HR 369 — NIST Wildland Fire Communications and Information Dissemination Act

369 IntroducedReported in House (IH)](RH)] <DOC> 118thUnion CONGRESSCalendar 1stNo. Session H.

142 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H.

369 To[Report requireNo. the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research on public safety communication coordination standards among wildland firefighters and fire management response officials.

118-178] To require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research on public safety communication coordination standards among wildland firefighters and fire management response officials.

which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology _______________________________________________________________________September A1, BILL2023 ToAdditional requiresponsors: the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research on public safety communication coordination standards among wildland firefighters and fire management response officials.

Ms.

Leger Fernandez, Mr.

Mike Garcia of California, and Mr.

Jackson of North Carolina September 1, 2023 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 17, 2023] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research on public safety communication coordination standards among wildland firefighters and fire management response officials.

DEFINITIONS.RESEARCH ON WILDLAND FIRE COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.

(a) In General.-- (1) Public safety research.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act:Act, the Director, acting through the head of the Public Safety and Communications Research Division and in consultation with the Fire Research Division and technology manufacturers, shall carry out research on the following:

(A) Public safety communication coordination standards among Federal, State, Tribal, and local wildland firefighters, fire management response officials, and member agencies.

(B) Improving and integrating existing communications systems to transmit secure real-time data, alerts, and advisories to and from fire management response officials and wildland firefighters.

(2) Field testing and measurement of information dissemination and technology.--The Public Safety and Communications Research Division, in consultation with the Fire Research Division and member agencies, shall conduct both live and virtual field testing of equipment, software, and other technologies to determine current times of information dissemination and develop standards for the delivery of useful and secure real-time data among member agencies, fire management response officials, and wildland firefighters, based on findings from research under subsection (a).

(b) Recommendations.-- (1) In general.--The Director shall develop and publish recommendations to improve public safety communication coordination standards among wildland first responders and fire management response officials.

(2) Transmittal.--The Director shall transmit the recommendations under paragraph (1) to the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy for member agencies to implement.

(3) Reporting requirements.-- (A) In general.--The Director shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing the recommendations published under paragraph (1).

(B) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the publication of the Director's recommendations under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the extent to which member agencies have implemented such recommendations.

(c) Funding.--From amounts made available to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director shall allocate $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.

(d) Definitions.--In this section:

(5) Technology manufacturers.--The term ``technology manufacturers'' means companiesprivate sector entities that manufacture communications technologies used by Federal, State, Tribal, andor local wildland fire authorities.

SEC.Union Calendar No.

3.142 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H.

RESEARCH.R.

(a)369 Requirement[Report ToNo. Conduct Research on Public Safety.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director, acting through the head of the Public Safety and Communications Research Division and in consultation with the Fire Research Division and technology manufacturers, shall carry out research on-- (1) public safety communication coordination standards among Federal, State, Tribal, and local wildland firefighters, fire management response officials, and member agencies;

and118-178] (2)_______________________________________________________________________ improvingA andBILL integratingTo existingrequire communicationsthe systemsNational toInstitute transmitof secureStandards real-timeand data,Technology alerts,to andconduct advisoriesresearch toon firepublic managementsafety responsecommunication officialscoordination andstandards among wildland firefighters.firefighters and fire management response officials.

(b)_______________________________________________________________________ RequirementSeptember To1, Conduct2023 FieldReported Testing of Information Dissemination and Technology.--The Public Safety and Communications Research Division, in consultation with thean Fireamendment, Researchcommitted Division and member agencies, will conduct both live and virtual field testing of equipment, software, and other technologies to determinethe currentCommittee times of informationthe disseminationWhole andHouse developon standards for the deliveryState of real-timethe dataUnion, among member agencies, fire management response officials, and wildlandordered firefightersto basedbe onprinted findings from research under subsection (a).

SEC.

4.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

(a) Requirement To Develop and Provide Recommendations.--The Director shall develop and publish recommendations for member agencies to improve public safety communication coordination standards among wildland first responders and fire management response officials.

(b) Requirement To Provide Recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Member Agencies.--The Director shall provide recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Police to assist member agencies with the implementation of the recommendations in subsection (a).

SEC.

5.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Requirement To Report Research Findings and Recommendations.-- The Director shall provide the recommendations published under section 4(a) to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

(b) Requirement To Report on the Implementation of Recommendations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the publication of the Director's recommendations, the Government Accountability Office shall produce a report on the extent to which member agencies have implemented the Director's recommendations.

SEC.

6.

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.