Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015
Public Law 114-143 · S. 1180 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Apr 11, 2016 · Emergency Management
Sponsor: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Claire McCaskill
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) modernize the integrated U.S. public alert and warning system to help ensure that under all conditions the President, federal agencies, and state, tribal, and local governments can alert and warn the civilian population in areas endangered by natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters or threats to public safety; and (2) implement such system to disseminate timely and effective warnings.
Directs FEMA to: (1) establish common alerting and warning protocols, standards, terminology, and operating procedures for the system; (2) include in such system the capability to adapt the distribution and content of communications on the basis of geographic location, risks, and multiple communication technologies and to alert, warn, and provide equivalent information to individuals with disabilities, access and functional needs, or limited English proficiency; (3) ensure that specified training, tests, and exercises for such system are conducted and that the system is resilient, secure, and can withstand external attacks; and (4) conduct public education efforts and a general market awareness campaign about the system.
Requires the system to: (1) be designed to adapt to and incorporate future technologies for communicating directly with the public, provide alerts to the largest portion of the affected population feasible, and improve the ability of remote areas to receive alerts; (2) promote local and regional public and private partnerships to enhance community preparedness and response; (3) provide redundant alert mechanisms; and (4) protect individual privacy.
Requires FEMA to make available on its public website and submit to Congress an annual report of the performance of the system.
Directs FEMA to establish the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Subcommittee to develop and submit recommendations for an integrated public alert and warning system to the National Advisory Council, which shall report the recommendations it approves to agencies represented on the Subcommittee and to specified congressional committees. Terminates the Subcommittee not later than three years after this Act's enactment.
Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act for FY2016-FY2018.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1472Related bill
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015
H.R. 1738Related billText similarities
Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Modernization Act of 2015
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Apr 11, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-143.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Mar 31, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Mar 21, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1180.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Costello (PA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 13, 2015FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Jul 10, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 9, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 25, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 132.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with amendments. With written report No. 114-73.
- May 6, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
- May 4, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.