Plain English summary not yet available
The full original text is available below. Check back soon as we process this bill.
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 2693
AN ACT
To improve oversight by the Federal Communications Com-
mission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert
systems.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
2
† S 2693 ES
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
1
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reliable Emergency
2
Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2020’’ or ‘‘READI
3
Act’’.
4
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
5
In this Act—
6
(1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
7
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management
8
Agency;
9
(2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal
10
Communications Commission;
11
(3) the term ‘‘Emergency Alert System’’ means
12
the national public warning system, the rules for
13
which are set forth in part 11 of title 47, Code of
14
Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation);
15
and
16
(4) the term ‘‘Wireless Emergency Alerts Sys-
17
tem’’ means the wireless national public warning
18
system established under the Warning, Alert, and
19
Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), the
20
rules for which are set forth in part 10 of title 47,
21
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
22
lation).
23
3
† S 2693 ES
SEC. 3. WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS SYSTEM OFFER-
1
INGS.
2
(a) AMENDMENT.—Section 602(b)(2)(E) of the
3
Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C.
4
1201(b)(2)(E)) is amended—
5
(1) by striking the second and third sentences;
6
and
7
(2) by striking ‘‘other than an alert issued by
8
the President.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘other
9
than an alert issued by—
10
‘‘(i) the President; or
11
‘‘(ii) the Administrator of the Federal
12
Emergency Management Agency.’’.
13
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after
14
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in con-
15
sultation with the Administrator, shall adopt regulations
16
to implement the amendment made by subsection (a)(2).
17
SEC. 4. STATE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM PLANS AND
18
EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS
COMMIT-
19
TEES.
20
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section—
21
(1) the term ‘‘SECC’’ means a State Emer-
22
gency Communications Committee;
23
(2) the term ‘‘State’’ means any State of the
24
United States, the District of Columbia, the Com-
25
monwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
26
4
† S 2693 ES
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Common-
1
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any
2
possession of the United States; and
3
(3) the term ‘‘State EAS Plan’’ means a State
4
Emergency Alert System Plan, the rules for which
5
are set forth in part 11 of title 47, Code of Federal
6
Regulations (or any successor regulation).
7
(b) STATE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COM-
8
MITTEE.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
9
ment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt regulations
10
that—
11
(1) encourage the chief executive of each
12
State—
13
(A) to establish an SECC if the State does
14
not have an SECC; or
15
(B) if the State has an SECC, to review
16
the composition and governance of the SECC;
17
(2) provide that—
18
(A) each SECC, not less frequently than
19
annually, shall—
20
(i) meet to review and update its
21
State EAS Plan;
22
(ii) certify to the Commission that the
23
SECC has met as required under clause
24
(i); and
25
5
† S 2693 ES
(iii) submit to the Commission an up-
1
dated State EAS Plan; and
2
(B) not later than 60 days after the date
3
on which the Commission receives an updated
4
State EAS Plan under subparagraph (A)(iii),
5
the Commission shall—
6
(i) approve or disapprove the updated
7
State EAS Plan; and
8
(ii) notify the chief executive of the
9
State of the Commission’s findings; and
10
(3) establish a State EAS Plan content check-
11
list for SECCs to use when reviewing and updating
12
a State EAS Plan for submission to the Commission
13
under paragraph (2)(A).
14
(c) CONSULTATION.—The Commission shall consult
15
with the Administrator regarding the adoption of regula-
16
tions under subsection (b)(3).
17
SEC. 5. FALSE ALERT REPORTING.
18
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
19
of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Ad-
20
ministrator, shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to es-
21
tablish a system to receive from the Administrator or
22
State, Tribal, or local governments reports of false alerts
23
under the Emergency Alert System or the Wireless Emer-
24
6
† S 2693 ES
gency Alerts System for the purpose of recording such
1
false alerts and examining their causes.
2
SEC. 6. REPEATING EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM MES-
3
SAGES FOR NATIONAL SECURITY.
4
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the
5
date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in con-
6
sultation with the Administrator, shall complete a rule-
7
making proceeding to modify the Emergency Alert System
8
to provide for repeating Emergency Alert System mes-
9
sages while an alert remains pending that is issued by—
10
(1) the President;
11
(2) the Administrator; or
12
(3) any other entity under specified cir-
13
cumstances as determined by the Commission, in
14
consultation with the Administrator.
15
(b) SCOPE OF RULEMAKING.—Subsection (a)—
16
(1) shall apply to warnings of national security
17
events, meaning emergencies of national significance,
18
such as a missile threat, terror attack, or other act
19
of war; and
20
(2) shall not apply to more typical warnings,
21
such as a weather alert, AMBER Alert, or disaster
22
alert.
23
7
† S 2693 ES
SEC. 7. INTERNET AND ONLINE STREAMING SERVICES
1
EMERGENCY ALERT EXAMINATION.
2
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 180 days after the date
3
of enactment of this Act, and after providing public notice
4
and opportunity for comment, the Commission shall com-
5
plete an inquiry to examine the feasibility of updating the
6
Emergency Alert System to enable or improve alerts to
7
consumers provided through the internet, including
8
through streaming services.
9
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after com-
10
pleting the inquiry under subsection (a), the Commission
11
shall submit a report on the findings and conclusions of
12
the inquiry to—
13
(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
14
Transportation of the Senate; and
15
(2) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of
16
the House of Representatives.
17
Passed the Senate September 24, 2020.
Attest:
Secretary.
116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
S. 2693
AN ACT
To improve oversight by the Federal Communica-
tions Commission of the wireless and broadcast
emergency alert systems.
Important: This plain English summary was generated by AI and is provided for informational purposes only.
It is not legal advice. Always consult the official bill text on Congress.gov
or a qualified attorney for legal matters.