(a) In General.--There is established in the Department an
Office of Emergency Communications.
(b) Director.--The head of the office shall be the Director
for Emergency Communications. The Director shall report to the
Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications.
(c) Responsibilities.--The Director for Emergency
Communications shall--
(1) assist the Secretary in developing and
implementing the program described in section
7303(a)(1) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 194(a)(1)), except as
provided in section 314;
(2) administer the Department's responsibilities
and authorities relating to the SAFECOM Program,
excluding elements related to research, development,
testing, and evaluation and standards;
(3) administer the Department's responsibilities
and authorities relating to the Integrated Wireless
Network program;
(4) conduct extensive, nationwide outreach to
support and promote the ability of 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;
(5) conduct extensive, nationwide outreach and
foster the development of interoperable emergency
communications capabilities by State, regional, local,
and tribal governments and public safety agencies, and
by regional consortia thereof;
(6) provide technical assistance to State,
regional, local, and tribal government officials with
respect to use of interoperable emergency
communications capabilities;
(7) coordinate with the Regional Administrators
regarding the activities of Regional Emergency
Communications Coordination Working Groups under
section 1805;
(8) promote the development of standard operating
procedures and best practices with respect to use of
interoperable emergency communications capabilities for
incident response, and facilitate the sharing of
information on such best practices for achieving,
maintaining, and enhancing interoperable emergency
communications capabilities for such response;
(9) coordinate, in cooperation with the National
Communications System, the establishment of a national
response capability with initial and ongoing planning,
implementation, and training for the deployment of
communications equipment for relevant State, local, and
tribal governments and emergency response providers in
the event of a catastrophic loss of local and regional
emergency communications services;
(10) assist the President, the National Security
Council, the Homeland Security Council, and the
Director of the Office of Management and Budget in
ensuring the continued operation of the
telecommunications functions and responsibilities of
the Federal Government, excluding spectrum management;
(11) establish, in coordination with the Director
of the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility,
requirements for interoperable emergency communications
capabilities, which shall be nonproprietary where
standards for such capabilities exist, for all public
safety radio and data communications systems and
equipment purchased using homeland security assistance
administered by the Department, excluding any alert and
warning device, technology, or system;
(12) review, in consultation with the Assistant
Secretary for Grants and Training, all interoperable
emergency communications plans of Federal, State,
local, and tribal governments, including Statewide and
tactical interoperability plans, developed pursuant to
homeland security assistance administered by the
Department, but excluding spectrum allocation and
management related to such plans;
(13) develop and update periodically, as
appropriate, a National Emergency Communications Plan
under section 1802;
(14) perform such other duties of the Department
necessary to support and promote the ability of
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; and
(15) perform other duties of the Department
necessary to achieve the goal of and maintain and
enhance interoperable emergency communications
capabilities.
(d) Performance of Previously Transferred Functions.--The
Secretary shall transfer to, and administer through, the
Director for Emergency Communications the following programs
and responsibilities:
(1) The SAFECOM Program, excluding elements related
to research, development, testing, and evaluation and
standards.
(2) The responsibilities of the Chief Information
Officer related to the implementation of the Integrated
Wireless Network.
(3) The Interoperable Communications Technical
Assistance Program.
(e) Coordination.--The Director for Emergency
Communications shall coordinate--
(1) as appropriate, with the Director of the Office
for Interoperability and Compatibility with respect to
the responsibilities described in section 314; and
(2) with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency with respect to the responsibilities
described in this title.
(f) Sufficiency of Resources Plan.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall
submit to Congress a report on the resources and staff
necessary to carry out fully the responsibilities under
this title.
(2) Comptroller general review.--The Comptroller
General shall review the validity of the report
submitted by the Secretary under paragraph (1). Not
later than 60 days after the date on which such report
is submitted, the Comptroller General shall submit to
Congress a report containing the findings of such
review.