Public Safety Communications Act

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to establish the Office of Public Safety Communications, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Public Safety Communications Act 2. Establishment of the Office of Public Safety Communications Part A of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act ( 47 U.S.C. 901 et seq. 106. Establishment of the Office of Public Safety Communications (a) Establishment There is established within the NTIA the Office of Public Safety Communications (in this section referred to as the Office (b) Head of office (1) In general The head of the Office shall be the Associate Administrator for Public Safety Communications. (2) Career position The position of Associate Administrator shall be a career position in the Senior Executive Service occupied by a career appointee (as that term is defined in section 3132(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code). (3) Requirement to report The Associate Administrator shall report to the Assistant Secretary. (c) Duties The Associate Administrator shall— (1) administer any grant program of the Federal Government related to Next Generation 9–1–1 on behalf of the Assistant Secretary; (2) analyze public safety policy communications issues, including by obtaining such analysis; (3) provide to the Assistant Secretary advice and assistance with respect to the Assistant Secretary— (A) carrying out the responsibilities of NTIA related to public safety communications policy; and (B) evaluating the domestic impact of public safety communications matters pending before the Commission, Congress, or other entities of the executive branch of the Federal Government; (4) carrying out any duties established under section 10 of Department Organizational Order 25–7 of the Department of Commerce titled National Telecommunications and Information Administration (5) be responsible for the oversight of— (A) the studies carried out by the Federal Government relating to enhancing public safety communication; and (B) the prototyping (including leading edge prototyping) and deployment by the Federal Government of advanced communications technologies that enhance public safety communications, including through test-protocol, model, or simulation tool for the testing and validation of such technologies; (6) manage the First Responder Network Authority established under section 6206 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 ( 47 U.S.C. 1426 (7) at the direction of the Assistant Secretary, communicate public safety communications policies to public entities, including the Commission and Congress, or private entities; and (8) carry out any duties regarding the responsibilities of the NTIA with respect to public safety communications policy as the Assistant Secretary may designate. (d) Audit The Associate Administrator— (1) shall annually conduct an audit of the activities of the First Responder Network Authority in accordance with general accounting principles and procedures; and (2) may conduct such audit (or parts thereof) through a contractor whose services were procured in accordance with title 41, United States Code. .

Summary: Public Safety Communications Act This bill establishes the Office of Public Safety Communications within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to support efforts related to public safety communications. The duties of the office include (1) administering grant programs for Next Generation 9-1-1 systems, which are interoperable Internet Protocol-based systems for receiving 9-1-1 calls; and (2) managing and auditing the First Responder Network Authority, which oversees the communications network for emergency responders and the public safety community.