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)

Section 573 - Assessments and reports

(a) Baseline assessment

Not later than 1 year after October 4, 2006, and not less than every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, shall conduct an assessment of Federal, State, local, and tribal governments that-

(1) defines the range of capabilities needed by 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;

(2) defines the range of interoperable emergency communications capabilities needed for specific events;

(3) assesses the current available capabilities to meet such communications needs;

(4) identifies the gap between such current capabilities and defined requirements; and

(5) includes a national interoperable emergency communications inventory to be completed by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission that-

(A) identifies for each Federal department and agency-

(i) the channels and frequencies used;

(ii) the nomenclature used to refer to each channel or frequency used; and

(iii) the types of communications systems and equipment used; and

(B) identifies the interoperable emergency communications systems in use by public safety agencies in the United States.

(b) Classified annex

The baseline assessment under this section may include a classified annex including information provided under subsection (a)(5)(A).

(c) Savings clause

In conducting the baseline assessment under this section, the Secretary may incorporate findings from assessments conducted before, or ongoing on, October 4, 2006.

(d) Progress reports

Not later than one year after October 4, 2006, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, shall submit to Congress a report on the progress of the Department in achieving the goals of, and carrying out its responsibilities under, this subchapter, including-

(1) a description of the findings of the most recent baseline assessment conducted under subsection (a);

(2) a determination of the degree to which interoperable emergency communications capabilities have been attained to date and the gaps that remain for interoperability to be achieved;

(3) an evaluation of the ability to continue to communicate and to provide and maintain interoperable emergency communications by emergency managers, emergency response providers, and relevant government officials in the event of-

(A) natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters, including Incidents of National Significance declared by the Secretary under the National Response Plan; and

(B) a catastrophic loss of local and regional communications services;

(4) a list of best practices relating to the ability to continue to communicate and to provide and maintain interoperable emergency communications in the event of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters; and

(A)¹ an evaluation of the feasibility and desirability of the Department developing, on its own or in conjunction with the Department of Defense, a mobile communications capability, modeled on the Army Signal Corps, that could be deployed to support emergency communications at the site of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters.

¹ So in original. Probably should be "(5)".

6 U.S.C. § 573

Pub. L. 107-296, title XVIII, §1803, as added Pub. L. 109-295, title VI, §671(b), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1437; amended Pub. L. 115-278, §2(g)(6)(B), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4179.

EDITORIAL NOTES

CODIFICATIONAnother section 1803 of Pub. L. 107-296 was renumbered section 1903 and is classified to section 593 of this title.

AMENDMENTS2018-Subsecs. (a), (d). Pub. L. 115-278 substituted "Assistant Director for Emergency Communications" for "Director for Emergency Communications" in introductory provisions.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

CHANGE OF NAMEReference to the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications deemed to be a reference to the Executive Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, see section 571(g) of this title, enacted Jan. 1, 2021.

Department: The term "Department" means the Department of Homeland Security.
Secretary: The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
State: The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States.
emergency response providers: The term "emergency response providers" includes Federal, State, and local governmental and nongovernmental emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies, and authorities.
terrorism: The term "terrorism" means any activity that-(A) involves an act that-(i) is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; and(ii) is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the United States; and(B) appears to be intended-(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
Agency: the term "Agency" means the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
National Response Plan: the term "National Response Plan" means the National Response Plan or any successor plan prepared under section 314(a)(6) of this title;