Source: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title47/html/USCODE-2011-title47-chap11.htm
Timestamp: 2018-11-19 13:58:53
Document Index: 111693029

Matched Legal Cases: ['§1201', '§602', '§601', '§1202', '§603', '§1203', '§604', '§1204', '§605', '§1205', '§606']

CHAPTER 11 - COMMERCIAL MOBILE SERVICE ALERTS
CHAPTER 11—COMMERCIAL MOBILE SERVICE ALERTS
§1201. Federal Communications Commission duties
(a) Commercial mobile service alert regulations
Within 180 days after the date on which the Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee, established pursuant to section 1202(a) of this title, transmits recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission, the Commission shall complete a proceeding to adopt relevant technical standards, protocols, procedures, and other technical requirements based on the recommendations of such Advisory Committee necessary to enable commercial mobile service alerting capability for commercial mobile service providers that voluntarily elect to transmit emergency alerts. The Commission shall consult with the National Institute of Standards and Technology regarding the adoption of technical standards under this subsection.
(b) Commercial mobile service election
(1) Amendment of commercial mobile service license
Within 120 days after the date on which the Federal Communications Commission adopts relevant technical standards and other technical requirements pursuant to subsection (a), the Commission shall complete a proceeding—
(A) to allow any licensee providing commercial mobile service (as defined in section 332(d)(1) of this title) to transmit emergency alerts to subscribers to, or users of, the commercial mobile service provided by such licensee;
(B) to require any licensee providing commercial mobile service that elects, in whole or in part, under paragraph (2) not to transmit emergency alerts to provide clear and conspicuous notice at the point of sale of any devices with which its commercial mobile service is included, that it will not transmit such alerts via the service it provides for the device; and
(C) to require any licensee providing commercial mobile service that elects under paragraph (2) not to transmit emergency alerts to notify its existing subscribers of its election.
Within 30 days after the Commission issues its order under paragraph (1), each licensee providing commercial mobile service shall file an election with the Commission with respect to whether or not it intends to transmit emergency alerts.
(B) Transmission standards; notification
If a licensee providing commercial mobile service elects to transmit emergency alerts via its commercial mobile service, the licensee shall—
(i) notify the Commission of its election; and
(ii) agree to transmit such alerts in a manner consistent with the technical standards, protocols, procedures, and other technical requirements implemented by the Commission.
(C) No fee for service
A commercial mobile service licensee that elects to transmit emergency alerts may not impose a separate or additional charge for such transmission or capability.
(D) Withdrawal; late election
The Commission shall establish a procedure—
(i) for a commercial mobile service licensee that has elected to transmit emergency alerts to withdraw its election without regulatory penalty or forfeiture upon advance written notification of the withdrawal to its affected subscribers;
(ii) for a commercial mobile service licensee to elect to transmit emergency alerts at a date later than provided in subparagraph (A); and
(iii) under which a subscriber may terminate a subscription to service provided by a commercial mobile service licensee that withdraws its election without penalty or early termination fee.
(E) Consumer choice technology
(c) Digital television transmission towers retransmission capability
Within 90 days after the date on which the Commission adopts relevant technical standards based on recommendations of the Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee, established pursuant to section 1202(a) of this title, the Commission shall complete a proceeding to require licensees and permittees of noncommercial educational broadcast stations or public broadcast stations (as those terms are defined in section 397(6) of this title) to install necessary equipment and technologies on, or as part of, any broadcast television digital signal transmitter to enable the distribution of geographically targeted alerts by commercial mobile service providers that have elected to transmit emergency alerts under this section.
(d) FCC regulation of compliance
The Federal Communications Commission may enforce compliance with this chapter but shall have no rulemaking authority under this chapter, except as provided in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (f).
Any commercial mobile service provider (including its officers, directors, employees, vendors, and agents) that transmits emergency alerts and meets its obligations under this chapter shall not be liable to any subscriber to, or user of, such person's service or equipment for—
(A) any act or omission related to or any harm resulting from the transmission of, or failure to transmit, an emergency alert; or
(B) the release to a government agency or entity, public safety, fire service, law enforcement official, emergency medical service, or emergency facility of subscriber information used in connection with delivering such an alert.
