READI Act

To improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2020 READI Act 2. Definitions In this Act— (1) the term Administrator (2) the term Commission (3) the term Emergency Alert System (4) the term Wireless Emergency Alert System 47 U.S.C. 1201 3. Wireless Emergency Alert System offerings (a) Amendment Section 602(b)(2)(E) of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act ( 47 U.S.C. 1201(b)(2)(E) (1) by striking the second and third sentences; and (2) by striking other than an alert issued by the President. other than an alert issued by— (i) the President; or (ii) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. . (b) Regulations Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt regulations to implement the amendment made by subsection (a)(2). 4. State Emergency Alert System Plans and Emergency Communications Committees (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term SECC (2) the term State (3) the term State EAS Plan (b) State Emergency Communications Committee Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall adopt regulations that— (1) encourage the chief executive of each State— (A) to establish an SECC if the State does not have an SECC; or (B) if the State has an SECC, to review the composition and governance of the SECC; (2) provide that— (A) each SECC, not less frequently than annually, shall— (i) meet to review and update its State EAS Plan; (ii) certify to the Commission that the SECC has met as required under clause (i); and (iii) submit to the Commission an updated State EAS Plan; and (B) not later than 60 days after the date on which the Commission receives an updated State EAS Plan under subparagraph (A)(iii), the Commission shall— (i) approve or disapprove the updated State EAS Plan; and (ii) notify the chief executive of the State of the Commission's findings; and (3) establish a State EAS Plan content checklist for SECCs to use when reviewing and updating a State EAS Plan for submission to the Commission under paragraph (2)(A). (c) Consultation The Commission shall consult with the Administrator regarding the adoption of regulations under subsection (b)(3). 5. False alert reporting Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Administrator, shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to establish a system to receive from the Administrator or State, Tribal, or local governments reports of false alerts under the Emergency Alert System or the Wireless Emergency Alert System for the purpose of recording such false alerts and examining their causes. 6. Repeating Emergency Alert System messages for national security (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Administrator, shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to modify the Emergency Alert System to provide for repeating Emergency Alert System messages while an alert remains pending that is issued by— (1) the President; (2) the Administrator; or (3) any other entity under specified cir­cum­stances as determined by the Commission, in consultation with the Administrator. (b) Scope of rulemaking Subsection (a)— (1) shall apply to warnings of national security events, meaning emergencies of national significance, such as a missile threat, terror attack, or other act of war; and (2) shall not apply to more typical warnings, such as a weather alert, AMBER Alert, or disaster alert. 7. Internet and online streaming services emergency alert examination (a) Study Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and after providing public notice and opportunity for comment, the Commission shall complete an inquiry to examine the feasibility of updating the Emergency Alert System to enable or improve alerts to consumers provided through the internet, including through streaming services. (b) Report Not later than 90 days after completing the inquiry under subsection (a), the Commission shall submit a report on the findings and conclusions of the inquiry to— (1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives. November 16, 2020 Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce November 16, 2020 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Summary: Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2020 or READI Act This bill modifies how citizens receive emergency alerts through wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. Specifically, the bill includes emergency alerts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a type of alert that mobile subscribers may not block from their devices. (Currently, only alerts from the President may not be blocked.) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must adopt regulations that encourage states to establish a State Emergency Communications Committee (SECC) and provide that each SECC meets at least annually to review and update its Emergency Alert System (EAS) Plan. The FCC must approve or disapprove the updated plan. The FCC shall also (1) establish a system to receive from FEMA or state, tribal, or local governments reports of false alerts under the EAS or the Wireless EAS and to record such false alerts and examine their causes; (2) modify the EAS to provide for repeating messages while an alert remains pending; and (3) examine the feasibility of offering EAS alerts through the internet, including through audio and video streaming services.