,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #adgi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ae1 #bjai,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself and ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to further deployment of ,next ,generation #i-a-a to enhance and upgrade the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,next ,generation #i-a-a ,act of #bjai4 #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states1 while a model for the entire world1 lack the advanced functionality1 interoperability1 and capabilities that come with the adoption of new digital communications technologies4 7#b7 ,communications technologies currently available to the public1 including first responders and other public safety personnel1 have substantially outpaced the legacy communications technologies still used by most emergency communications centers in the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states4 7#c7 ,this lack of modern technology1 when coupled with other challenges1 is impacting the ability of the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states to efficiently and effectively provide responses to emergencies4 7#d7 ,modernizing the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states to incorporate the new and evolving capabilities of broadband voice and data communications is essential for the safety and security of the public1 including first responders and other public safety personnel4 7#e7 ,efforts to modernize the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states to date1 while laudable and important1 have been limited due to a lack of funding and inconsistent or unclear policies related to the governance1 deployment1 and operations of ,next ,generation #i-a-a4 7#f7 ,a nationwide strategy for ,next ,generation #i-a-a has become essential to help guide the transition and create a common framework for implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a while preserving ,state1 regional1 and local control over the governance and technology choices of the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states4 7#g7 ,accelerated implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a will-- 7,a7 increase compatibility with emerging communications trends2 7,b7 enhance the flexibility1 reliability1 and survivability of the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states during major incidents2 7,c7 improve emergency response for the public1 including first responders and other public safety personnel2 7,d7 promote the interoperability of the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states with emergency response providers including users of the nationwide public safety broadband network being deployed by the ,first ,responder ,network ,authority2 and 7,e7 increase the cost effectiveness of operating the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the #i-a-a professionals in the ,united ,states perform important and lifesaving work every day1 and need the tools and communications technologies to perform the work effectively in a world with digital communications technologies2 7#b7 the transition from the legacy communications technologies used in the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states to ,next ,generation #i-a-a is a national priority and a national imperative2 7#c7 the ,united ,states should complete the transition described in paragraph 7#b7 as soon as practicable2 7#d7 the ,united ,states should develop a nationwide framework that facilitates cooperation among ,federal1 ,state1 and local officials on deployment of ,next ,generation #i-a-a in order to meet that goal2 7#e7 the term ,public ,safety ,answering ,point becomes outdated in a broadband environment and #i-a-a centers are increasingly and appropriately being referred to as emergency communications centers2 and 7#f7 #i-a-a authorities and emergency communications centers should have sufficient resources to implement ,next ,generation #i-a-a1 including resources to support associated geographic information systems 7commonly known as ,,gis71 and cybersecurity measures4 #d4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states that-- 7#a7 ,next ,generation #i-a-a should be technologically and competitively neutral2 7#b7 ,next ,generation #i-a-a should be interoperable2 7#c7 the governance and control of the #i-a-a systems of the ,united ,states1 including ,next ,generation #i-a-a1 should remain at the ,state1 regional1 and local level2 and 7#d7 individuals in the ,united ,states should receive information on how to best utilize ,next ,generation #i-a-a and on its capabilities and usefulness4 #e4 ,coordination of ,next ,generation #i-a-a ,implementation ,part ,c of title ,i of the ,national ,telecommunications and ,information ,administration ,organization ,act 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #ija et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #aei4 ,coordination of ,next ,generation #i-a-a ,implementation 7a7 ,additional functions of #i-a-a ,implementation ,coordination ,office 7#a7 ,authority ,the ,office shall implement the provisions of this section4 7#b7 ,management plan 7,a7 ,development ,the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator shall develop and may modify a management plan for the grant program established under this section1 including by developing-- 7i7 plans related to the organizational structure of such program2 and 7ii7 funding profiles for each fiscal year of the duration of such program4 7,b7 ,submission to ,congress ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this section or #ij days after the date on which the plan is modified1 as applicable1 the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator shall submit the management plan developed under subparagraph 7,a7 to-- 7i7 the ,committees on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation and ,appropriations of the ,senate2 and 7ii7 the ,committees on ,energy and ,commerce and ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,purpose of office ,the ,office shall-- 7,a7 take actions1 in concert with coordinators designated in accordance with subsection 7b77#c77;,a77ii71 to improve coordination and communication with respect to the implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 7,b7 develop1 collect1 and disseminate information concerning practices1 procedures1 and technology used in the implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 7,c7 advise and assist eligible entities in the preparation of implementation plans required under subsection 7b77#c77;,a77iii72 7,d7 receive1 review1 and