6 U.S.C. § 575

Current through P.L. 118-107 (published on www.congress.gov on 11/21/2024)

Section 575 - Regional emergency communications coordination

(a) In general

There is established in each Regional Office a Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Working Group (in this section referred to as an "RECC Working Group"). Each RECC Working Group shall report to the relevant Regional Administrator and coordinate its activities with the relevant Regional Advisory Council.

(b) Membership

Each RECC Working Group shall consist of the following:

(1) Non-Federal

Organizations representing the interests of the following:

(A) State officials.

(B) Local government officials, including sheriffs.

(C) State police departments.

(D) Local police departments.

(E) Local fire departments.

(F) Public safety answering points (9-1-1 services).

(G) State emergency managers, homeland security directors, or representatives of State Administrative Agencies.

(H) Local emergency managers or homeland security directors.

(I) Other emergency response providers as appropriate.

(2) Federal

Representatives from the Department, the Federal Communications Commission, and other Federal departments and agencies with responsibility for coordinating interoperable emergency communications with or providing emergency support services to State, local, and tribal governments.

(c) Coordination

Each RECC Working Group shall coordinate its activities with the following:

(1) Communications equipment manufacturers and vendors (including broadband data service providers).

(2) Local exchange carriers.

(3) Local broadcast media.

(4) Wireless carriers.

(5) Satellite communications services.

(6) Cable operators.

(7) Hospitals.

(8) Public utility services.

(9) Emergency evacuation transit services.

(10) Ambulance services.

(11) HAM and amateur radio operators.

(12) Representatives from other private sector entities and nongovernmental organizations as the Regional Administrator determines appropriate.

(d) Duties

The duties of each RECC Working Group shall include-

(1) assessing the survivability, sustainability, and interoperability of local emergency communications systems to meet the goals of the National Emergency Communications Plan;

(2) reporting annually to the relevant Regional Administrator, the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the Department of Commerce on the status of its region in building robust and sustainable interoperable voice and data emergency communications networks and, not later than 60 days after the completion of the initial National Emergency Communications Plan under section 572 of this title, on the progress of the region in meeting the goals of such plan;

(3) ensuring a process for the coordination of effective multijurisdictional, multi-agency emergency communications networks for use during natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters through the expanded use of emergency management and public safety communications mutual aid agreements; and

(4) coordinating the establishment of Federal, State, local, and tribal support services and networks designed to address the immediate and critical human needs in responding to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

6 U.S.C. § 575

Pub. L. 107-296, title XVIII, §1805, as added Pub. L. 109-295, title VI, §671(b), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1439; amended Pub. L. 115-278, §2(g)(6)(B), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4179.

EDITORIAL NOTES

CODIFICATIONAnother section 1805 of Pub. L. 107-296 was renumbered section 1905 and was classified to section 595 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 115-387, §2(a)(4), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5163.

AMENDMENTS2018-Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 115-278 substituted "Assistant Director for Emergency Communications" for "Director for Emergency Communications".

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

CHANGE OF NAMEReference to the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications deemed to be a reference to the Executive Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, see section 571(g) of this title, enacted Jan. 1, 2021.

Department: The term "Department" means the Department of Homeland Security.
Secretary: The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
State: The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States.
emergency response providers: The term "emergency response providers" includes Federal, State, and local governmental and nongovernmental emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies, and authorities.
local government: The term "local government" means-(A) a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government;(B) an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or in Alaska a Native village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; and(C) a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.
terrorism: The term "terrorism" means any activity that-(A) involves an act that-(i) is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; and(ii) is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the United States; and(B) appears to be intended-(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
Administrator: the term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Agency;
Agency: the term "Agency" means the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
emergency management: the term "emergency management" means the governmental function that coordinates and integrates all activities necessary to build, sustain, and improve the capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against threatened or actual natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters;