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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Effective emergency communications are an essential |
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component of homeland security, but the federal government has thus |
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far failed to implement the Integrated Public Alert and Warning |
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System program, launched in 2006 in response to Presidential |
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Executive Order 13407, and related measures that are necessary to |
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alert the American public in situations of war, terrorist attack, |
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natural disaster, or other hazards; and |
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WHEREAS, At present, the capacity of the United States to |
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issue warnings is supported by the Emergency Alert System and the |
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio |
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All-Hazards Network; the EAS is built on a structure conceived in |
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the 1950s, when the best available technology for widely |
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disseminating emergency alerts was over-the-air broadcasting; NOAA |
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Weather Radio broadcasts National Weather Service forecasts and |
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all-hazard warnings for natural and man-made events; and |
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WHEREAS, Reliance on radio and television to deliver warnings |
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fails to take into account the prevalence and sophistication of |
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other communications technologies, especially wireless devices and |
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satellite solutions; the Integrated Public Alert and Warning |
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System, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is |
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intended to modernize and enhance the antiquated Emergency Alert |
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System and provide a fully integrated, multimodal "system of |
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systems" for warning citizens; and |
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WHEREAS, IPAWS has addressed the lack of standards across |
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warning devices with the new Common Alerting Protocol, which will |
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facilitate the creation of a cohesive alert warning solution, and |
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with new alert systems such as the Commercial Mobile Alert System, |
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which allows for the mass transmission of text-based alerts to |
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mobile devices in targeted geographic areas; even with these |
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advancements and with a fully implemented IPAWS, IPAWS as designed |
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still falls short of a comprehensive alert warning system since it |
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has the same limitations of each existing and proposed system: |
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radio, television, and wireless service may not exist in some |
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remote geographic areas or may be compromised by natural or |
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man-made disasters; today's technology, however, can provide a |
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comprehensive alert warning system; and |
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WHEREAS, Such technology must be deployed as soon as possible |
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in a comprehensive, integrated national alert system, in |
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coordination with federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal |
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emergency management systems, to ensure that under all conditions, |
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at all times, and in all places universal communication is |
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available to warn Americans of impending dangers; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the United States Congress to expedite a solution and |
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enact laws that will provide public alert and warning in situations |
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of war, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other hazards to |
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public safety or the well-being of all people of the United States |
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of America; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby |
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respectfully urge the United States Congress to investigate and |
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conduct hearings to inventory, evaluate, and assess capabilities |
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and integration with the public alert and warning systems of |
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federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal public alert and |
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warning resources and to establish or adopt common alerting and |
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warning protocols, standards, terminology, and operating |
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procedures that are effective without the necessity of maintaining |
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a database of contact information so as to protect the privacy of |
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all Americans and that enable interoperability and the secure |
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delivery of coordinated messages to the American people through as |
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many communication pathways as practicable, utilizing today's |
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technology to guarantee the delivery of warnings and alerts in a |
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timely manner to the entire population when surface infrastructure |
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does not exist, has been compromised, or has been otherwise |
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rendered ineffective; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully urge the |
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United States Congress to ensure that the public alert and warning |
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system is capable of serving all Americans, including those with |
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disabilities and those who lack an understanding of the English |
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language, even in the most remote geographic areas of the United |
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States and its territories, and to ensure that it is capable of |
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adapting the distribution and content of communications on the |
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basis of clearly defined geographic locations, risks, or personal |
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user preferences, as appropriate; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully urge the |
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United States Congress to require media communication |
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organizations and all governments, federal, state, local, |
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territorial, and tribal, to consult, coordinate, and cooperate with |
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the private sector, including emergency response providers and |
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users, as appropriate, for the full implementation of a |
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state-of-the-art early warning and alert system; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully urge the |
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United States Congress to establish training, annual tests, and |
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exercises for the public alert and warning system, to provide for |
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direct access to the system by appropriate federal, state, local, |
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territorial, and tribal emergency personnel, and, through |
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cooperation with the owners and operators of communications |
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facilities, to maintain, protect, and, if necessary, restore |
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communications facilities and capabilities necessary for the |
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public alert and warning system; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully urge the |
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United States Congress to ensure that public education efforts are |
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conducted so that federal, state, local, territorial, and tribal |
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governments, the private sector, and the American people understand |
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the functions of the public alert and warning system and how to |
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access, use, and respond to information issued through all public |
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alert and warning systems and devices; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby respectfully urge the |
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United States Congress, in performing the functions set forth |
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above, to coordinate with all appropriate departments and agencies |
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of all governments referenced in this resolution; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, to the majority and |
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minority leaders of both houses, to the secretary of homeland |
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security, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to Congress |
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with the request that this resolution be entered in the |
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Congressional Record as a memorial to the Congress of the United |
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States of America. |