First Response Broadcasters Act of 2007
Latest action · Apr 25, 2007 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5107-5109)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 25, 2007
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
First Response Broadcasters Act of 2007 - Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for facility and equipment expenses to construct an additional 25 Primary Entry Point stations (radio broadcast stations designated to provide public information following emergencies where there is no commercial power) in the continental United States and territories.
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a pilot program, the Broadcast Disaster Preparedness Grant Program, under which the Administrator may make grants to first response broadcasters. Sets forth provisions regarding priorities in making grants, use of funds, the federal share, and termination of grant authority.
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to: (1) include specified assistance to first response broadcasters among the essential assistance that federal agencies may provide to meet immediate threats to life and property resulting from a major disaster; (2) prohibit a federal officer or employee from confiscating fuel, water, or food from such a broadcaster during a disaster if that broadcaster documents that such supplies will be used to enable the broadcast of essential disaster-related public information in the affected area; and (3) direct the head of a federal agency to allow access to the area affected by a major disaster for technical personnel, broadcast engineers, and equipment needed to restore, repair, or resupply any facility or equipment critical to such a broadcaster's ability to continue to acquire, produce, and transmit essential disaster-related public information, subject to specified limitations. Establishes guidelines for press access to a disaster area.
Cosponsors 16
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 25, 2007 to Jul 21, 2008, with 3 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-AR | Mark L. Pryor | Original | Apr 25, 2007 |
| R-AK | Ted Stevens | Original | Apr 25, 2007 |
| D-DE | Thomas R. Carper | Original | Apr 25, 2007 |
| R-OR | Gordon H. Smith | May 8, 2007 | |
| R-NM | Pete V. Domenici | Jun 5, 2007 | |
| R-MS | Thad Cochran | Jun 13, 2007 | |
| R-AZ | John McCain | Jun 20, 2007 | |
| R-ME | Olympia J. Snowe | Jul 11, 2007 | |
| D-MT | Jon Tester | Aug 2, 2007 | |
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Feb 27, 2008 | |
| R-TX | Kay Bailey Hutchison | Feb 27, 2008 | |
| R-NE | Chuck Hagel | Feb 29, 2008 | |
| R-NH | John E. Sununu | Apr 2, 2008 | |
| R-NH | Judd Gregg | Apr 3, 2008 | |
| R-MS | Roger F. Wicker | Apr 8, 2008 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Apr 25, 2007Introduced in Senate
- Apr 25, 2007Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (text of measure as introduced: CR S5107-5109)
- Apr 25, 2007Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5019, S5106-5107)
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2331 | First Response Broadcasters Act of 2007 | Identical bill | May 16, 2007 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Emergency Management.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Apr 25, 2007Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.