I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4856 
To improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the 
wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 24, 2019 
Mr. MCNERNEY (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Ms. GABBARD, and Mr. OLSON) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure, and Homeland Security, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve oversight by the Federal Communications Com-
mission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert 
systems. 
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 ‘‘Reliable Emergency 
Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2019’’ or ‘‘READI 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
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(1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; 
(2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 
Communications Commission; 
(3) the term ‘‘Emergency Alert System’’ means 
the national public warning system, the rules for 
which are set forth in part 11 of title 47, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation); 
and 
(4) the term ‘‘Wireless Emergency Alert Sys-
tem’’ means the wireless national public warning 
system established under the Warning, Alert, and 
Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), the 
rules for which are set forth in part 10 of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation). 
SEC. 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)) is amended— 
(1) by striking the second and third sentences; 
and 
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(2) by striking ‘‘other than an alert issued by 
the President.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘other 
than an alert issued by— 
‘‘(A) the President; or 
‘‘(B) 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, in con-
sultation with the Administrator, shall adopt regulations 
to implement the amendment made by subsection (a)(2). 
SEC. 4. STATE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM PLANS AND 
EMERGENCY 
COMMUNICATIONS 
COMMIT-
TEES. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘SECC’’ means a State Emer-
gency Communications Committee; 
(2) the term ‘‘State’’ means any State of the 
United States, the District of Columbia, the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin 
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any 
possession of the United States; and 
(3) the term ‘‘State EAS Plan’’ means a State 
Emergency Alert System Plan. 
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(b) STATE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS COM-
MITTEE.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enact-
ment 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 up-
dated 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— 
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(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 check-
list 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 regula-
tions under subsection (b)(3). 
SEC. 5. INTEGRATED PUBLIC ALERT AND WARNING SYS-
TEM GUIDANCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall de-
velop and issue guidance on how State, Tribal, and local 
governments can participate in the integrated public alert 
and warning system of the United States described in sec-
tion 526 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
321o) (referred to in this section as the ‘‘public alert and 
warning system’’) while maintaining the integrity of the 
public alert and warning system, including— 
(1) guidance on the categories of public emer-
gencies and appropriate circumstances that warrant 
an alert and warning from State, Tribal, and local 
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governments using the public alert and warning sys-
tem; 
(2) the procedures for State, Tribal, and local 
government officials to authenticate civil emer-
gencies and initiate, modify, and cancel alerts trans-
mitted through the public alert and warning system, 
including protocols and technology capabilities for— 
(A) the initiation, or prohibition on the ini-
tiation, of alerts by a single authorized or unau-
thorized individual; 
(B) testing a State, Tribal, or local govern-
ment incident management and warning tool 
without accidentally initiating an alert through 
the public alert and warning system; and 
(C) steps a State, Tribal, or local govern-
ment official should take to mitigate the possi-
bility of the issuance of a false alert through 
the public alert and warning system; 
(3) the standardization, functionality, and inter-
operability of incident management and warning 
tools used by State, Tribal, and local governments to 
notify the public of an emergency through the public 
alert and warning system; 
(4) the annual training and recertification of 
emergency management personnel on requirements 
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for originating and transmitting an alert through 
the public alert and warning system; 
(5) the procedures, protocols, and guidance con-
cerning the protective action plans that State, Trib-
al, and local governments should issue to the public 
following an alert issued under the public alert and 
warning system; 
(6) the procedures, protocols, and guidance con-
cerning the communications that State, Tribal, and 
local governments should issue to the public fol-
lowing a false alert issued under the public alert and 
warning system; 
(7) a plan by which State, Tribal, and local 
government officials may, during an emergency, con-
tact each other as well as Federal officials and par-
ticipants in the Emergency Alert System and the 
Wireless Emergency Alert System, when appropriate 
and necessary, by telephone, text message, or other 
means of communication regarding an alert that has 
been distributed to the public; and 
(8) any other procedure the Administrator con-
siders appropriate for maintaining the integrity of 
and providing for public confidence in the public 
alert and warning system. 
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(b) COORDINATION
WITH
NATIONAL
ADVISORY 
COUNCIL REPORT.—The Administrator shall ensure that 
the guidance developed under subsection (a) do not con-
flict with recommendations made for improving the public 
alert and warning system provided in the report submitted 
by the National Advisory Council under section 2(b)(7)(B) 
of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Mod-
ernization Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–143; 130 Stat. 
332). 
(c) PUBLIC CONSULTATION.—In developing the guid-
ance under subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure 
appropriate public consultation and, to the extent prac-
ticable, coordinate the development of the guidance with 
stakeholders of the public alert and warning system, in-
cluding— 
(1) appropriate personnel from Federal agen-
cies, including the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency, and the Commission; 
(2) representatives of State and local govern-
ments and emergency services personnel, who shall 
be selected from among individuals nominated by 
national organizations representing those govern-
ments and personnel; 
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(3) representatives of federally recognized In-
dian Tribes and national Indian organizations; 
(4) communications service providers; 
(5) vendors, developers, and manufacturers of 
systems, facilities, equipment, and capabilities for 
the provision of communications services; 
(6) third-party service bureaus; 
(7) the national organization representing the 
licensees and permittees of noncommercial broadcast 
television stations; 
(8) technical experts from the broadcasting in-
dustry; 
(9) educators from the Emergency Management 
Institute; and 
(10) other individuals with technical expertise 
as the Administrator determines appropriate. 
(d) INAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advi-
sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 
the public consultation with stakeholders under subsection 
(c). 
(e) RULE
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in sub-
section (a) shall be construed to amend, supplement, or 
abridge the authority of the Commission under the Com-
munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) or in 
any other manner give the Administrator authority over 
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communications service providers participating in the 
Emergency Alert System or the Wireless Emergency Alert 
System. 
SEC. 6. FALSE ALERT REPORTING. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Ad-
ministrator, shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to es-
tablish 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 Emer-
gency Alert System for the purpose of recording such false 
alerts and examining their causes. 
SEC. 7. REPEATING EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM MES-
SAGES FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the Ad-
ministrator, shall complete a rulemaking proceeding to 
modify the Emergency Alert System to provide for repeat-
ing Emergency Alert System messages while an alert re-
mains pending that is issued by— 
(1) the President; 
(2) the Administrator; or 
(3) any other entity under specified circum-
stances as determined by the Commission, in con-
sultation with the Administrator. 
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