ALERTS Act of 2008

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate an agency within the Department of Homeland Security to modernize the integrated public alert and warning system of the United States to disseminate homeland security and other information, and for other purposes.

6/26/2008--Introduced.
Alerting Lives through Effective and Reliable Technological Systems Act of 2008 or ALERTS Act of 2008 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to:
(1) establish a national integrated public alert and warning system;
(2) develop within such system a commercial mobile alert system to provide rapid dissemination of information over commercial mobile devices; and
(3) designate an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to receive, aggregate, validate, and authenticate homeland security and other information originated by authorized federal, state, local, and tribal governments to facilitate the transmission of such mobile alert system.
Requires the Secretary to:
(1) establish common alerting and warning protocols, standards of performance, and terminology;
(2) include the capability to adapt the dissemination of information and the content of communications on the basis of geographic location, risks, or user preferences and to alert special needs populations;
(3) ensure that the national warning system is incorporated into DHS training and exercise programs; and
(4) coordinate with other federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments, and key stakeholders.
Directs the Secretary to conduct a pilot program to increase the national warning system's reach.
Amends the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to authorize the use of grant funds to permit state, local, and tribal governments to improve public alert and warning capabilities.
Prohibits tampering or interfering with components of the national warning system that are used or designed to deliver alerts and warnings and that were purchased with public funds.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Henry Cuellar [D, TX-28]
• and 3 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Russ Carnahan [D, MO-3]
  • Rep. Charles Dent [R, PA-15]
  • Rep. Jim Gerlach [R, PA-6]
  close

Committees

• House Transportation and Infrastructure
• 2 more
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure
  • House Homeland Security
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.6392

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
June 26, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Jun 27, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
• Jun 26, 2008: Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
• Jun 26, 2008: Referred to House Homeland Security
• Jun 26, 2008: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
• Introduced on Jun 26, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.6038

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

July 03, 2008 ALERTS Act Introduced in House by Rep. Cuellar

Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, has introduced the ALERTS Act of 2008 (HR 6392), legislation that would "amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate an agency within the Department of ...

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Source: War on Terror - Homeland Security

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June 25, 2008 HR 6392, To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the ...

HR 6392 would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate an agency within the Department of Homeland Security to modernize the integrated public alert and warning system of the ...

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