Editing Emergency Alert System (section)

==Additions and proposals==

The number of event types in the national system has grown to eighty. At first, all but three of the events (civil emergency message, immediate evacuation, and emergency action notification [national emergency]) were weather-related (such as a [[tornado warning]]). Since then, several classes of non-weather emergencies have been added, including, in most states, the [[AMBER Alert]] System for child abduction emergencies. In 2016, three additional weather alert codes were authorized for use in relation to hurricane events, including [[Extreme wind warning|Extreme Wind Warning]] (EWW), [[Storm Surge Warning]] (SSW) and [[Storm Surge Watch]] (SSA).

In 2004, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) seeking comment on whether EAS in its present form is the most effective mechanism for warning the American public of an emergency and, if not, on how EAS can be improved, such as mandatory text messages to cellphones, regardless of subscription. As noted above, rules implemented by the FCC on July 12, 2007 provisionally endorse incorporating CAP with the SAME protocol.

In November 2020, Congress passed the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act.<ref>{{cite web|last=Balderston|first=Michael|date=November 18, 2020|title=House Approves Bill Bringing EAS to Streaming|url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/house-passes-bill-for-bringing-emergency-alerts-to-streaming|access-date=March 11, 2021|website=TVTechnology|language=en|archive-date=March 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303122855/https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/house-passes-bill-for-bringing-emergency-alerts-to-streaming|url-status=live}}</ref> First sponsored by Hawaii Senator [[Brian Schatz]] in response to the [[2018 Hawaii false missile alert|Hawaii false missile alert]], it amends the Warning, Alert, and Response Network (WARN) Act to require distribution of wireless alerts issued by the administrator of FEMA, and commands the FCC to establish a means of reporting false alerts, encourage the establishment of State Emergency Communications Committees (SECC) that would meet annually to evaluate their EAS plans, require the repetition of alerts surrounding "emergencies of national significance", and open an inquiry into the feasibility of implementing the EAS on internet-related services.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/sens-schatz-and-thune-introduce-readi-act-to-improve-eas|title=Sens. Schatz, Thune Introduce READI Act to Improve EAS|last=Ashworth|first=Susan|website=TvTechnology|date=July 23, 2018|language=en-us|access-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428062752/https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/sens-schatz-and-thune-introduce-readi-act-to-improve-eas|archive-date=April 28, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.insideradio.com/new-law-would-put-eas-alerts-on-repeat/article_8457e1c0-02ee-11e9-8c80-f7e23e5b84bb.html|title=New Law Would Put EAS Alerts On Repeat.|website=Insideradio.com|date=December 18, 2018 |language=en|access-date=April 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428063214/http://www.insideradio.com/new-law-would-put-eas-alerts-on-repeat/article_8457e1c0-02ee-11e9-8c80-f7e23e5b84bb.html|archive-date=April 28, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McNerney|first=Jerry|date=November 18, 2020|title=Text – H.R.6096 – 116th Congress (2019–2020): READI Act|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6096/text|access-date=March 11, 2021|website=www.congress.gov|archive-date=November 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201117215955/https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6096/text|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=|date=November 17, 2020|title=House Passes Emergency Alert-Focused 'READI' Act|url=https://www.rbr.com/house-passes-emergency-alert-focused-readi-act/|access-date=March 11, 2021|website=Radio & Television Business Report|language=en-US|archive-date=November 30, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130172359/https://www.rbr.com/house-passes-emergency-alert-focused-readi-act/|url-status=live}}</ref>