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ment, promulgation, and updating as necessary of 
national voluntary consensus standards for inter-
operable emergency communications with the goal of 
having such standards in place to satisfy the re-
quirements of paragraph (1)(C). 
‘‘SEC. 1805. REGIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CO-
ORDINATION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in each Regional Office 
a Regional Emergency Communications Coordination 
Working Group (in this section referred to as an ‘RECC 
Working Group’). 
‘‘(b) SUBJECT
MATTER
EXPERTS.—The RECC 
Working Group shall consist of the following: 
‘‘(1) 
NON-FEDERAL.—Organizations 
rep-
resenting the interests of the following: 
‘‘(A) State officials. 
‘‘(B) Local officials, including sheriffs. 
‘‘(C) State police departments. 
‘‘(D) Local police departments. 
‘‘(E) Local fire departments. 
‘‘(F) Public safety answering points (9–1– 
1 services). 
‘‘(G) Communications equipment vendors 
(including broadband data service providers). 
‘‘(H) Hospitals. 
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‘‘(I) Public utility services. 
‘‘(J) Local exchange carriers. 
‘‘(K) Local broadcast media. 
‘‘(L) Wireless carriers. 
‘‘(M) Satellite communications services. 
‘‘(N) Emergency evacuation transit serv-
ices. 
‘‘(O) Ambulance services. 
‘‘(P) HAM and amateur radio operators. 
‘‘(Q) State emergency managers, homeland 
security directors, or representatives of State 
Administrative Agencies. 
‘‘(R) Local emergency managers or home-
land security directors. 
‘‘(S) Cable operators. 
‘‘(T) Other emergency response providers 
or emergency support providers as deemed ap-
propriate. 
‘‘(2) FEDERAL.—Representatives from the De-
partment and other Federal departments and agen-
cies with responsibility for coordinating interoperable 
emergency communications with or providing emer-
gency support services to State, local, and tribal gov-
ernments. 
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‘‘(c) DUTIES.—The duties of each RECC Working 
Group shall include— 
‘‘(1) assessing the survivability, sustainability, 
and interoperability of local emergency communica-
tions systems to meet the goals of the National 
Emergency Communications Report; 
‘‘(2) reporting annually to the Assistant Sec-
retary for Emergency Communications on the status 
of its region in building robust and sustainable 
interoperable voice and data emergency communica-
tions networks and on the progress of the region in 
meeting the goals of the National Emergency Com-
munications Report under section 1802 when such 
Report is complete; 
‘‘(3) ensuring a process for the coordination of 
the establishment of effective multijurisdictional, 
multi-agency emergency communications networks 
for use during acts of terrorism, natural disasters, 
and other emergencies through the expanded use of 
emergency management and public safety commu-
nications mutual aid agreements; and 
‘‘(4) coordinating the establishment of Federal, 
State, local, and tribal support services and net-
works designed to address the immediate and critical 
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human needs in responding to acts of terrorism, nat-
ural disasters, and other emergencies. 
‘‘SEC. 1806. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PREPARED-
NESS CENTER. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the 
Emergency Communications Preparedness Center (in this 
section referred to as the ‘Center’). 
‘‘(b) OPERATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, the Chair-
man of the Federal Communications Commission, 
the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Com-
merce, the Attorney General, and the heads of other 
Federal departments and agencies or their designees 
shall jointly operate the Center in accordance with 
the Memorandum of Understanding entitled, ‘Emer-
gency 
Communications 
Preparedness 
Center 
(ECPC) Charter’. 
‘‘(2) CHAIR.—The Chair of the Center shall ro-
tate every two years between the Secretary of Home-
land Security, the Secretary of Defense, the Sec-
retary of Commerce, the Attorney General, and the 
Chairman of the Federal Communications Commis-
sion. 
‘‘(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Center shall— 
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‘‘(1) serve as the focal point for interagency ef-
forts to address operable and interoperable commu-
nications; 
‘‘(2) serve as a clearinghouse with respect to all 
relevant information regarding intergovernmental ef-
forts to achieve nationwide interoperable emergency 
communications capabilities; 
‘‘(3) ensure cooperation among the relevant 
Federal Government departments and agencies to 
improve effectiveness in the communication and im-
plementation of the goals recommended in the Na-
tional Emergency Communications Report under 
section 1802, including specifically by working to 
avoid duplication, hindrances, and counteractive ef-
forts among the participating Federal departments 
and agencies; 
‘‘(4) prepare and submit to Congress, on an an-
nual basis, a strategic assessment regarding the ef-
forts of Federal departments and agencies to imple-
ment the National Emergency Communications Re-
port under section 1802; and 
‘‘(5) perform such other functions as are pro-
vided in the ECPC Charter under subsection (b)(1). 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Chair shall 
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transmit to the Congress a report regarding the implemen-
tation of this section, including a description of the staff-
ing and resource needs of the Center. 
