I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 645 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency 
centers on military installations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2009 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to 
the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish 
national emergency centers on military installations. 
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 ‘‘National Emergency 
Centers Establishment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CEN-
TERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the require-
ments of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
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shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency cen-
ters on military installations. 
(b) PURPOSE
OF
NATIONAL
EMERGENCY
CEN-
TERS.—The purpose of a national emergency center shall 
be to use existing infrastructure— 
(1) to provide temporary housing, medical, and 
humanitarian assistance to individuals and families 
dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster; 
(2) to provide centralized locations for the pur-
poses of training and ensuring the coordination of 
Federal, State, and local first responders; 
(3) to provide centralized locations to improve 
the coordination of preparedness, response, and re-
covery efforts of government, private, and not-for- 
profit entities and faith-based organizations; and 
(4) to meet other appropriate needs, as deter-
mined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. 
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS NA-
TIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home-
land Security, in consultation with the Secretary of De-
fense, shall designate not fewer than 6 military installa-
tions as sites for the establishment of national emergency 
centers. 
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(b) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.—A site designated as 
a national emergency center shall be— 
(1) capable of meeting for an extended period 
of time the housing, health, transportation, edu-
cation, public works, humanitarian and other transi-
tion needs of a large number of individuals affected 
by an emergency or major disaster; 
(2) environmentally safe and shall not pose a 
health risk to individuals who may use the center; 
(3) capable of being scaled up or down to ac-
commodate major disaster preparedness and re-
sponse drills, operations, and procedures; 
(4) capable of housing existing permanent 
structures necessary to meet training and first re-
sponders coordination requirements during nondis-
aster periods; 
(5) capable of hosting the infrastructure nec-
essary to rapidly adjust to temporary housing, med-
ical, and humanitarian assistance needs; 
(6) required to consist of a complete operations 
command center, including 2 state-of-the art com-
mand and control centers that will comprise a 24/7 
operations watch center as follows: 
(A) one of the command and control cen-
ters shall be in full ready mode; and 
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(B) the other shall be used daily for train-
ing; and 
(7) easily accessible at all times and be able to 
facilitate handicapped and medical facilities, includ-
ing during an emergency or major disaster. 
(c) LOCATION
OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CEN-
TERS.—There shall be established not fewer than one na-
tional emergency center in each of the following areas: 
(1) The area consisting of Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Regions I, II, and III. 
(2) The area consisting of Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Region IV. 
(3) The area consisting of Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Regions V and VII. 
(4) The area consisting of Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Region VI. 
(5) The area consisting of Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Regions VIII and X. 
(6) The area consisting of Federal Emergency 
Management Agency Region IX. 
(d) PREFERENCE
FOR DESIGNATION
OF CLOSED 
MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.—Wherever possible, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Defense, shall designate a closed military instal-
lation as a site for a national emergency center. If the 
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Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense jointly de-
termine that there is not a sufficient number of closed 
military installations that meet the requirements of sub-
sections (b) and (c), the Secretaries shall jointly designate 
portions of existing military installations other than closed 
military installations as national emergency centers. 
(e) TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF CLOSED MILITARY 
INSTALLATIONS.—If a closed military installation is des-
ignated as a national emergency center, not later than 180 
days after the date of designation, the Secretary of De-
fense shall transfer to the Secretary of Homeland Security 
administrative jurisdiction over such closed military instal-
lation. 
(f) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR JOINT USE OF 
EXISTING
MILITARY
INSTALLATIONS.—If an existing 
military installation other than a closed military installa-
tion is designated as a national emergency center, not 
later than 180 days after the date of designation, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense 
shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the 
establishment of the national emergency center. 
(g) REPORTS.— 
(1) PRELIMINARY REPORT.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with 
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the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress 
a report that contains for each designated site— 
(A) an outline of the reasons why the site 
was selected; 
(B) an outline of the need to construct, re-
pair, or update any existing infrastructure at 
the site; 
(C) an outline of the need to conduct any 
necessary environmental clean-up at the site; 
(D) an outline of preliminary plans for the 
transfer of control of the site from the Sec-
retary of Defense to the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, if necessary under subsection (e); and 
(E) an outline of preliminary plans for en-
tering into a cooperative agreement for the es-
tablishment of a national emergency center at 
the site, if necessary under subsection (f). 
(2) UPDATE REPORT.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the 
Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a re-
port that contains for each designated site— 
(A) an update on the information con-
tained in the report as required by paragraph 
(1); 
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(B) an outline of the progress made to-
ward the transfer of control of the site, if nec-
essary under subsection (e); 
(C) an outline of the progress made toward 
entering a cooperative agreement for the estab-
lishment of a national emergency center at the 
site, if necessary under subsection (f); and 
(D) recommendations regarding any au-
thorizations and appropriations that may be 
necessary to provide for the establishment of a 
national emergency center at the site. 
(3) FINAL
REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the 
Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a re-
port that contains for each designated site— 
(A) finalized information detailing the 
transfer of control of the site, if necessary 
under subsection (e); 
(B) the finalized cooperative agreement for 
the establishment of a national emergency cen-
ter at the site, if necessary under subsection (f); 
and 
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