I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2101 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to develop and implement the READICall emergency 
alert system. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 4, 2005 
Mr. MEEK of Florida (for himself, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ 
of California, Mr. FORD, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. GONZALEZ, Ms. SLAUGH-
TER, Ms. NORTON, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. 
CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. THOMPSON of Mis-
sissippi) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and im-
plement the READICall emergency alert system. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. READICALL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title V of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–296; 6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘SEC. 510. READICALL EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as is practicable, but not 
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
section, the Secretary, working in coordination with appro-
priate Federal agencies, State, and local domestic security 
agencies, and national private sector networks and infra-
structure, shall develop and implement an emergency tele-
phonic alert notification system which shall be known as 
the Responsive Emergency Alert and Dissemination of In-
formation Call System or READICall System. 
‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS.—The System shall be designed— 
‘‘(1) to alert persons in the United States of 
imminent or current hazardous events caused by an 
act of terrorism, any other man-made disaster, any 
natural disaster, or any combination of the fore-
going; and 
‘‘(2) to provide information to individuals re-
garding appropriate measures that may be under-
taken to alleviate or minimize threats to their safety 
and welfare posed by such events. 
‘‘(c) COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION.—In im-
plementing this section, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) to the maximum extent possible, make use 
of national private sector networks, technology, per-
sonnel, and infrastructure to develop and implement 
the System;
‘‘(2) develop coordinated infrastructure for the 
System, in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary 
of Commerce for Communications and Information, 
the national telecommunications and teleservices in-
dustries, and other Federal, State, and local govern-
mental agencies as may be necessary, that— 
‘‘(A) uses the full range of available 
telecomunications technology; and 
‘‘(B) will be able to— 
‘‘(i) provide immediate notification 
and warning upon approval by the Sec-
retary, via telephone to all telephone sub-
scribers within the United States and its 
territories in the event of an act of ter-
rorism, any other man-made disaster, any 
natural disaster, or any combination of the 
foregoing; 
‘‘(ii) target specific regions, commu-
nities, neighborhoods, or locations of emer-
gent local crises and provide notification 
and warning to just the affected areas if 
appropriate; 
‘‘(iii) to the extent possible, provide 
for a distinct ring so that telephone sub-
scribers are immediately aware of the 
emergency nature of the call; and 
‘‘(iv) disseminate necessary informa-
tion to a telephone subscriber related to 
the emergency situation and appropriate 
courses of action to take; and 
‘‘(3) in developing the System, undertake a col-
laborative effort between the Department and other 
Federal agencies, State, and local domestic security 
agencies, and organizations of first responders, so 
that— 
‘‘(A) the System will allow for necessary 
interoperability between different sources of ter-
rorist threat information; 
‘‘(B) the System will allow for the imme-
diate dissemination of information both laterally 
and horizontally, such that information can be 
provided from all levels of governmental 
sources; and 
‘‘(C) appropriate standards, protocols, pro-
cedures, and terminology are determined to 
minimize inconsistencies and miscommunication 
with intelligence information, including appro-
priate definitions for situations that would con-
stitute a threat for which the System would be 
used. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORITIES.—The Secretary may conduct re-
search and pilot programs as may be necessary to deter-
mine and improve the effectiveness of the System. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 
submit a report to the Congress on the status of the Sys-
tem— 
‘‘(1) by not later than 6 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act; and 
‘‘(2) yearly thereafter. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) SYSTEM.—The term ‘System’ means the 
Responsive Emergency Alert and Dissemination of 
Information Call System or READICall System es-
tablished under this section. 
‘‘(2) TELEPHONE
SUBSCRIBER.—The term 
‘telephone subscriber’ means any residents of the 
United States (including territories of the United 
States) who receives telephone service via a tradi-
tional residential telephone, business telephone, or 
wireless telephone.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 509 the following: 
‘‘510. READICall emergency alert system.’’. 
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