Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act

This Act may be cited as the “Disaster Communications Coordination and Preparedness Act”.

In this Act:

(1) Commission.— The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.

(2) DIRS.— The term DIRS means the Disaster Information Reporting System described in section 4.18 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(3) Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative.— The term Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative means the requirements of section 4.17 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(a) In general.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall review (and, as appropriate, update) the procedures and practices of the Commission for providing notices regarding the activation and deactivation of DIRS.

(b) Considerations.— In carrying out the review (and, if applicable, update) required under subsection (a), the Commission shall, to the extent practicable—

(1) consult with—

(A) providers that submit reports in DIRS when the Commission activates DIRS in geographic areas in which those providers provide service; and

(B) State, local, Tribal, and territorial emergency management and public safety authorities; and

(2) consider whether any changes to the format or content of a DIRS activation or deactivation notice would improve usability for recipients of such a notice.

(c) Rule of construction.— Nothing in this section may be construed to—

(1) require the Commission to adopt new regulations; or

(2) otherwise affect the discretion of the Commission to determine whether or when to activate DIRS.

(a) Feasibility evaluation.— Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall evaluate the feasibility of enhancing the existing public safety liaison functions of the Commission, including through expanded use of the 24-hour operations center of the Commission or similar resources, for the purpose of—

(1) serving as a clear point of entry for State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials seeking information on communications status during a disaster or emergency; and

(2) facilitating coordination between the officials described in paragraph (1) and communications service providers before, during, and after a disaster or emergency.

(b) Rule of construction.— Nothing in this section may be construed to—

(1) create a new reporting requirement or operational mandate for any provider of communications services; or

(2) require the Commission to implement any action based on the evaluation conducted under subsection (a).

(a) Development.—

(1) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall develop and make publicly available plain-language materials to support awareness and understanding among State, local, Tribal, and territorial emergency management and public safety authorities regarding Federal communications and emergency coordination mechanisms during disasters and emergencies.

(2) Existing resources.— In carrying out paragraph (1), the Commission may draw upon and consolidate existing outreach materials, public notices, guidance documents, and other Commission resources.

(b) Contents.— The materials developed under subsection (a) shall, to the extent practicable, include information describing—

(1) the purpose and operation of DIRS, including how an activation of DIRS affects the operations of communications service providers and public safety authorities;

(2) the types of information that may be made available during an activation of DIRS, which shall include a discussion of—

(A) communications status reports; and

(B) the limitations of that information, including applicable protections for confidential or sensitive information;

(3) how to access the reports described in paragraph (2)(A) and other publicly available information derived from reports submitted during a DIRS activation;

(4) the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative and how the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative supports coordination regarding, and restoration of, communications services during emergencies and disasters;

(5) existing Commission resources and coordination capabilities, including points of contact and the 24-hour operations capabilities of the Commission, that may be available to State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials during emergencies and disasters; and

(6) general information describing communications capabilities and services that may be available to support public safety communications during emergencies and disasters, including how—

(A) those capabilities may supplement or support other communications systems and coordination mechanisms described in this subsection; and

(B) State, local, Tribal, and territorial authorities may coordinate with communications providers and the Commission regarding those capabilities.

(c) Consultation.— In carrying out this section, the Commission shall, to the extent practicable, consult with—

(1) providers of communications services that—

(A) submit reports in DIRS when the Commission activates DIRS in geographic areas in which those providers provide service; or

(B) are subject to the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative; and

(2) State, local, Tribal, and territorial emergency management and public safety authorities.

(d) Rule of construction.— Nothing in this section may be construed to require the Commission to adopt new regulations, or modify existing regulations, relating to DIRS or the Mandatory Disaster Response Initiative.