HR-3583 : Still Just a Bill

Promoting Resilience and Efficiency in Preparing for Attacks and Responding to Emergencies Act or the PREPARE Act

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enter into memoranda of understanding with specified Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offices and components to delineate their responsibilities for awarding grants to: (1) public transportation agencies to improve security under the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007; (2) high-risk urban areas and state, local, and tribal governments to protect against terrorism under the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP); and (3) port authorities, facility operators, and state and local governments to implement Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans and facility security plans, provide port security services, and train law enforcement personnel.

The grant funds must be made available for use by the recipients for at least 36 months.

Operation Stonegarden is established in DHS for FEMA to enhance border security by making grants to law enforcement agencies involved in U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations in states that border Canada or Mexico or that have a maritime border.

State planning committees or urban working groups required to assist in the determination of funding priorities under the UASI and the SHSGP must include: (1) public health officials and medical practitioners, (2) educational institutions, and (3) appropriate state and regional interoperable communications coordinators and state and major urban area fusion centers.

DHS is prohibited from implementing the National Preparedness Grant Program without congressional authorization.

FEMA must coordinate with DHS's Office of Policy, and outreach to relevant stakeholder organizations, when it makes determinations regarding the use of UASI and SHSGP funds for law enforcement terrorism prevention activities.

FEMA must permit grant recipients under the UASI and the SHSGP to use grant funds to prepare for terrorism by enhancing medical preparedness, medical surge capacity, and mass prophylaxis capabilities, including an initial pharmaceutical stockpile with medical kits and diagnostics to protect first responders, their families, immediate victims, and vulnerable populations from a chemical or biological event.

The bill reauthorizes members of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium for FY2016-FY2017.

DHS is authorized to establish a Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium of universities and nonprofit organizations to provide training to emergency response providers from rural communities.

FEMA must: (1) update the national response plan at least every five years; (2) provide performance metrics to federal agencies with responsibilities under the National Response Framework; and (3) use a remedial action management program to collect information on corrective actions and lessons learned during training exercises and responses to natural disasters, terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

The Office of Emergency Communications must: (1) administer the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service and the Wireless Priority Service programs, (2) assess the impact of emerging technologies on interoperable emergency communications, and (3) update the National Emergency Communications Plan at least every five years.

DHS must establish a social media working group to provide guidance to the emergency preparedness and response community on the use of social media technologies.

A state must include in its application for SHSGP funding a certification that: (1) confirms that its governor has designated a Statewide Interoperability Coordinator, or (2) identifies another individual who will be the primary point of contact for performance of such functions.

DHS must coordinate with the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a pre-event vaccination program to provide anthrax vaccines from the strategic national stockpile that will be nearing the end of their labeled dates of use at the time such vaccines are to be administered to emergency response providers who are at high risk of exposure to anthrax and who voluntarily consent to such administration.

To address the threats posed by an anthrax terror attack, DHS must also: (1) support risk analyses and assessments; (2) leverage intelligence capabilities to enhance prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts; and (3) share information and provide analytical support to state, local, and tribal authorities, as well as other national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders.

The Chief Medical Officer's (CMO's) responsibilities are expanded to include:

• establishing medical and human, animal, and occupational health exposure policies and initiatives;
• coordinating DHS's preparedness for pandemics and emerging infectious diseases;
• serving as DHS's primary point of contact for emergency medical services and medical first responder stakeholders; and
• ensuring that DHS's workforce has evidence-based standards for occupational health and operational medicine programs.

The CMO must also: (1) review and maintain verification of the accreditation of DHS's health provider workforce; (2) develop quality assurances, clinical policies, and metrics for medical and health activities; and (3) oversee medical records systems.

DHS must establish a medical countermeasures program to facilitate personnel readiness, and protection for working animals, employees, and individuals in DHS's care and custody, in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease outbreak, or pandemic. The CMO must oversee the program and maintain a medical countermeasures stockpile and dispensing system.

FEMA must: (1) designate a chief management official and principal advisor on FEMA management matters; and (2) submit a strategy for capturing financial, human capital, information technology, real property planning, and acquisition data.

Not later than May 1, 2016, and for each of the next five years, FEMA must update its strategic human capital plan.