READI Act
Latest action · Sep 29, 2020 Held at the desk.
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.
- IntroducedOct 24, 2019
- Passed SenateSep 24, 2020
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2020 or READI Act
This bill modifies how citizens receive emergency alerts through wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems.
Specifically, the bill includes emergency alerts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a type of alert that mobile subscribers may not block from their devices (currently, only alerts from the President may not be blocked).
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must adopt regulations that encourage states to establish a State Emergency Communications Commission (SECC) and require each SECC to meet at least annually to review and update its Emergency Alert System Plan. The FCC must approve or disapprove the updated plan.
The FCC shall also (1) establish a system to receive from FEMA or state, tribal, or local governments reports of false alerts under the Emergency Alert System (EAS) or the Wireless EAS to record such false alerts and examine their causes; (2) modify the EAS to provide for repeating messages while an alert remains pending; and (3) examine the feasibility of updating the EAS to enable or improve alerts provided through the internet, including through audio and video streaming services.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 24, 2019 to Aug 6, 2020; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-SD | John Thune | Original | Oct 24, 2019 |
| D-MT | Jon Tester | Dec 17, 2019 | |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Aug 6, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Oct 24, 2019Markup Nov 13, 2019Reported Jul 21, 2020 |
Actions 10
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 29, 2020Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 29, 2020Received in the House.
- Sep 29, 2020Held at the desk.
- Sep 24, 2020Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S5881-5882)
- Sep 24, 2020Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S5881-5882)
- Jul 21, 2020Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker without amendment. With written report No. 116-240.
- Jul 21, 2020Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 492.
- Nov 13, 2019Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Oct 24, 2019Introduced in Senate
- Oct 24, 2019Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5881Amendments S5880, S5881 | Brian Schatz D-HI (amendment), Mitch McConnell R-KY | Sep 24, 2020 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Jun 30, 2020S. 2693, READI ActAs ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on November 13, 2019
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 2669 | In the nature of a substitute. | Brian Schatz D-HI | Amendment SA 2669 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 3
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 4049 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 | Related bill | Aug 7, 2020 |
| HR 4856 | READI Act | Identical bill | Feb 27, 2020 |
| HR 6096 | READI Act | Related bill | Nov 18, 2020 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2019
- READI Act
- Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
- Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2019
- READI Act
- Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
- READI Act
- Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act of 2020
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
- Congressional oversight
- Emergency communications systems
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Government information and archives
- Government studies and investigations
- Intergovernmental relations
- Internet and video services
- Internet, web applications, social media
- Public participation and lobbying
- Science, Technology, Communications
- State and local government operations
- Telephone and wireless communication
Text 3
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 24, 2020Engrossed in Senate
- Jul 21, 2020Reported to Senate
- Oct 24, 2019Introduced 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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
