6 USC 611 – Administration and coordination
(a) Regional coordination
The Administrator shall ensure that—
(1) all recipients of grants administered by the Department to prevent, prepare for, protect against, or respond to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters (excluding assistance provided under section 203, title IV, or title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133, 5170 et seq., and 5191 et seq.)) coordinate, as appropriate, their prevention, preparedness, and protection efforts with neighboring State, local, and tribal governments; and
(2) all high-risk urban areas and other recipients of grants administered by the Department to prevent, prepare for, protect against, or respond to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters (excluding assistance provided under section 203, title IV, or title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133, 5170 et seq., and 5191 et seq.)) that include or substantially affect parts or all of more than 1 State coordinate, as appropriate, across State boundaries, including, where appropriate, through the use of regional working groups and requirements for regional plans.
(b) Planning committees
(1) In general
Any State or high-risk urban area receiving a grant under section 604 or 605 of this title shall establish a State planning committee or urban area working group to assist in preparation and revision of the State, regional, or local homeland security plan or the threat and hazard identification and risk assessment, as the case may be, and to assist in determining effective funding priorities for grants under such sections.
(2) Composition
(A) In general
The State planning committees and urban area working groups referred to in paragraph (1) shall include at least one representative from each of the following significant stakeholders:
(i) Local or tribal government officials.
(ii) Emergency response providers, which shall include representatives of the fire service, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and emergency managers.
(iii) Public health officials and other appropriate medical practitioners.
(iv) Individuals representing educational institutions, including elementary schools, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education.
(v) State and regional interoperable communications coordinators, as appropriate.
(vi) State and major urban area fusion centers, as appropriate.
(B) Geographic representation
The members of the State planning committee or urban area working group, as the case may be, shall be a representative group of individuals from the counties, cities, towns, and Indian tribes within the State or high-risk urban area, including, as appropriate, representatives of rural, high-population, and high-threat jurisdictions.
(3) Existing planning committees
Nothing in this subsection may be construed to require that any State or high-risk urban area create a State planning committee or urban area working group, as the case may be, if that State or high-risk urban area has established and uses a multijurisdictional planning committee or commission that meets the requirements of this subsection.
(c) Sense of Congress
Terms Used In 6 USC 611
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
It is the sense of Congress that, in order to ensure that the Nation is most effectively able to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters—
(1) the Department should administer a coherent and coordinated system of both terrorism-focused and all-hazards grants;
(2) there should be a continuing and appropriate balance between funding for terrorism-focused and all-hazards preparedness, as reflected in the authorizations of appropriations for grants under the amendments made by titles I and II, as applicable, of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007; and
(3) with respect to terrorism-focused grants, it is necessary to ensure both that the target capabilities of the highest risk areas are achieved quickly and that basic levels of preparedness, as measured by the attainment of target capabilities, are achieved nationwide.