recommend the approval or disapproval of applications for grants under subsection 7b72 and 7,e7 oversee the use of funds provided by such grants in fulfilling such implementation plans4 7#d7 ,reports ,the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator shall provide an annual report to ,congress by the first day of ,october of each year on the activities of the ,office to improve coordination and communication with respect to the implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a4 7b7 ,next ,generation #i-a-a implementation grants 7#a7 ,matching grants ,the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator1 acting through the ,office1 shall provide grants to eligible entities for-- 7,a7 the implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 7,b7 establishing and maintaining ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 7,c7 training directly related to ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 7,d7 public outreach and education on how best to use ,next ,generation #i-a-a and on its capabilities and usefulness2 and 7,e7 administrative costs associated with planning and implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a1 including costs related to planning for and preparing an application and related materials as required by this section1 if-- 7i7 such costs are fully documented in materials submitted to the ,office2 and 7ii7 such costs are reasonable and necessary and do not exceed #e percent of the total grant award4 7#b7 ,matching requirement ,the ,federal share of the cost of a project eligible for a grant under this section shall not exceed #hj percent4 7#c7 ,coordination required ,in providing grants under paragraph 7#a71 the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator shall require an eligible entity to certify in its application that-- 7,a7 in the case of an eligible entity that is a ,state1 the entity-- 7i7 has coordinated the application with the emergency communications centers located within the jurisdiction of such entity2 7ii7 has designated a single officer or governmental body to serve as the ,state point of contact to coordinate the implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a for that ,state1 except that such designation need not vest such coordinator with direct legal authority to implement ,next ,generation #i-a-a or to manage emergency communications operations2 and 7iii7 has developed and submitted a ,state plan for the coordination and implementation of ,next ,generation #i-a-a that-- 7,i7 ensures interoperability by requiring the use of commonly accepted standards2 7,,ii7 enables emergency communications centers to process1 analyze1 and store multimedia1 data1 and other information2 7,,iii7 incorporates the use of effective cybersecurity resources2 7,,iv7 uses open and competitive request for proposal processes1 or the applicable ,state equivalent1 for deployment of ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 7,v7 includes input from relevant emergency communications centers1 regional authorities1 local authorities1 and ,tribal authorities2 and 7,,vi7 includes a governance body or bodies1 either by creation of new or use of existing body or bodies1 for the development and deployment of ,next ,generation #i-a-a that-- 7aa7 includes relevant stakeholders2 and 7bb7 consults and coordinates with the ,state point of contact required by clause 7ii72 or 7,b7 in the case of an eligible entity that is not a ,state1 the entity has complied with clauses 7i7 and 7iii7 of subparagraph 7,a71 and the ,state in which the entity is located has complied with clause 7ii7 of such subparagraph4 7#d7 ,criteria 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #i months after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator shall issue regulations1 after providing the public with notice and an opportunity to comment1 prescribing the criteria for selection for grants under this section4 7,b7 ,requirements ,the criteria shall-- 7i7 include performance requirements and a schedule for completion of any project to be financed by a grant under this section2 and 7ii7 specifically permit regional or multi-,state applications for funds4 7,c7 ,updates ,the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator shall update such regulations as necessary4 7#e7 ,grant certifications ,each applicant for a grant under this section shall certify to the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator at the time of application1 and each applicant that receives such a grant shall certify to the ,assistant ,secretary and the ,administrator annually thereafter during any period of time the funds from the grant are available to the applicant1 that-- 7,a7 no portion of any designated #i-a-a charges imposed by a ,state or other taxing jurisdiction within which the applicant is located are being obligated or expended for any purpose other than the purposes for which such charges are designated or presented during the period beginning #ahj days immediately preceding the date on which the application was filed and continuing through the period of time during which the funds from the grant are available to the applicant2 7,b7 any funds received by the applicant will be used to support deployment of ,next ,generation #i-a-a that ensures interoperability by requiring the use of commonly accepted standards2 7,c7 the ,state in which the applicant resides has established1 or has committed to establish no later than #c years following the date on which the funds are distributed to the applicant1 a sustainable funding mechanism for ,next ,generation #i-a-a to be deployed pursuant to the grant2 7,d7 the applicant will promote interoperability between ,next ,generation #i-a-a emergency communications centers and emergency response providers including users of the nationwide public safety broadband network implemented by the ,first ,responder ,network ,authority2 7,e7 the applicant has taken or will take steps to coordinate with adjoining ,states to establish and maintain ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 and 7,f7 the applicant has developed a plan for public outreach and education on how to best use ,next ,generation #i-a-a and on its capabilities and usefulness4 7#f7 ,condition of grant ,each applicant for a grant under this section shall agree1 as a condition of receipt of the grant1 that if the ,state or other taxing jurisdiction within which the applicant is located1 during any period of time during which the funds from the grant are available to the applicant1 fails to comply with the certifications required under paragraph 7#e71 all of the funds