Civil Defense Accountability Act of 2018

Bill: 115-hr-4949
Sponsor: Rep. Gabbard, Tulsi [D-HI-2]
Introduced: 2018-02-06 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Alaska
California
Chemical and biological weapons
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Emergency communications systems
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Emergency planning and evacuation
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Food assistance and relief
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Hawaii
Health facilities and institutions
Health programs administration and funding
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Intergovernmental relations
Nuclear weapons
State and local government operations
Washington State

Summary:
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: 

Civil Defense Accountability Act of 2018

 
This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to report to Congress regarding current notification protocols for ballistic missile threats.
 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must conduct, and report on, a study to identify best practices of at least 13 states, including Hawaii, Alaska, California, Washington, and other states bordering or not bordering on an ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, regarding civil defense emergencies.
 
The bill requires key officials (defined to include the heads of DOD, FEMA, and the FCC) to submit to Congress and make publicly available unclassified reports on the actions of their respective departments or agencies regarding the ballistic missile false alarm that occurred on January 13, 2018, in Hawaii. Each report shall include recommendations for corrective actions to diminish the possibility of another ballistic missile false alarm.
 
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must submit to Congress and publish online a report regarding the ability of HHS and health care providers to respond to attacks in the United States with biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear weapons. HHS must (1) develop and implement a public outreach program in coordination with state and local governments regarding recommendations in such report for improving readiness in responding to such attacks, and (2) consider the report's recommendations when issuing grants under the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreement and the Hospital Preparedness Program.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-02-09
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
action_date: 2018-02-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.
action_date: 2018-02-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 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 jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 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 jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 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 jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2018-02-06
text: Introduced in House