[ETSList] [Fwd: FW: NJRACES-FYI...Bush signs law for us.]

[Drew Moore]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	FW: NJRACES-FYI...Bush signs law for us.
Date: 	Fri, 06 Oct 2006 17:17:58 -0400
From: 	Charles Crane <ccrane at councilmancrane.net>
To: 	oempres at aol.com, drumor at optonline.net



Subject: [NJRACES] FYI...Bush signs law for us.
Message-ID: <002e01c6e974$f18ff760$9f1d150a at co.dhs.state.nj.us>

President Bush has approved legislation that will make amateur radio hams
part of the emergency communications network in the US. The provision was
tucked away in a section of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
2007 Appropriations Act (HR 5441), which was signed into law on Wednesday
following earlier Congressional approval.
Part of the wide-ranging legislation includes the 21st Century Emergency
Communications Act, portions of which call for the newly created Regional
Emergency Communications Coordination Working Groups to liaise with radio
hams. Quite how this might work is yet to be hammered out, ARRL, the
national association from amateur radio reports.

Earlier versions of the bill would have seen radio hams sitting on the
boards of RECC Working Groups. In addition to working with amateur radio
enthusiasts, RECC Working Groups will work with equipment manufacturers,
telcos, local broadcast media, satellite communications services,
emergency services, hospitals and other to co-ordinate plans for local
communications systems in the event of an emergency. Potential disasters
covered might include anything from natural disasters to terrorist
attacks.
RECC Working Groups will draw up reports designed to help the US
"accelerate the deployment of interoperable emergency communications
nationwide". The working group would operate at state and local level
with a federal RECC Working Group, made up of representatives from the
Department of Homeland Security, federal department and communication
agencies co-ordinating national plans.