I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 396 
To provide assistance for early warning systems in foreign countries. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 26, 2005 
Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. 
TOWNS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. MCCARTHY, 
Mr. OWENS, and Mr. RANGEL) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To provide assistance for early warning systems in foreign 
countries. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Early Warning And 
Rapid Notification Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Over 160,000 people were killed in the In-
dian Ocean region as a result of the tsunamis that 
occurred on December 26, 2004.
(2) The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in 
Hawaii detected the earthquake and knew of the po-
tential threat of a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, but 
had no way to inform the countries in the most dan-
ger. 
(3) Even if such countries had the information 
about the tsunamis, some countries in the region 
would have had no way to warn people present on 
the coasts. 
(4) With as little as 15 minutes advance notice, 
people could have moved to higher ground, with a 
potential huge reduction in the death toll. 
(5) The United Nations reports that tens of 
thousands of people are killed and tens of billions of 
dollars of property are lost every year as a result of 
disasters, and states that early warning is one of the 
most effective ways to save lives and protect prop-
erty. 
(6) The World Conference on Disaster Reduc-
tion announced the creation of the International 
Early Warning Program in January 2005, spon-
sored by multiple United Nations organizations. 
(7) The International Early Warning Program 
identified the following four elements of effective 
early warning systems:
(A) Prior knowledge of the risks faced by 
communities. 
(B) Technical monitoring of hazards. 
(C) Getting understandable warnings to 
those at risk. 
(D) Knowledge and preparedness of how to 
act by those threatened by disasters. 
(8) The United States, acting through the 
United States Agency for International Develop-
ment, contributed to the establishment of a typhoon 
early-warning system in Bangladesh. 
(9) The United States Agency for International 
Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance 
has been funding the United Nations Development 
Program to help develop early warning communica-
tions systems for floods and coastal storms in Viet-
nam. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to establish a United 
States program to provide technological and financial sup-
port to foreign countries for development of effective pub-
lic warning systems for all-hazard events, and to strength-
en the existing lines of communications between countries 
for the dissemination of data relating to disasters.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ALL-HAZARD EVENT.—The term ‘‘all-haz-
ard event’’ means an emergency or disaster resulting 
from— 
(A) a natural disaster; or 
(B) an accident or intentional or negligent 
act that causes widespread damage or harm. 
(2) EFFECTIVE PUBLIC WARNING.—The term 
‘‘effective public warning’’ means practical, com-
prehensible, and timely information given to all indi-
viduals threatened by an all-hazard event sufficient 
to enable them to act to protect their safety and 
well-being in a timely manner. 
SEC. 5. DISSEMINATION OF DATA RELATING TO ALL-HAZ-
ARD 
EVENTS 
BETWEEN 
AGENCIES 
AND 
COUNTRIES. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, act-
ing through the Assistant Secretary for Oceans, En-
vironment and Science and in consultation with the 
officials described in paragraph (2), shall conduct a 
study that— 
(A) determines the extent to which depart-
ments and agencies of the Government of the 
United States that receive or collect relevant
data regarding all-hazard events that could 
have an impact on lives or property have well 
established procedures for disseminating that 
data to other United States Government de-
partments and agencies; 
(B) evaluates the quality of communica-
tions links between the United States and agen-
cies in foreign countries that would be respon-
sible for disseminating information about all- 
hazard events to their citizens; and 
(C) examines the feasibility of the Depart-
ment of State directly contacting foreign media 
organizations with information relating to all- 
hazard events if such information could be used 
to mitigate the effects of the hazards in foreign 
countries. 
(2) OFFICIALS.—The officials referred to in 
paragraph (1) are the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration, the Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
Director of the United States Geological Survey, and 
the Director of the National Science Foundation,
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall sub-
mit to the Committees on International Relations and 
Science of the House of Representatives and the Commit-
tees on Foreign Relations and Commerce, Science and 
Transportation of the Senate a report that contains— 
(1) the results of the study conducted under 
subsection (a); and 
(2) recommendations for improving any defi-
ciencies in the lines of communication uncovered in 
the study conducted under subsection (a), where 
such deficiencies decrease the ability for the United 
States to disseminate all-hazard event warnings be-
tween different departments and agencies of the 
United States Government, or between the United 
States Government and foreign governments. 
SEC. 6. ASSISTANCE FOR EFFECTIVE PUBLIC WARNING 
SYSTEMS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 
(a) ASSISTANCE.—The President, acting through the 
Secretary of State and in coordination with the Adminis-
trator of the United States Agency for International De-
velopment, is authorized to provide assistance, including 
providing such assistance through the United Nations’ 
International Early Warning Program or other inter-
national organizations, for programs that enhance the ef-
fective public warning capability of foreign countries. The 
goals of such programs should be to— 
(1) provide assistance to establish and support 
the communications infrastructure necessary to pro-
vide effective public warnings; 
(2) provide technical expertise and training to 
foreign countries about risk assessment procedures 
and the design and deployment of effective public 
warning systems; and 
(3) establish public education campaigns that 
inform local populations about the proper ways to 
react to effective public warnings concerning all-haz-
ard events so as to minimize the loss of life and 
property. 
(b) RESEARCH.—The Secretary of State, in coopera-
tion with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Chair-
man of the Federal Communications Commission, the Ad-
ministrator of the National Telecommunications and In-
formation Administration, and the heads of other appro-
priate departments and agencies of the United States Gov-
ernment, shall— 
(1) ensure that the results of domestic research 
on effective public warning systems for all-hazard 
events are disseminated internationally, unless it is
determined that such dissemination would be detri-
mental to the national security of the United States; 
(2) broaden the scope of research programs of 
warning system research programs established under 
sections 7403 and 7404 of the Intelligence Reform 
and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 
108–458) to include a component to investigate how 
the results of those research programs could be ap-
plied in other countries; 
(3) study evolving technologies for emergency 
warning systems (such as broadcast media, wireline 
and wireless telephones, other wireless devices, in-
stant messaging via computer, and electronic bul-
letin boards) that could be used to provide effective 
public warning for all-hazard events in the United 
States and its territories and to international loca-
tions; and 
(4) work through the World Radio Conference 
and with other international forums and organiza-
tions to study the role of satellites, wireless tech-
nology, and radio frequency assignments in pro-
viding emergency alert systems. 
(c) COOPERATION.—In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary of State shall, to the maximum extent possible,
coordinate with the efforts of the United Nations’ Inter-
national Early Warning Program. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the President to carry out this Act $10,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010. 
(b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant 
to the authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) 
are authorized to remain available until expended. 
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