119-s290

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 290 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 290

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency 
 communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next 
 Generation 9-1-1 systems, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 29, 2025

 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. King, Mr. Hickenlooper, and Mrs. Hyde-
Smith) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
 to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources-

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To direct the Secretary of the Interior to upgrade existing emergency 
 communications centers in units of the National Park System to Next 
 Generation 9-1-1 systems, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Making National Parks Safer Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
 ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
        (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
 of the Senate; and
        (B) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
 of Representatives.

    (2) Emergency communications center.--
        (A) In general.--The term ``emergency 
 communications center'' means--
            (i) a facility that--
            (I) is designated to receive a 9-1-
 1 request for emergency assistance; and
            (II) performs 1 or more of the 
 functions described in subparagraph
        (B) ; or
            (ii) a public safety answering point (as 
 defined in 

section 222 of the Communications 
 Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 222)).
        (B) Functions described.--The functions described 
 in this subparagraph are the following:
            (i) Processing and analyzing 9-1-1 requests 
 for emergency assistance and information and 
 data related to the requests.
            (ii) Dispatching appropriate emergency 
 response providers.
            (iii) Transferring or exchanging 9-1-1 
 requests for emergency assistance and 
 information and data related to the requests 
 with 1 or more other emergency communications 
 centers and emergency response providers.
            (iv) Analyzing any communications received 
 from emergency response providers.
            (v) Supporting incident command functions.

    (3) Interoperability.--The term ``interoperability'' means 
 the capability of emergency communications centers--
        (A) to receive 9-1-1 requests for emergency 
 assistance and information and data related to the 
 requests, such as location information and callback 
 numbers from a person initiating the request; and
        (B) to process and share 9-1-1 requests for 
 emergency assistance and information and data related 
 to the requests with other emergency communications 
 centers and emergency response providers without the 
 need for proprietary interfaces and regardless of 
 jurisdiction, equipment, device, software, service 
 provider, or other relevant factors.

    (4) Next generation 9-1-1 system.--The term ``Next 
 Generation 9-1-1 system'' has the meaning given the term ``Next 
 Generation 911'' in 

section 9.28 of title 47, Code of Federal 
 Regulations (or a successor regulation).

    (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of the Interior, acting through the Director of the National 
 Park Service.

SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS LOCATED IN UNITS 
 OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall complete an assessment of emergency 
communications centers located in units of the National Park System to 
identify--

    (1) the implementation status of Next Generation 9-1-1 
 systems at existing emergency communications centers in units 
 of the National Park System;

    (2) estimated costs to purchase Next Generation 9-1-1 
 systems for emergency communications centers in units of the 
 National Park System that have not begun to implement Next 
 Generation 9-1-1 systems; and

    (3) estimated costs to maintain and operate Next Generation 
 9-1-1 systems across all emergency communications centers in 
 units of the National Park System.

    (b) Report.--On completion of the assessment under subsection

    (a) , 
the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, 
and make available on the website of the Department of the Interior, a 
report--

    (1) describing the results of the assessment; and

    (2) identifying issues that may affect the implementation 
 of Next Generation 9-1-1 systems across all emergency 
 communications centers in units of the National Park System, 
 including--
        (A) jurisdictional issues;
        (B) technological issues;
            (C) issues relating to relevant authorities; and
            (D) issues relating to legal agreements.

SEC. 4. PLAN TO INSTALL NEXT GENERATION 9-1-1 SYSTEMS IN UNITS OF THE 
 NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
report under 

section 3

    (b) is submitted, the Secretary shall develop a 
plan, based on the results of the assessment completed under 

section 3

    (a) and subject to subsection
            (c) , to install Next Generation 9-1-1 
systems at identified emergency communications centers in units of the 
National Park System.

    (b) Consultation.--In developing the plan under subsection

    (a) , the 
Secretary shall consult with--

    (1) State and local emergency operations officials to 
 ensure interoperability of the Next Generation 9-1-1 systems;

    (2) State and local stakeholders that the superintendent of 
 the applicable unit of the National Park System determines to 
 be appropriate; and

    (3) relevant Federal agencies, including--
        (A) the Department of Commerce;
        (B) the Department of Transportation; and
            (C) the Federal Communications Commission.
            (c) Limitation.--Notwithstanding subsection

    (a) , a plan developed 
under that subsection shall not be required to address emergency 
communications centers in any unit of the National Park System at which 
the superintendent of the unit of the National Park System determines 
that sufficient Next Generation 9-1-1 systems have already been 
installed or are being installed, as applicable.
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