I 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4830
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
Homeland Security to develop and implement a program to enhance 
private sector preparedness for emergencies and disasters. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 14, 2004
Mr. TURNER of Texas (for himself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. DICKS, 
Ms. NORTON, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. ETHERIDGE, and Mr. 
LANGEVIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct 
the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and im-
plement a program to enhance private sector prepared-
ness for emergencies and disasters.
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 ‘‘Private Sector Pre-
paredness Act of 2004’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following:
(1) Private sector organizations own 85 percent 
of the Nation’s infrastructure facilities and employ 
the vast majority of the Nation’s employees. The re-
sources of these organizations, including property 
and personnel, can be coordinated in an emergency 
situation more efficiently than the population in gen-
eral. 
(2) Private sector organizations are often un-
prepared for emergencies, whether resulting from a 
natural disaster or a terrorist incident. Although 
there have been exemplary efforts by select private 
sector organizations, emergency preparedness is not 
generally a priority for these organizations. 
(3) The hearings of and testimony before the 
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 
United States demonstrated that the lack of emer-
gency preparedness and evacuation planning, train-
ing, and exercises by private sector organizations 
may have contributed to additional casualties at the 
World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. 
(4) Although there may be an interest in pro-
moting emergency preparedness within private sector 
organizations, there remains uncertainty and confu-
sion as to the definition of appropriate and adequate
preparedness and what actions these organizations 
should take. 
(5) Identifying standards and best practices is 
necessary to promote emergency preparedness by 
private sector organizations, in addition to edu-
cational activities to effectively communicate such 
standards and best practices. 
SEC. 3. PRIVATE SECTOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
PREPAREDNESS
PRO-
GRAM.—Title V of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 510. PRIVATE SECTOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall develop and implement a program to enhance 
private sector preparedness for emergencies and disasters, 
including emergencies resulting from acts of terrorism. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—In carrying out the pro-
gram, the Secretary shall develop guidance and identify 
best practices to assist or foster action by the private sec-
tor in—
‘‘(1) identifying hazards and assessing risks 
and impacts; 
‘‘(2) mitigating the impacts of a wide variety of 
hazards, including weapons of mass destruction; 
‘‘(3) managing necessary emergency prepared-
ness and response resources; 
‘‘(4) developing mutual aid agreements; 
‘‘(5) developing and maintaining emergency 
preparedness and response plans, as well as associ-
ated operational procedures; 
‘‘(6) developing and maintaining communica-
tions and warning systems; 
‘‘(7) developing and conducting training and ex-
ercises to support and evaluate emergency prepared-
ness and response plans and operational procedures; 
‘‘(8) developing and conducting training pro-
grams for security guards to implement emergency 
preparedness and response plans and operations pro-
cedures; and 
‘‘(9) developing procedures to respond to exter-
nal requests for information from the media and the 
public. 
‘‘(c) STANDARDS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall sup-
port the development of, promulgate, and regularly