‘‘SEC. 1807. URBAN AND OTHER HIGH RISK AREA COMMU-
NICATIONS CAPABILITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Chairman of the Federal Communications Com-
mission and the Secretary of Defense, and with appro-
priate State, local, and tribal government officials, shall 
provide technical guidance, training, and other assistance, 
as appropriate, to support the rapid establishment of con-
sistent, secure, and effective interoperable emergency com-
munications capabilities in the event of an emergency in 
urban and other areas determined by the Secretary to be 
at consistently high levels of risk from acts of terrorism, 
natural disasters, and other emergencies. 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM CAPABILITIES.—The interoperable 
emergency communications capabilities established under 
subsection (a) shall ensure the ability of all levels of gov-
ernment, emergency response providers, emergency sup-
port providers, the private sector, and other organizations 
with emergency response capabilities— 
‘‘(1) to communicate with each other in the 
event of an emergency; 
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‘‘(2) to have appropriate and timely access to 
the Information Sharing Environment described in 
section 1016 of the National Security Intelligence 
Reform Act of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 321); and 
‘‘(3) to be consistent with any applicable State 
or Urban Area homeland strategy or plan.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘TITLE XVIII—EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS 
‘‘Sec. 1801. Office of Emergency Communications. 
‘‘Sec. 1802. National Emergency Communications Report. 
‘‘Sec. 1803. Assessments and reports. 
‘‘Sec. 1804. Coordination of Federal emergency communications grant pro-
grams. 
‘‘Sec. 1805. Regional emergency communications coordination. 
‘‘Sec. 1806. Emergency Communications Preparedness Center. 
‘‘Sec. 1807. Urban and other high risk area communications capabilities. 
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INTEROPERABILITY AND COMPAT-
IBILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 314. OFFICE OF INTEROPERABILITY AND COMPAT-
IBILITY. 
‘‘(a) CLARIFICATION
OF RESPONSIBILITIES.—The 
Director of the Office of Interoperability and Compat-
ibility shall— 
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‘‘(1) assist the Secretary in developing and im-
plementing the science and technology aspects of the 
program described in subparagraphs (D), (E), (F), 
and (G) of section 7303(a)(1) of the Intelligence Re-
form and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (6 
U.S.C. 194(a)(1)); 
‘‘(2) support the creation of national voluntary 
consensus standards for interoperable emergency 
communications; 
‘‘(3) establish a comprehensive research, devel-
opment, testing, and evaluation program for improv-
ing interoperable emergency communications; 
‘‘(4) establish, in coordination with the Assist-
ant Secretary for Emergency Communications, re-
quirements for total and nonproprietary interoper-
able emergency communications capabilities for all 
public safety radio and data communications sys-
tems and equipment purchased using homeland se-
curity assistance administered by the Department; 
‘‘(5) carry out the Department’s responsibilities 
and authorities relating to research, development, 
testing, evaluation, or standards-related
elements 
of the SAFECOM Program; 
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‘‘(6) evaluate and assess new technology in real- 
world environments to achieve interoperable emer-
gency communications capabilities; 
‘‘(7) encourage more efficient use of existing re-
sources, including equipment, to achieve interoper-
able emergency communications capabilities; 
‘‘(8) test public safety communications systems 
that are less prone to failure, support new nonvoice 
services, use spectrum more efficiently, and cost less 
than existing systems; and 
‘‘(9) coordinate with the private sector to de-
velop solutions to improve emergency communica-
tions capabilities and achieve interoperable emer-
gency communications capabilities. 
‘‘(b) COORDINATION.—The Director shall coordinate 
with the Assistant Secretary for Emergency Communica-
tions with respect to the SAFECOM program. 
‘‘(c) SUFFICIENCY OF RESOURCES.—The Secretary 
shall provide the Office for Interoperability and Compat-
ibility the resources and staff necessary to carry out the 
responsibilities under this section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting at the 
end of the items relating to title III the following: 
‘‘Sec. 314. Office of Interoperability and Compatibility.’’. 
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SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE PROJECT 25 CON-
FORMITY ASSESSMENT PROJECT. 
It is the sense of Congress that in carrying out the 
responsibilities and authorities of the Department of 
Homeland Security relating to the SAFECOM Program, 
the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Emer-
gency Communications and the Director of the Office of 
Interoperability and Compatibility should work with the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology for the 
purpose of implementing, as soon as possible, the Project 
25 Compliance Assessment Program. 
Passed the House of Representatives July 25, 2006. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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