6 U.S.C. § 574: Coordination of Department…

Summary

The Secretary must make sure that rules for Department homeland security grants about interoperable emergency communications match the goals and advice in the National Emergency Communications Plan. The Assistant Director for Emergency Communications helps with this. The Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary for Grants and Planning and with input from the Assistant Director, can stop a State, local, or tribal government from using these grants for emergency communications if the government hasn’t filed a required Statewide Interoperable Communications Plan; wants to buy equipment that does not meet voluntary national technical standards and gives no good reason; and if such voluntary national standards have not been developed within 3 years after the initial National Emergency Communications Plan is finished. The Secretary must work with the FCC, NIST, and other federal agencies to help create and update those voluntary national standards.

Title 6, §574

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Coordination of grants and standards programs

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, shall ensure that grant guidelines for the use of homeland security assistance administered by the Department relating to interoperable emergency communications are coordinated and consistent with the goals and recommendations in the National Emergency Communications Plan under section 572 of this title.

(b)Denial of eligibility for grants

(1)In general

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Grants and Planning, and in consultation with the Assistant Director for Emergency Communications, may prohibit any State, local, or tribal government from using homeland security assistance administered by the Department to achieve, maintain, or enhance emergency communications capabilities, if—

(A)such government has not complied with the requirement to submit a Statewide Interoperable Communications Plan as required by section 194(f) of this title;

(B)such government has proposed to upgrade or purchase new equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards and has not provided a reasonable explanation of why such equipment or systems will serve the needs of the applicant better than equipment or systems that meet or exceed such standards; and

(C)as of the date that is 3 years after the date of the completion of the initial National Emergency Communications Plan under section 572 of this title, national voluntary consensus standards for interoperable emergency communications capabilities have not been developed and promulgated.

(2)Standards

The Secretary, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other Federal departments and agencies with responsibility for standards, shall support the development, promulgation, and updating as necessary of national voluntary consensus standards for interoperable emergency communications.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Another section 1804 of Pub. L. 107–296 was renumbered section 1904 and is classified to section 594 of this title.

Amendments

2018—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–278 substituted “Assistant Director for Emergency Communications” for “Director for Emergency Communications”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Reference 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.

§574 Coordination of Department Emergency Communications Grant Programs