6 U.S.C. § 321c — Department and Agency officials

Page 171 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 321c appropriate to administer this section and to ensure effective mass evacuation planning for State, local, and tribal areas. (2) Requested assistance The Administrator shall make assistance available upon request of a State, local, or tribal government to assist hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions that house indi- viduals with special needs to establish, main- tain, and exercise mass evacuation plans that are coordinated and integrated into the plans developed by that State, local, or tribal gov- ernment under this section. (d) Multipurpose funds Nothing in this section may be construed to preclude a State, local, or tribal government from using grant funds in a manner that en- hances preparedness for a natural or man-made disaster unrelated to an act of terrorism, if such use assists such government in building capa- bilities for terrorism preparedness. (Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 512, as added Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(13), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1407; amended Pub. L. 110–53, title I, § 102(b), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 293.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2007—Subsec. (b)(5)(A). Pub. L. 110–53 inserted ‘‘, including the elderly’’ after ‘‘needs’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Any reference to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in title VI of Pub. L. 109–295 or an amendment by title VI to be considered to refer and apply to the Director of the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency until Mar. 31, 2007, see sec- tion 612(f)(2) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 313 of this title. § 321b. Disability Coordinator (a) In general After consultation with organizations rep- resenting individuals with disabilities, the Na- tional Council on Disabilities, and the Inter- agency Coordinating Council on Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities, established under Executive Order No. 13347, the Adminis- trator shall appoint a Disability Coordinator. The Disability Coordinator shall report directly to the Administrator, in order to ensure that the needs of individuals with disabilities are being properly addressed in emergency prepared- ness and disaster relief. (b) Responsibilities The Disability Coordinator shall be respon- sible for— (1) providing guidance and coordination on matters related to individuals with disabilities in emergency planning requirements and relief efforts in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster; (2) interacting with the staff of the Agency, the National Council on Disabilities, the Interagency Coordinating Council on Pre- paredness and Individuals with Disabilities es- tablished under Executive Order No. 13347, other agencies of the Federal Government, and State, local, and tribal government authori- ties regarding the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning require- ments and relief efforts in the event of a nat- ural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man- made disaster; (3) consulting with organizations that rep- resent the interests and rights of individuals with disabilities about the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning re- quirements and relief efforts in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster; (4) ensuring the coordination and dissemina- tion of best practices and model evacuation plans for individuals with disabilities; (5) ensuring the development of training ma- terials and a curriculum for training of emer- gency response providers, State, local, and tribal government officials, and others on the needs of individuals with disabilities; (6) promoting the accessibility of telephone hotlines and websites regarding emergency preparedness, evacuations, and disaster relief; (7) working to ensure that video program- ming distributors, including broadcasters, cable operators, and satellite television serv- ices, make emergency information accessible to individuals with hearing and vision disabil- ities; (8) ensuring the availability of accessible transportation options for individuals with disabilities in the event of an evacuation; (9) providing guidance and implementing policies to ensure that the rights and wishes of individuals with disabilities regarding post- evacuation residency and relocation are re- spected; (10) ensuring that meeting the needs of indi- viduals with disabilities are included in the components of the national preparedness sys- tem established under section 744 of this title; and (11) any other duties as assigned by the Ad- ministrator. (Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 513, as added Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(13), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1408.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Executive Order No. 13347, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b)(2), is set out as a note under section 314 of this title. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries CHANGE OF NAME Any reference to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in title VI of Pub. L. 109–295 or an amendment by title VI to be considered to refer and apply to the Director of the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency until Mar. 31, 2007, see sec- tion 612(f)(2) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 313 of this title. § 321c. Department and Agency officials (a) Deputy Administrators The President may appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, not more than Page 172 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 321d 4 Deputy Administrators to assist the Adminis- trator in carrying out this subchapter. (b) United States Fire Administration The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall have a rank equivalent to an assistant secretary of the Department. (Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 514, as added Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(13), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1409; amended Pub. L. 115–278, § 2(g)(4)(B), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4178.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2018—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 115–278 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (b) read as follows: ‘‘There is in the Department an Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications.’’ Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Mar. 31, 2007, see section 614(b)(3) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 701 of this title. § 321d. National Operations Center (a) Definition In this section, the term ‘‘situational aware- ness’’ means information gathered from a vari- ety of sources that, when communicated to emergency managers, decision makers, and other appropriate officials, can form the basis for incident management decisionmaking and steady-state activity. (b) Establishment The National Operations Center is the prin- cipal operations center for the Department and shall— (1) provide situational awareness and a com- mon operating picture for the entire Federal Government, and for State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, the private sector, and international partners as appropriate, for events, threats, and incidents involving a nat- ural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man- made disaster; (2) ensure that critical terrorism and dis- aster-related information reaches government decision-makers; and (3) enter into agreements with other Federal operations centers and other homeland secu- rity partners, as appropriate, to facilitate the sharing of information. (c) State and local emergency responder rep- resentation (1) Establishment of positions The Secretary shall establish a position, on a rotating basis, for a representative of State and local emergency responders at the Na- tional Operations Center established under subsection (b) to ensure the effective sharing of information between the Federal Govern- ment and State and local emergency response services. (2) Management The Secretary shall manage the position es- tablished pursuant to paragraph (1) in accord- ance with such rules, regulations, and prac- tices as govern other similar rotating posi- tions at the National Operations Center. (Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 515, as added Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(13), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1409; amended Pub. L. 110–376, § 8, Oct. 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 4060; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XIX, § 1909, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2681.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(1), substituted ‘‘emergency managers, decision makers, and other ap- propriate officials’’ for ‘‘emergency managers and deci- sion makers’’ and inserted ‘‘and steady-state activity’’ before period at end. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(2)(A), substituted ‘‘tribal, and territorial governments, the private sec- tor, and international partners’’ for ‘‘and tribal govern- ments’’ and ‘‘for events, threats, and incidents involv- ing’’ for ‘‘in the event of’’ and struck out ‘‘and’’ at end. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(2)(B), substituted ‘‘; and’’ for period at end. Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(2)(C), added par. (3). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(4)(A), substituted ‘‘emergency responder’’ for ‘‘fire service’’ in heading. Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(4)(B), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘The Secretary shall, in consulta- tion with the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, establish a fire service position at the National Operations Center established under sub- section (b) to ensure the effective sharing of informa- tion between the Federal Government and State and local fire services.’’ Subsec. (c)(2), (3). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1909(4)(C), (D), re- designated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2). Prior to amendment, text of par. (2) read as follows: ‘‘The Secretary shall designate, on a rotating basis, a State or local fire service official for the position de- scribed in paragraph (1).’’ 2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–376 added subsec. (c). § 321e. Repealed. Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(c)(1), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5166 Section, Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 516, as added Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(13), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1409; amended Pub. L. 112–166, § 2(f)(4), Aug. 10, 2012, 126 Stat. 1285, related to establishment, qualifications, and re- sponsibilities of Chief Medical Officer. See section 597 of this title. § 321f. Nuclear incident response (a) In general At the direction of the Secretary (in connec- tion with an actual or threatened terrorist at- tack, major disaster, or other emergency in the United States), the Nuclear Incident Response Team shall operate as an organizational unit of the Department. While so operating, the Nuclear Incident Response Team shall be subject to the direction, authority, and control of the Sec- retary. (b) Rule of construction Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to limit the ordinary responsibility of the Sec- retary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for orga- nizing, training, equipping, and utilizing their respective entities in the Nuclear Incident Re- sponse Team, or (subject to the provisions of