House and Senate Adopt Legislation Based on Bilirakis Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday evening advanced legislation to improve public alerts and warning systems based on legislation Congressman Bilirakis introduced several years ago.
The House approved the Integrated Public Alert Warning System (or IPAWS) Modernization Act to provide authorization to update our communications infrastructure. This legislation will help disseminate important information and alerts instantaneously over cell phones, text messaging, the Internet, and broadcasting.
Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) voiced his strong support for this legislation on the House floor yesterday. Watch his remarks here:
"Modernizing our alert and warning capabilities is essential to keep us safe. We must effectively communicate important information to the public during national emergencies, and our warning efforts must evolve with the growing and emerging threats of today," said Bilirakis. "Our alert systems have not been modernized in decades, which is why I have consistently re-introduced this bill. With congressional oversight, we can ensure our constituents have alert systems that work reliably, effectively, and efficiently."
Additionally, this bill improves our capabilities and communications network by creating a national public warning working group to bring state and local officials together. This will ensure systems' developers, regulators, users, and relay participants to meet on a regular basis.