Summary
RESPONSE Act of 2016
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council.
The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall develop recommendations for improving emergency responder training and resource allocation for hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents involving railroads after evaluating the following topics:
the quality and application of training for state and local emergency responders related to rail hazmat incidents, including training for emergency responders serving small communities near railroads;
the availability and effectiveness of federal, state, local, and nongovernmental funding levels related to training emergency responders for rail hazmat incidents, including emergency responders serving small communities near railroads; and
the strategy for integrating commodity flow studies, mapping, and rail and hazmat databases for state and local emergency responders and increasing the rate of access to the individual responder in existing or emerging communications technology.
The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall terminate within 90 days after the council submits a report approving the RESPONSE Subcommittee recommendations.
RESPONSE Act of 2016
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council.
The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall develop recommendations, as appropriate, for improving emergency first responder training and resource allocation for hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents involving railroads after evaluating the following topics:
the quality and application of training for local emergency first responders related to rail hazmat incidents, with a particular focus on local emergency responders and small communities near railroads;
the effectiveness of funding levels related to training local emergency first responders for rail hazmat incidents, with a particular focus on local emergency first responders and small communities near railroads; and
the strategy for integrating commodity flow studies, mapping, rail and hazmat databases and other relevant data for local emergency first responders and increasing the rate of access to the individual responder in existing or emerging communications technology.
The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall terminate within four years after this bill's enactment, unless given a one-year extension.
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
RESPONSE Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation (RESPONSE) Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council.
The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall evaluate the following topics and develop recommendations, as appropriate, for improving emergency responder training and resource allocation for hazardous materials incidents involving railroads:
the quality and application of training for local emergency first responders related to rail hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents, with a particular focus on local emergency responders and small communities near railroads;
the effectiveness of funding levels related to training local emergency responders for rail hazmat incidents, with a particular focus on local emergency responders and small communities;
a strategy for integration of commodity flow studies, mapping, and access platforms for local emergency responders and how to increase the rate of access to the individual responder in existing or emerging communications technology;
the need for emergency response plans for rail, similar to existing law related to maritime and stationary facility emergency hazmat response plans;
the need for a rail hazmat incident database;
increasing access to relevant, useful, and timely information for the local emergency responder for training purposes and in the event of a rail hazmat incident; and
determining the most appropriate agencies and offices for the implementation of the recommendations.
The RESPONSE Subcommittee shall terminate within four years after this Act's enactment, unless given one-year extensions.
RESPONSE Act of 2015
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish the Railroad Emergency Services Preparedness, Operational Needs, and Safety Evaluation Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council.
Directs the Subcommittee to evaluate the following topics and develop recommendations, as appropriate, for improving emergency responder training and resource allocation for hazardous materials incidents involving railroads:
the quality and application of training for local emergency first responders related to rail hazardous materials incidents, with a particular focus on local emergency responders and small communities near railroads;
the effectiveness of funding levels related to training local emergency responders for rail hazardous materials incidents, with a particular focus on local emergency responders and small communities;
a strategy for integration of commodity flow studies, mapping, and access platforms for local emergency responders and how to increase the rate of access to the individual responder in existing or emerging communications technology;
the need for emergency response plans for rail, similar to existing law related to maritime and stationary facility emergency response plans for hazardous materials;
the need for a rail hazardous materials incident database;
increasing access to relevant, useful, and timely information for the local emergency responder for training purposes and in the event of a rail hazardous materials incident; and
determining the most appropriate agencies and offices for the implementation of the recommendations.
Terminates the Subcommittee not later than four years after this Act's enactment, subject to one year extensions.
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