from such grant shall be returned to the ,office4 7#g7 ,penalty for providing false information ,any applicant that provides a certification under paragraph 7#e7 knowing that the information provided in the certification was false shall-- 7,a7 not be eligible to receive the grant under this subsection2 7,b7 return any grant awarded under this subsection during the time that the certification was not valid2 and 7,c7 not be eligible to receive any subsequent grants under this subsection4 7#h7 ,prohibition ,no grant funds under this subsection may be used-- 7,a7 for any component of the nationwide public safety broadband network2 or 7,b7 to make any payments to a person who has been1 for reasons of national security1 prohibited by any entity of the ,federal ,government from bidding on a contract1 participating in an auction1 or receiving a grant4 7c7 ,funding and termination 7#a7 ,in general ,in addition to any funds authorized for grants under section #aeh1 there is authorized to be appropriated #ab1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal years #bjai through #bjbc4 7#b7 ,administrative costs ,the ,office may use up to #e percent of the funds authorized under this subsection for reasonable and necessary administrative costs associated with the grant program4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 #i-a-a request for emergency assistance ,the term #i-a-a request for emergency assistance means a communication1 such as voice1 text1 picture1 multimedia1 or any other type of data1 that is sent to an emergency communications center for the purpose of requesting emergency assistance4 7#b7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,national ,highway ,traffic ,safety ,administration4 7#c7 ,commonly accepted standards ,the term commonly accepted standards means-- 7,a7 the technical standards followed by the communications industry for network1 device1 and ,internet ,protocol connectivity1 including standards developed by the ,third ,generation ,partnership ,project 7#c;,,gpp71 the ,institute of ,electrical and ,electronics ,engineers 7,,ieee71 the ,alliance for ,telecommunications ,industry ,solutions 7,,atis71 the ,internet ,engineering ,taskforce 7,,ietf71 and the ,international ,telecommunications ,union 7,,itu72 and 7,b7 standards that are accredited by a recognized authority such as the ,american ,national ,standards ,institute 7,,ansi74 7#d7 ,designated #i-a-a charges ,the term designated #i-a-a charges means any taxes1 fees1 or other charges imposed by a ,state or other taxing jurisdiction that are designated or presented as dedicated to deliver or improve #i-a-a services1 ,e#i-a-a services1 or ,next ,generation #i-a-a4 7#e7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible entity-- 7,a7 means a ,state1 a local government1 or a tribal organization 7as defined in section #d7l7 of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd7l7772 7,b7 includes public authorities1 boards1 commissions1 and similar bodies created by one or more eligible entities described in subparagraph 7,a7 to coordinate or provide ,next ,generation #i-a-a2 and 7,c7 does not include any entity that has failed to submit the certifications required under subsection 7b77#e74 7#f7 ,emergency communications center ,the term emergency communications center means a facility that is designated to receive a #i-a-a request for emergency assistance and perform one or more of the following functions3 7,a7 ,process and analyze #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information4 7,b7 ,dispatch appropriate emergency response providers4 7,c7 ,transfer or exchange #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information with other emergency communications centers and emergency response providers4 7,d7 ,analyze any communications received from emergency response providers4 7,e7 ,support incident command functions4 7#g7 ,emergency response provider ,the term emergency response provider has the meaning given that term in section #b of the ,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aja74 7#h7 ,interoperable ,the term interoperable or interoperability means the capability of emergency communications centers to receive #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance and related data such as location information and callback numbers from the public1 then process and share the #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance and related data with other emergency communications centers and emergency response providers1 regardless of jurisdiction1 equipment1 device1 software1 service provider1 or other relevant factors1 and without the need for proprietary interfaces4 7#i7 ,nationwide ,the term nationwide means with respect to all ,states and all federally recognized ,indian ,tribes4 7#aj7 ,nationwide public safety broadband network ,the term nationwide public safety broadband network has the meaning given the term in section #fjja of the ,middle ,class ,tax ,relief and ,job ,creation ,act of #bjab 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #adja74 7#aa7 ,next ,generation #i-a-a ,the term ,next ,generation #i-a-a means an interoperable1 secure1 ,internet ,protocol-based system that-- 7,a7 employs commonly accepted standards2 7,b7 enables the appropriate emergency communications centers to receive1 process1 and analyze all types of #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance2 7,c7 acquires and integrates additional information useful to handling #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance2 and 7,d7 supports sharing information related to #i-a-a requests for emergency assistance among emergency communications centers and emergency response providers4 7#ab7 ,office ,the term ,office means the #i-a-a ,implementation ,coordination ,office established under section #aeh of this title4 7#ac7 ,state ,the term ,state means any ,state of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 ,american ,samoa1 ,guam1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 and any other territory or possession of the ,united ,states4 7#ad7 ,sustainable funding mechanism ,the term sustainable funding mechanism means a funding mechanism that provides adequate revenues to cover ongoing expenses1 including operations1 maintenance1 and upgrades4 4 #f4 ,savings provision ,nothing in this ,act or any amendment made by this ,act shall affect any application pending or grant awarded under section #aeh of the ,national ,telecommunications and ,information ,administration ,organization ,act 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #idb7 prior to the date of the enactment of this ,act4