6 U.S.C. § 321o-1 Integrated Public Alert and Warning System

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 6 U.S.C. § 321o-1

(a) Definitions

In this section-

(1) the term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Agency;

(2) the term "Agency" means the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(3) the term "appropriate congressional committees" means-

(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate;

(B) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and

(C) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives;

(4) the term "public alert and warning system" means the integrated public alert and warning system of the United States described in section 321o of this title;

(5) the term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Homeland Security; and

(6) 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.

(b) Integrated public alert and warning system

(1) In general

Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2019, the Administrator shall develop minimum requirements for State, Tribal, and local governments to participate in the public alert and warning system and that are necessary to maintain the integrity of the public alert and warning system, including-

(A) guidance on the categories of public emergencies and appropriate circumstances that warrant an alert and warning from State, Tribal, and local governments using the public alert and warning system;

(B) the procedures for State, Tribal, and local government officials to authenticate civil emergencies and initiate, modify, and cancel alerts transmitted through the public alert and warning system, including protocols and technology capabilities for-

(i) the initiation, or prohibition on the initiation, of alerts by a single authorized or unauthorized individual;

(ii) testing a State, Tribal, or local government incident management and warning tool without accidentally initiating an alert through the public alert and warning system; and

(iii) steps a State, Tribal, or local government official should take to mitigate the possibility of the issuance of a false alert through the public alert and warning system;

(C) the standardization, functionality, and interoperability of incident management and warning tools used by State, Tribal, and local governments to notify the public of an emergency through the public alert and warning system;

(D) the annual training and recertification of emergency management personnel on requirements for originating and transmitting an alert through the public alert and warning system;

(E) the procedures, protocols, and guidance concerning the protective action plans that State, Tribal, and local governments shall issue to the public following an alert issued under the public alert and warning system;

(F) the procedures, protocols, and guidance concerning the communications that State, Tribal, and local governments shall issue to the public following a false alert issued under the public alert and warning system;