bilities for the provision of communications 
services; 
(C) third-party service bureaus; 
(D) the national organization representing 
the licensees and permittees of noncommercial 
broadcast television stations; and 
(E) other individuals with technical exper-
tise that would enhance the National Alert Sys-
tem. 
(c) DUTIES OF THE WORKING GROUP.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF SYSTEM-CRITICAL REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—Within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Working Group shall de-
velop and transmit to the National Alert Office rec-
ommendations for— 
(A) protocols, including formats, source or 
originator identification, threat severity, hazard 
description, and response requirements or rec-
ommendations, for alerts to be transmitted via 
the National Alert System that ensures that 
alerts are capable of being utilized across the 
broadest variety of communication technologies, 
at National, State, and local levels; 
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(B) procedures for verifying, initiating, 
modifying, and canceling alerts transmitted via 
the National Alert System; 
(C) guidelines for the technical capabilities 
of the National Alert System; 
(D) guidelines for technical capability that 
provides for the priority transmission of Na-
tional Alert System alerts; 
(E) guidelines for other capabilities of the 
National Alert System as specified in this Act; 
and 
(F) standards for equipment and tech-
nologies used by the National Alert System. 
(2) INTEGRATION
OF
EMERGENCY
AND
NA-
TIONAL ALERT SYSTEMS.—The Working Group shall 
work with the operators of nuclear power plants and 
other critical infrastructure facilities to integrate 
emergency alert systems for those facilities with the 
National Alert System. 
(d) MEETINGS.— 
(1) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meeting of 
the Working Group shall take place not later than 
60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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(2) OTHER MEETINGS.—After the initial meet-
ing, the Working Group shall meet at the call of the 
chair. 
(3) NOTICE; OPEN MEETINGS.—Any meetings 
held by the Working Group shall be duly noticed at 
least 14 days in advance and shall be open to the 
public. 
(e) RESOURCES.— 
(1) FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The Working Group 
shall have reasonable access to— 
(A) materials, resources, data, and other 
information from the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, the Department of 
Commerce and its agencies, the Department of 
Homeland Security and its bureaus, and the 
Federal Communications Commission; and 
(B) the facilities of any such agency for 
purposes of conducting meetings. 
(2) GIFTS AND GRANTS.—The Working Group 
may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or grants of 
services or property, both real and personal, for pur-
poses of aiding or facilitating the work of the Work-
ing Group. Gifts or grants not used at the expiration 
of the Working Group shall be returned to the donor 
or grantor. 
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(f) RULES.— 
(1) QUORUM.—One-third of the members of the 
Working Group shall constitute a quorum for con-
ducting business of the Working Group. 
(2) SUBCOMMITTEES.—To assist the Working 
Group in carrying out its functions, the chair may 
establish appropriate subcommittees composed of 
members of the Working Group and other subject 
matter experts as deemed necessary. 
(3) ADDITIONAL RULES.—The Working Group 
may adopt other rules as needed. 
(g) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—Neither 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) nor 
any rule, order, or regulation promulgated under that Act 
shall apply to the Working Group. 
SEC. 6. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The director shall establish an ex-
tramural research and development program to support 
the development of technology that will enable all existing 
and future providers of communications services and all 
existing and future communications devices to be utilized 
effectively with the National Alert System. 
(b) FUNCTIONS.—In carrying out subsection (a) the 
director shall— 
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(1) fund research and development which may 
include academia, the private sector, and govern-
ment laboratories; and 
(2) ensure that the program addresses, at a 
minimum— 
(A) developing innovative technologies that 
will transmit geographically targeted emergency 
messages to the public; 
(B) enhancing participation in the national 
alert system; 
(C) understanding and improving public 
response to warnings; and 
(D) enhancing the ability of local commu-
nities to integrate the National Alert System 
into their overall operations management. 
(c) USE
OF
EXISTING
PROGRAMS
AND
RE-
SOURCES.—In developing the program, the director shall 
utilize existing programs and expertise of the Department 
of Commerce, including the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology. 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘director’’ means 
the director of the National Alert Office. 
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(2) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the 
National Alert Office established by section 4. 
(3) NATIONAL ALERT SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Na-
tional Alert System’’ means the National Alert Sys-
tem established by section 2. 
(4) WORKING
GROUP.—The term ‘‘Working 
Group’’ means the National Alert System Working 
Group on the established under section 5. 
SEC. 8. FUNDING. 
(a) FUNDING.—Funding for this Act shall be pro-
vided from the Digital Transition and Public Safety Fund 
in accordance with section 3010 of the Deficit Reduction 
Act of 2005. 
(b) CREDIT.—The Assistant Secretary for Commu-
nications and Information of the Department of Com-
merce may borrow from the Treasury beginning on Octo-
ber 1, 2006, such sums as may be necessary, but not to 
exceed $106,000,000, to implement this section. The As-
sistant Secretary shall reimburse the Treasury, without in-
terest, as funds are deposited into the Digital Television 
Transition and Public Safety Fund. 
Æ 
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