(2) Election not to transmit alerts
The election by a commercial mobile service provider under subsection (b)(2)(A) not to transmit emergency alerts, or to withdraw its election to transmit such alerts under subsection (b)(2)(D) shall not, by itself, provide a basis for liability against the provider (including its officers, directors, employees, vendors, and agents).
The Commission shall require by regulation technical testing for commercial mobile service providers that elect to transmit emergency alerts and for the devices and equipment used by such providers for transmitting such alerts.
(Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, §602, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1936.)
Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, §601, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1936, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter, section 314a of Title 6, Domestic Security, and section 5189e of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and amending section 101 of Title 6 and sections 5150, 5172, 5173, and 5184 of Title 42] may be cited as the ‘Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act’.”
§1202. Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee
Not later than 60 days after October 13, 2006, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission shall establish an advisory committee, to be known as the Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee (referred to in this section as the “Advisory Committee”).
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission shall appoint the members of the Advisory Committee, as soon as practicable after October 13, 2006, from the following groups:
(1) State and local government representatives
Representatives of State and local governments and representatives of emergency response providers, selected from among individuals nominated by national organizations representing such governments and personnel.
(2) Tribal governments
Representatives from Federally recognized Indian tribes and National Indian organizations.
(3) Subject matter experts
Individuals who have the requisite technical knowledge and expertise to serve on the Advisory Committee in the fulfillment of its duties, including representatives of—
(A) communications service providers;
(B) vendors, developers, and manufacturers of systems, facilities, equipment, and capabilities for the provision of communications services;
(C) third-party service bureaus;
(D) technical experts from the broadcasting industry;
(E) the national organization representing the licensees and permittees of noncommercial broadcast television stations;
(F) national organizations representing individuals with special needs, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly; and
(G) other individuals with relevant technical expertise.
(4) Qualified representatives of other stakeholders and interested parties
Qualified representatives of such other stakeholders and interested and affected parties as the chairman deems appropriate.
(c) Development of system-critical recommendations
Within 1 year after October 13, 2006, the Advisory Committee shall develop and submit to the Federal Communications Commission recommendations—
(6) for a process under which commercial mobile service providers can elect to transmit emergency alerts if—
(7) as otherwise necessary to enable electing commercial mobile service providers to transmit emergency alerts to subscribers.
The initial meeting of the Advisory Committee shall take place not later than 60 days after October 13, 2006.
After the initial meeting, the Advisory Committee shall meet at the call of the chair.
To assist the Advisory Committee in carrying out its functions, the chair may establish appropriate subcommittees composed of members of the Advisory Committee and other subject matter experts as deemed necessary.
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 Advisory Committee.
(g) Consultation with NIST
The Advisory Committee shall consult with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in its work on developing recommendations under paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (c).
(Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, §603, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1938.)
§1203. Research and development
The Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology, in consultation with the director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, shall establish a research, development, testing, and evaluation program based on the recommendations of the Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory Committee, established pursuant to section 1202(a) of this title, to support the development of technologies to increase the number of commercial mobile service devices that can receive emergency alerts.
(1) fund research, development, testing, and evaluation at academic institutions, private sector entities, government laboratories, and other appropriate entities; and
(2) ensure that the program addresses, at a minimum—
(A) developing innovative technologies that will transmit geographically targeted emergency alerts to the public; and
(B) research on understanding and improving public response to warnings.
(Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, §604, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1940.)
§1204. Grant program for remote community alert systems
The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall establish a program under which grants may be made to provide for outdoor alerting technologies in remote communities effectively unserved by commercial mobile service (as determined by the Federal Communications Commission within 180 days after October 13, 2006) for the purpose of enabling residents of those communities to receive emergency alerts.
(b) Applications and conditions
In conducting the program, the Under Secretary—
(1) shall establish a notification and application procedure; and
(2) may establish such conditions, and require such assurances, as may be appropriate to ensure the efficiency and integrity of the grant program.
The Under Secretary may not make grants under subsection (a) more than 5 years after October 13, 2006.
The sum of the amounts awarded for all fiscal years as grants under this section may not exceed $10,000,000.
(Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, §605, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1940.)
§1205. Funding
(Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, §606, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1941.)