I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2537
To develop and coordinate a national emergency warning system. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2003
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. FROST, and Mr. MCINTYRE) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To develop and coordinate a national emergency warning 
system.
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 ‘‘Emergency Warning 
Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Effective public warnings save lives, prevent 
economic losses, reduce uncertainty and fear, and 
quicken recovery. 
(2) Effective public warnings empower citizens 
to take appropriate actions when they are at risk 
from natural hazards, technological accidents, and 
acts of terrorism. 
(3) Over ninety percent of public warnings 
issued are related to weather events and natural dis-
asters. 
(4) The Secretary of Commerce, acting through 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion’s National Weather Service, is the sole official 
voice of the United States for issuing warnings dur-
ing life-threatening weather situations. 
(5) The Secretary of Transportation, through 
the Research and Special Programs Administration 
of the Department of Transportation, is charged 
with—
(A) protecting the public from the risks to 
life and property related to the transportation 
of hazardous materials (including chemicals and 
spent nuclear materials) by air, water, rail, and 
highway;
(B) assuring safety from the risks of pipe-
line transport; 
(C) providing civil sector preparedness and 
first-responder training for the Nation’s trans-
portation emergencies; and 
(D) coordinating the restoration of essen-
tial transportation systems after emergencies. 
(6) Other Federal civilian agencies, including 
the Transportation Security Administration, the 
United States Coast Guard, and the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency are tasked with gath-
ering, coordinating, and disseminating information 
and assistance relating to threats to security on the 
land, on the sea, and in the air. 
(7) The National Telecommunications Informa-
tion Administration and the Federal Communica-
tions Commission possess expertise concerning new 
technologies to improve the speed and breadth of 
communications to the general public concerning 
threats from weather, natural disasters, acts of ter-
rorism, and other threats. 
(8) Metropolitan and State authorities, in part-
nership with the National Weather Service and other 
Federal agencies, have the primary responsibility for 
providing emergency warnings and rely on national
procedures, standards, and systems for delivering 
such warnings. 
(9) The current patchwork of warning mecha-
nisms often fails—
(A) to provide all necessary information re-
garding threats and appropriate responses; and 
(B) to reach all those at risk, particularly 
those in isolated places. 
(10) National procedures, standards, and sys-
tems for public warnings, including technology pro-
tocols for the delivery of such warnings, will signifi-
cantly improve the effectiveness of public warnings 
at saving lives, reducing injuries, and reducing the 
costs of disasters and terrorist acts to the American 
people. 
SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to ensure that an effective 
public warning system exists to alert Americans to specific 
risks from natural disasters, man-made disasters, and 
other hazardous events, including chemical and biological 
threats and other acts of terrorism. 
SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ALL-HAZARD WARN-
ING SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce
and the Secretary of Homeland Security, working in co-
ordination with appropriate Federal agencies, shall estab-
lish comprehensive national standards and systems for 
providing effective public warnings. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT OF EMERGENCY WARNING NET-
WORK.—In carrying out subsection (a) the Secretary of 
Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of Home-
land Security, the Secretary of Transportation, the Sec-
retary of Defense, representatives of other Federal depart-
ments and agencies, representatives of State and local gov-
ernments, representatives of the private sector, media, and 
academia involved in the collection, issuance, dissemina-
tion, and distribution of public warnings, as well as other 
interested public and private entities, shall—
(1) develop and implement benchmarks for as-
sessing current all-hazard warning capabilities, in-
cluding such capabilities of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather 
Service, the United States Geological Survey’s Na-
tional Earthquake Information Center, and the De-
partment of Transportation’s Office of Pipeline 
Safety; 
(2) conduct research and pilot programs on 
ways to determine and improve the effectiveness of 
all-hazard warnings;
(3) develop specifications for a national back-
bone, modeled after the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration’s National Weather Radio, 
to be used to collect all-hazard warnings from des-
ignated authorities and route them to appropriate 
dissemination systems; 
(4) work with the Assistant Secretary of Com-
merce for Communications and Information to use 
the full range of communications technologies to 
provide warnings, including, as appropriate—
(A) traditional telephones, including special 
alert rings to warn individuals in their homes or 
businesses; 
(B) wireless technology, including cellular 
telephones and pagers; and 
(C) the Internet, including electronic mail; 
(5) work with the Federal Communications 
Commission to provide warnings to the public 
through automatic alert televisions and radios; 
(6) educate the public about all-hazard warn-
ings; and 
(7) engage in other necessary or appropriate ac-
tivities to carry out the purpose of this Act.
(c) TERMINOLOGY, PROTOCOLS, AND TERRORISM 
WARNINGS.—In carrying out subsection (a) the Secretary 
of Homeland Security shall—
(1) develop and recommend standards and 
guidelines for universal all-hazard warning termi-
nology and protocols in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation, the Secretary of Defense, representatives of 
other Federal departments and agencies, representa-
tives of State and local governments, representatives 
of the private sector, media, and academia involved 
in the collection, issuance, dissemination, and dis-
tribution of public warnings, as well as other inter-
ested public and private entities; and 
(2) issue warnings related to acts of terrorism 
and other public safety threats within its jurisdiction 
via the public warning system developed in accord-
ance with the standards and systems established 
under subsection (a). 
(d) EFFECT ON INTELLIGENCE SOURCES.—The Sec-
retary of Commerce and the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall coordinate their respective and joint activities 
under this section with the Director of Central Intelligence 
to ensure that the procedures, standards, and systems es-
tablished under this Act do not adversely affect the protec-
tion of sources and methods. 
(e) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary of Com-
merce and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall sub-
mit a joint report to the Congress on the status of public 
warning capability in the United States not later than 6 
months after the date of enactment of this Act and every 
6 months thereafter. 
(f) ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The Secretary of Com-
merce and the Secretary of Homeland Security may utilize 
1 or more advisory committees in carrying out their re-
spective and joint responsibilities under this Act. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
ALL-HAZARD.—The 
term 
‘‘all-hazard’’ 
means an emergency or disaster resulting from—
(A) a natural disaster; 
(B) an accident; or 
(C) an intentional or negligent act. 
(2) EFFECTIVE PUBLIC WARNING.—The term 
‘‘effective public warning’’ means practical, com-
prehensible, and timely information given to all indi-
viduals threatened by an all-hazard event sufficient 
to enable them to act to protect their safety and 
well-being in a timely manner.