109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5852
AN ACT 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
enhance emergency communications at the De-
partment of Homeland Security, and for other 
purposes.
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5852
AN ACT 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance 
emergency communications at the Department of Home-
land Security, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘21st Century Emer-
gency Communications Act of 2006’’. 
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new title: 
‘‘TITLE XVIII—EMERGENCY 
COMMUNICATIONS 
‘‘SEC. 1801. OFFICE OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Department an 
Office of Emergency Communications. 
‘‘(b) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The head of the office 
shall be the Assistant Secretary for Emergency Commu-
nications. 
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Assistant Secretary 
for Emergency Communications shall—
‘‘(1) assist the Secretary in developing and im-
plementing 
the 
program 
described 
in 
section 
7303(a)(1) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 
Prevention Act of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 194(a)(1)), except 
as provided in section 314; 
‘‘(2) administer the Department’s responsibil-
ities and authorities relating to the SAFECOM Pro-
gram, excluding elements related to research, devel-
opment, testing, and evaluation and standards;
‘‘(3) administer the Department’s responsibil-
ities and authorities relating to the Integrated Wire-
less Network program; 
‘‘(4) coordinate, as appropriate, regarding the 
administration of the National Communications Sys-
tem; 
‘‘(5) conduct extensive, nationwide outreach and 
foster the development of interoperable emergency 
communications capabilities by State, regional, local, 
and tribal governments and public safety agencies; 
‘‘(6) provide technical assistance to State, re-
gional, local, and tribal officials with respect to use 
of interoperable emergency communications capabili-
ties; 
‘‘(7) facilitate the creation of Regional Emer-
gency 
Communications 
Coordination 
Working 
Groups under section 1805; 
‘‘(8) promote the development of best practices 
with respect to use of interoperable emergency com-
munications capabilities for incident response and 
facilitate the sharing of information on such best 
practices (including from governments abroad) for 
achieving, maintaining, and enhancing interoperable 
emergency communications capabilities for such re-
sponse;
‘‘(9) coordinate the establishment of a national 
response capability with initial and ongoing plan-
ning, implementation, and training for the deploy-
ment of backup communications services in the 
event of a catastrophic loss of local and regional 
emergency communications services; 
‘‘(10) assist the President, the National Secu-
rity Council, the Homeland Security Council, and 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budg-
et in ensuring the operability of the telecommuni-
cations functions and responsibilities of the Federal 
Government, excluding spectrum management; 
‘‘(11) establish, in coordination with the Direc-
tor of the Office of Interoperability and Compat-
ibility, requirements for total and nonproprietary 
interoperable emergency communications capabilities 
for all public safety radio and data communications 
systems and equipment purchased using homeland 
security assistance administered by the Department; 
‘‘(12) review, in consultation with the Assistant 
Secretary for Grants and Training, all interoperable 
emergency communications plans of Federal, State, 
local, and tribal governments, including Statewide 
and tactical interoperability plans, developed pursu-
ant to homeland security assistance administered by
the Department, but excluding spectrum allocation 
and management related to such plans. 
‘‘(d) PERFORMANCE OF PREVIOUSLY TRANSFERRED 
FUNCTIONS.—There is transferred to the Secretary the 
authority to administer, through the Assistant Secretary 
for Emergency Communications, the following: 
‘‘(1) The SAFECOM Program, excluding ele-
ments related to research, development, testing, and 
evaluation and standards. 
‘‘(2) The responsibilities of the Chief Informa-
tion Officer related to the implementation of the In-
tegrated Wireless Network. 
‘‘(3) The Interoperable Communications Tech-
nical Assistance Program. 
‘‘(e) COORDINATION.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
coordinate, as appropriate, with the Director of the Office 
for Interoperability and Compatibility with respect to the 
responsibilities described in section 314. 
‘‘(f) SUFFICIENCY OF RESOURCES PLAN.—
‘‘(1) REPORT.—Not later than days 60 days 
after the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the resources 
and staff necessary to carry out the responsibilities 
under this subtitle.
‘‘(2) COMPTROLLER
GENERAL
REVIEW.—The 
Comptroller General shall review the validity of the 
report submitted by the Secretary under paragraph 
(1).
Not later than 30 days after the date on which 
such report is submitted, the Comptroller General 
shall submit to Congress a report containing the 
findings of such review. 
‘‘SEC. 1802. NATIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS RE-
PORT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Emergency Communications, 
shall, not later than one year after the completion of the 
baseline assessment under section 1803, and in coopera-
tion with State, local, and tribal governments, Federal de-
partments and agencies, emergency response providers, 
emergency support responders, and the private sector, de-
velop a National Emergency Communications Report to 
provide recommendations regarding how the United States 
can accelerate the deployment of interoperable emergency 
communications nationwide. 
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—The report shall—
‘‘(1) include a national interoperable emergency 
communications inventory to be completed by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of