Lawmakers poised to pass emergency communications bill

House lawmakers were poised Tuesday to pass a bill that would establish national standards for emergency communications equipment, although they acknowledged that the legislation would not provide funding to state and local governments or free spectrum for equipment and systems.

The bill would require the Homeland Security Department to create an emergency communications plan, including goals and timeframes to achieve redundant and sustainable and systems that can work across jurisdictions.

The measure also would require the department to immediately assess current emergency communications capabilities, and establish standards for equipment that state and local governments should buy. Republicans and Democrats agreed that the legislation is necessary because Homeland Security has yet to take those actions.

"I don't sense a sense of urgency on the department's part or the administration's part," said Bill Pascrell of New Jersey, the top Democrat on Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee. He co-sponsored the bill with panel Chairman Dave Reichert, R-Wash.

The House passed the bill by voice vote, but Republicans requested a roll-call vote to be held later in the day.

The legislation would not provide any funding for interoperable communications. "This bill isn't going to mean very much if we don't come up with the money to pay for what we need to do," Pascrell said.

He estimated that "billions of billions of dollars" are needed. "I think that we need to find those dollars. This is a very expensive proposition."

Reichert agreed that more funding is needed but declined to estimate how much. He said about $1.6 billion in grants is available annually through the Homeland Security Department budget for interoperable communications, while another $1 billion is available through the Commerce Department budget.

He said the bill would require state and local governments to establish interoperable communications plans before spending grants. Reichert told reporters he would work to get additional funding for the effort in fiscal 2008. "Maybe next year at this time we'll be talking about where we can gather the additional money," he said.

The bill does not address ways to get state and local emergency responders more radio spectrum for communications systems, something that has been a contentious issue since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The FCC is expected to provide public-safety agencies more analog radio spectrum in February 2009 as television stations switch to digital broadcasts.

Pascrell said Democrats plan to confront the FCC after the November elections to get more spectrum earlier. "We want the FCC to treat this as an urgent problem," he said. "We have let them know and put them on notice that we're coming."