WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives Tuesday passed a bill creating an Office of Emergency Communications within the Department of Homeland Security. The legislation requires the new entity to develop standards for interoperability, and prohibits states and localities from receiving homeland-security grants for interoperability equipment that does not meet the standards.
While the bill passed 414-2, Democrats objected because the legislation did not carry the requisite funding.
“Leadership is only half of the solution. All of our efforts will be for naught if we do not provide funding,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), ranking member of the House Homeland-Security Committee.
Another Democrat said that the funds needed to pay for three days of the war in Iraq would pay for nationwide interoperability.
“A one-time expenditure of what we pay for three days in the Iraq war will do one thing: It will pay to make every agency interoperable,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House emergency preparedness subcommittee. “These cannot be empty commitments. We must fund the process we have identified and voted on today.”
The bill was only introduced last week and was considered under a procedure known as “suspension of the rules,” which does not allow for any amendments.
“The Republicans do not want to face funding amendments,” said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.).
If the bill is passed by the Senate, the DHS Office of Emergency Communications will be led by an assistant secretary for emergency communications.
The new office will have responsibility for:
–the Safecom interoperability program;
–the Integrated Wireless Network program;
–the Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance program; and
–the National Communications System.
The new office will facilitate the creation of Regional Emergency Communications Coordination working groups.
The bill requires the new office to develop a National Emergency Communications Report and then to give annual reports to Congress on the status of interoperability efforts.
Since interoperability is an interagency issue, the bill establishes the Emergency Communications Preparedness Center.
