The Emergency Information Improvement Act
H.R. 2647
Q:
What is the purpose of this legislation?
A:
The bill amends two sections of current statute, the Robert T. Stafford Act.
First, it clarifies that local public broadcasting stations are designated as one of several private
nonprofit facilities eligible for federal assistance when needed to supplement State and local
efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to
lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.
Second, it clarifies the definition of critical services to include communications as broadcast and
telecommunications.
Q:
What other private nonprofit facilities are eligible for federal assistance?
A:
Facilities that provide essential services of a governmental nature to the general public include
museums, zoos, performing arts facilities, community arts centers, libraries, homeless shelters,
senior citizen centers, rehabilitation facilities, shelter workshops, and facilities that provide
health and safety services of a governmental nature.
Q:
Why is the legislation needed?
A:
Public radio stations are an essential component in local communications and information
dissemination when disasters strike. These locally licensed and locally controlled stations
provide essential and critically important public emergency communication services prior to,
during and after natural or man-made disasters. This information runs from local response
efforts to local relief supplies, evacuation orders and emergency routes, where to find food,
shelter and fuel as well as on-the-ground and at-the-scene reporting to help us understand and
respond.
Somewhat surprisingly, current federal emergency response and relief statutes are ambiguous
on whether local public broadcasting stations are eligible for emergency financial assistance
when damaged by storms and other disasters. H.R. 2647 eliminates this ambiguity.
Q:
Are public broadcasting stations really that important to Americans during local and national
disasters?
A:
Yes, for two obvious reasons. First, over 98% of the American population has access to a public
radio or TV signal. In remote areas of the country these stations are of special importance in
brining local information to local communities. When the power grid is down, FEMA always
warns to have battery operated radios on hand. Moreover and when evacuation orders are
issued, people are listening to emergency broadcasts from their car radios for news and
information about which traffic routes to take or avoid and where to find to food, shelter and
fuel.
And secondly, the mission of these non-profit local stations is to serve the public which means
they are a natural, reliable and well-known part of communities in every corner of America. As
part of their local public service mission, many public media stations provide captioned radio
and TV services. In fact this year, 25 public broadcasting stations in five Gulf Coast states will be
working together with Homeland Security/FEMA officials to provide emergency alerts to people
who are deaf or hard of hearing.