WASHINGTON-Both houses of Congress are working on legislation to address emergency communications, but funding for any interoperability measures remains an obstacle.
The House last week 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.
Meanwhile, the Senate Homeland-Security Committee passed a comprehensive bill that includes emergency communications language that mirrors the House version in several ways. One key difference, however, is the Senate version authorizes funds for emergency communications equipment. It is unclear at this point whether the bill will hold up once it reaches the Senate floor.
One House Democrat compared money spent on the war in Iraq with the lack of funding for domestic communications. “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, introduced July 20, was considered under a procedure known as “suspension of the rules,” which does not allow 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 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. RCR
