387 
ant to the amendment made by sections 601 and 602 
of this title. 
(3) Obstacles and challenges related to using 
grant funds to improve cybersecurity. 
(4) Plans for future efforts to encourage grantees 
to use grant funds to improve cybersecurity capabili-
ties. 
SEC. 627. TECHNICAL EXPERT AUTHORIZED. 
Paragraph (2) of section 503(b) of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 313(b)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (G), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(I) identify and integrate the needs of chil-
dren into activities to prepare for, protect 
against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate 
against natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and 
other man-made disasters, including catastrophic 
incidents, including by appointing a technical 
expert, who may consult with relevant outside 
organizations and experts, as necessary, to co-
ordinate such activities, as necessary.’’. 
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388 
Subtitle B—Communications 
SEC. 631. OFFICE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. 
The Secretary of Homeland Security may not change 
the location or reporting structure of the Office of Emer-
gency Communications of the Department of Homeland Se-
curity unless the Secretary receives prior authorization 
from the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and Governmental Affairs of the Senate permitting 
such change. 
SEC. 632. RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICE OF EMERGENCY 
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (c) of section 1801 of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 571) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (3); 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (15) 
as paragraphs (3) through (14), respectively; 
(3) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘, in cooperation with the National Commu-
nications System,’’; 
(4) in paragraph (12) by striking ‘‘Assistant 
Secretary for Grants and Training’’ and inserting 
‘‘Administrator of the Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency’’; 
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389 
(5) in paragraph (13), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(6) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated, by 
striking the period at the end and inserting a semi-
colon; and 
(7) by adding at the end the following new para-
graphs: 
‘‘(15) administer the Government Emergency 
Telecommunications Service (GETS) and Wireless 
Priority Service (WPS) programs, or successor pro-
grams; and 
‘‘(16) assess the impact of emerging technologies 
on interoperable emergency communications.’’. 
(b) PERFORMANCE
OF PREVIOUSLY TRANSFERRED 
FUNCTIONS.—Subsection (d) of section 1801 of the Home-
land Security Act of 2002 is amended by— 
(1) striking paragraph (2); and 
(2) redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
(2). 
SEC. 633. ANNUAL REPORTING ON ACTIVITIES OF THE OF-
FICE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. 
Subsection (f) of section 1801 of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 571) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
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‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORTING OF OFFICE ACTIVITIES.— 
The Director of the Office of Emergency Communications 
shall, not later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this subsection and annually thereafter for each of the 
next four years, report to the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate on the ac-
tivities and programs of the Office, including specific infor-
mation on efforts to carry out paragraphs (4), (5), and (6) 
of subsection (c).’’. 
SEC. 634. NATIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. 
Section 1802 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 572) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘, and in cooperation with 
the Department of National Communications 
System (as appropriate),’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, but not less than once 
every five years,’’ after ‘‘periodically’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3) 
through (10) as paragraphs (4) through (11), re-
spectively; and 
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391 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) consider the impact of emerging technologies 
on the attainment of interoperable emergency commu-
nications;’’. 
SEC. 635. TECHNICAL EDIT. 
Paragraph (1) of section 1804(b) of the Homeland Se-
curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 574(b)), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Assistant Secretary 
for Grants and Planning’’ and inserting ‘‘Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency’’. 
SEC. 636. PUBLIC SAFETY BROADBAND NETWORK. 
The Undersecretary of the National Protection and 
Programs Directorate of the Department of Homeland Se-
curity shall provide to the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate informa-
tion on the Department of Homeland Security’s responsibil-
ities related to the development of the nationwide Public 
Safety Broadband Network authorized in section 6202 of 
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 
(47 U.S.C. 1422; Public Law 112–96), including informa-
tion on efforts by the Department to work with the First 
Responder Network Authority of the Department of Com-
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