I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2850 

To assist States and local governments develop and implement emergency 

notification systems suitable for use on public recreational lands, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 

Ms. RICHARDSON (for herself and Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 

case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 

the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To assist States and local governments develop and implement emergency notification systems suitable for use on 

public recreational lands, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Communication and 

5 Alert Maintenance Program for Early Response Act’’ or 

6 ‘‘CAMPER Act’’. 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 2850 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The National Park System manages 392 

4 sites that cover more than 83 million acres. 

5 (2) According to the National Park Service, 

6 there were 275,581,547 recreational visits to Na7 tional Park System sites in 2007, which marks an 

8 increase of nearly 3 million visits from 2006. 

9 (3) The number of recreational visits specified 

10 in paragraph (2) does not include Forest Service, 

11 Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclama12 tion, or Army Corps of Engineer sites or include 

13 State and local parks, which also cover a significant 

14 land area. 

15 (4) For example, in California, over 79.5 mil16 lion people visited California State Parks, over 1.3 

17 million acres of land, in the 2007/2008 fiscal year. 

18 (5) Many State and local park systems, includ19 ing the California Department of Parks and Recre20 ation, have no emergency notification system suit21 able for use on public recreational lands to warn 

22 persons using such lands of imminent emergency sit23 uations. 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 2850 IH

1 SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ASSIST2 ANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMEN3 TATION OF EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYS4 TEMS FOR USE ON STATE AND LOCAL GOV5 ERNMENT RECREATIONAL LANDS. 

6 (a) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.—The 

7 Secretary of Homeland Security may provide technical as8 sistance to a State or local government to develop and im9 plement an emergency notification system suitable for use 

10 on public recreational lands administered by the State or 

11 local government to warn persons using such lands of 

12 emergency situations, including natural disasters and acts 

13 of terrorism or other man-made disasters. 

14 (b) IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS.— 

15 (1) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of 

16 Homeland Security may make grants, on a competi17 tive basis, to States and local governments to pro18 cure and install emergency notification systems on 

19 public recreational lands, as described in subsection 

20 (a). 

21 (2) MAXIMUM GRANT.—A grant under this sub22 section may not exceed $100,000. 

23 (3) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENTS.— 

24 (A) RECIPIENT SHARE.—A grant recipient 

25 shall provide matching non-Federal funds, ei26 ther in cash or in-kind support, in an amount 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 2850 IH

1 equal to not less than five percent of the Fed2 eral funds provided in a grant under this sub3 section. 

4 (B) WAIVER.—The Secretary may estab5 lish conditions under which the cost-sharing re6 quirements of subparagraph (A) may be re7 duced or waived. 

8 (c) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—For each fiscal year 

9 in which technical assistance and grants are provided 

10 under this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security 

11 shall submit to the Committees on Homeland Security of 

12 the House of Representatives and the Senate a report— 

13 (1) describing the present state of preparedness 

14 of State park and recreation departments to provide 

15 adequate emergency notification in the event of 

16 emergency situations, including natural disasters 

17 and acts of terrorism or other man-made disasters; 

18 and 

19 (2) containing such recommendations for addi20 tional legislative action as the Secretary considers 

21 appropriate. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with BILLS