•HRES 762 IH 
Whereas the 2010 North American Electric Reliability Cor-
poration (NERC) report, ‘‘High-Impact Low-Frequency 
Vulnerabilities to the Bulk American Power System’’, dis-
cusses the wide range of threats that could disrupt, dam-
age, or destroy sufficient amounts of the power grids to 
cause widespread death and economic disruption; 
Whereas the January 2010 Federal Energy Regulatory Com-
mission (FERC) report, ‘‘Electromagnetic Pulse: Effects 
on the U.S. Power Grid’’, provides detail into the vulner-
ability of power grids from the electromagnetic pulse 
(EMP) effects of extreme space weather and high-alti-
tude nuclear effects and intentional electromagnetic inter-
ference; 
Whereas the Congressional EMP Commission reports of 2004 
and 2008 outline the interdependent nature of all critical 
infrastructure, especially to power and telecommuni-
cations and their vulnerability to the EMP effects of ex-
treme space weather and high-altitude nuclear bursts; 
Whereas the National Defense University hosted a series of 
workshops and an energy security exercise in October 
2011 with broad participation of Federal, State, local 
government, and the private sector highlighting the need 
for greater local sustainability in light of a prolonged na-
tionwide power loss; 
Whereas the Hoover-Brookings joint report on distributed 
power shows that the value of local power generation for 
security applications is either cost competitive or ap-
proaching competitiveness as new innovations come to 
market; 
Whereas, on March 30, 2012, the United States Department 
of Homeland Security published the ‘‘National Prepared-
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•HRES 762 IH 
ness Report’’ (Report) seeking to create ‘‘an all-of-na-
tion’’ approach to preparedness; 
Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
(FEMA) was assigned as the National Preparedness Re-
port Coordinator, ‘‘Efforts to improve national prepared-
ness have incorporated the whole community, which in-
cludes individuals, communities, the private and nonprofit 
sectors, faith-based organizations, and Federal, State, 
local, tribal, and territorial governments.’’; 
Whereas the ‘‘National Preparedness Report’’ focuses on a 
catastrophic planning framework known as ‘‘Maximums 
of Maximums’’, which centers on collaborative, whole 
community planning for worst-case scenarios that exceed 
government capabilities and therefore focus on more local 
and individual efforts for survival and recovery; 
Whereas these high-impact, low-frequency events would cause 
regional or nationwide collapse of critical infrastructure 
that could last months or longer, it is incumbent on the 
Federal Government to reassess its civilian civil defense 
strategies to include local governments and individual 
citizens; and 
Whereas it is in the interest of national security and local 
community viability that every community and institution 
begin to reestablish its ability to generate at least 20 per-
cent of its own power for its critical infrastructure and 
services in order to provide its citizens with food and 
water: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) encourages every community to develop its 
own ‘‘civil defense program’’ working with citizens, 
leaders, and institutions ranging from local fire 
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•HRES 762 IH 
halls, schools, and faith-based organizations, to cre-
ate sustainable local infrastructure and planning ca-
pacity so that it might mitigate high-impact sce-
narios and be better prepared to survive and recover 
from these worst-case disaster scenarios and be bet-
ter able to affordably and sustainably meet the 
needs of the community in times of peace and tran-
quility; 
(2) encourages every citizen to develop an indi-
vidual emergency plan to prepare for the absence of 
government assistance for extended periods; 
(3) encourages each local community to foster 
the capability of providing at least 20 percent of its 
own critical needs such as local power generation, 
food, and water, while protecting local infrastructure 
whenever possible from the threats that threaten 
centralized infrastructure, and do so with the ur-
gency and importance inherent in an all-of-nation 
civil defense program developed by citizens and their 
local communities; and 
(4) encourages State governments and Federal 
agencies to support the ability of local communities 
to become stronger, self-reliant, and better able to 
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•HRES 762 IH 
assist neighboring communities in times of great 
need. 
Æ 
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