COMMERCE COMMITTEE MARKS UP INTEROPERABILITY, 911 MODERNIZATION BILLS

COMMERCE COMMITTEE MARKS UP INTEROPERABILITY, 911 MODERNIZATION BILLS[SOURCE: US Senate Commerce Committee]The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Tuesday unanimously approved six bills, three of which will make significant improvements to our nation’s security. 1) The Committee approved a manager’s package amending the Interoperable Emergency Communications Act, S. 385. The bill gives the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) greater direction regarding how to use the $1 billion interoperability fund created by the Committee in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. This legislation reinforces the September 30, 2007 deadline set by Congress for distribution of the $1 billion of interoperable communications grants. The September 30, 2007 deadline was mandated by Section 4 of the Call Home Act (P.L. 109-459), which was enacted on December 22, 2006. The bill would also allow up to $100 million of the expedited $1 billion be used to establish technology reserves that would assist emergency response agencies in pre-positioning communications equipment in states or regional facilities that can be quickly activated in the event of a major emergency or natural disaster. Senator Stevens noted that in remote areas, like Alaska , it is critical to have infrastructure nearby that can be quickly deployed in the event of a disaster. 2) S. 93, the 911 Modernization Act, would facilitate 911 grants to public safety answering points by authorizing the NTIA to borrow against anticipated receipts from auction revenues.http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=248742&Month=2&Year=2007 * Senate Commerce Committee Approves Measure to Improve Emergency Communicationshttp://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=248739&Month=2&Year=2007 http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=248742&Month=2&Year=2007