I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2250
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 22, 2003
Mr. MEEK of Florida (for himself, Mr. TURNER of Texas, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Mississippi, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. REYES, Mrs. LOWEY, Ms. NORTON, 
and Ms. LEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Select Com-
mittee 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 
acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters; 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 teleservices industry, and other Federal, 
State, and local governmental 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 emergent na-
tional crisis resulting from a terrorist act 
or acts; 
‘‘(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