Text of the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act
The text of the bill below is as of Jan 22, 2009 (Introduced).
I
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 645
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2009
Mr. Hastings of
Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on
Armed Services, 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
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish
national emergency centers on military installations.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
National Emergency Centers Establishment Act.
Establishment of
national emergency centers
In
general
In accordance with the requirements of this Act, the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 national
emergency centers on military installations.
Purpose of
national emergency centers
The purpose of a national emergency
center shall be to use existing infrastructure—
to provide
temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and
families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster;
to provide
centralized locations for the purposes of training and ensuring the
coordination of Federal, State, and local first responders;
to provide
centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response,
and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and
faith-based organizations; and
to meet other
appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Designation of
military installations as national emergency centers
In
general
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the
Secretary of Defense, shall designate not fewer than 6 military installations
as sites for the establishment of national emergency centers.
Minimum
requirements
A site designated as a national emergency center
shall be—
capable of meeting
for an extended period of time the housing, health, transportation, education,
public works, humanitarian and other transition needs of a large number of
individuals affected by an emergency or major disaster;
environmentally
safe and shall not pose a health risk to individuals who may use the
center;
capable of being
scaled up or down to accommodate major disaster preparedness and response
drills, operations, and procedures;
capable of housing
existing permanent structures necessary to meet training and first responders
coordination requirements during nondisaster periods;
capable of hosting
the infrastructure necessary to rapidly adjust to temporary housing, medical,
and humanitarian assistance needs;
required to
consist of a complete operations command center, including 2 state-of-the art
command and control centers that will comprise a 24/7 operations watch center
as follows:
one of the command
and control centers shall be in full ready mode; and
the other shall
be used daily for training; and
easily accessible
at all times and be able to facilitate handicapped and medical facilities,
including during an emergency or major disaster.
Location of
national emergency centers
There shall be established not fewer
than one national emergency center in each of the following areas:
The area
consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions I, II, and
III.
The area
consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV.
The area
consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions V and VII.
The area
consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VI.
The area
consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions VIII and X.
The area
consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX.
Preference for
designation of closed military installations
Wherever possible,
the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of
Defense, shall designate a closed military installation as a site for a
national emergency center. If the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense
jointly determine that there is not a sufficient number of closed military
installations that meet the requirements of subsections (b) and (c), the
Secretaries shall jointly designate portions of existing military installations
other than closed military installations as national emergency centers.
Transfer of
control of closed military installations
If a closed military
installation is designated as a national emergency center, not later than 180
days after the date of designation, the Secretary of Defense shall transfer to
the Secretary of Homeland Security administrative jurisdiction over such closed
military installation.
Cooperative
agreement for joint use of existing military installations
If an
existing military installation other than a closed military installation is
designated as a national emergency center, not later than 180 days after the
date of designation, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of
Defense shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the
establishment of the national emergency center.
Reports
Preliminary
report
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary
of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated
site—
an outline of the
reasons why the site was selected;
an outline of the
need to construct, repair, or update any existing infrastructure at the
site;
an outline of the
need to conduct any necessary environmental clean-up at the site;
an outline of
preliminary plans for the transfer of control of the site from the Secretary of
Defense to the Secretary of Homeland Security, if necessary under subsection
(e); and
an outline of
preliminary plans for entering into a cooperative agreement for the
establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under
subsection (f).
Update
report
Not later than 120
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to
Congress a report that contains for each designated site—
an update on the
information contained in the report as required by paragraph (1);
an outline of the
progress made toward the transfer of control of the site, if necessary under
subsection (e);
an outline of the
progress made toward entering a cooperative agreement for the establishment of
a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f);
and
recommendations
regarding any authorizations and appropriations that may be necessary to
provide for the establishment of a national emergency center at the
site.
Final
report
Not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland
Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to
Congress a report that contains for each designated site—
finalized
information detailing the transfer of control of the site, if necessary under
subsection (e);
the finalized
cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at
the site, if necessary under subsection (f); and
any additional
information pertinent to the establishment of a national emergency center at
the site.
Additional
reports
The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with
the Secretary of Defense, may submit to Congress additional reports as
necessary to provide updates on steps being taken to meet the requirements of
this Act.
Limitations on
statutory construction
This
Act does not affect—
the authority of
the Federal Government to provide emergency or major disaster assistance or to
implement any disaster mitigation and response program, including any program
authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); or
the authority of a
State or local government to respond to an emergency.
Authorization of
appropriations
There is
authorized to be appropriated $180,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and
2010 to carry out this Act. Such funds shall remain available until
expended.
Definitions
In this Act, the following definitions
apply:
Closed military
installation
The term closed military installation
means a military installation, or portion thereof, approved for closure or
realignment under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A
of title XXIX of Public Law 101–510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) that meet all, or 2
out of the 3 following requirements:
Is located in
close proximity to a transportation corridor.
Is located in a
State with a high level or threat of disaster related activities.
Is located near a
major metropolitan center.
Emergency
The term emergency has the
meaning given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
Major
disaster
The term major disaster has the meaning
given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
Military
installation
The term military installation has the
meaning given such term in section 2910 of the Defense Base Closure and
Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101–510; 10 U.S.C.
2687 note).
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