Rep. John E. Bradley

Filed: 3/12/2012

 

 


 

 


 
09700HB5528ham003LRB097 17545 KMW 67295 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5528

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5528, AS AMENDED, by
3replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the First
6Informer Broadcasters Act.
 
7    Section 5. Definitions.
8    "Broadcaster" means a radio broadcasting station, cable
9operator, or television broadcasting station primarily engaged
10in, and deriving income from, the business of facilitating
11speech via over-the-air communications, both as to pure speech
12and commercial speech.
13    "First informer broadcaster" means a person who has been
14certified as a first informer broadcaster pursuant to Section
1515 of this Act.
 

 

 

09700HB5528ham003- 2 -LRB097 17545 KMW 67295 a

1    Section 10. Broadcasters. Broadcasters in this State may,
2in cooperation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency
3and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, or its successor
4organization, develop comprehensive, coordinated plans for
5preparing for and responding appropriately to an emergency or
6disaster.
 
7    Section 15. First informer broadcasters; training and
8certification.
9    (a) Any Statewide organization, or any member of a
10Statewide organization, that represents broadcasters, cable
11television communications, or any other provider that uses
12emerging technologies may establish a program for training and
13certifying broadcast engineers and technical personnel as
14first informer broadcasters. Each program established pursuant
15to this subsection must:
16        (i) be consistent with federal law and guidelines;
17        (ii) provide training and education concerning
18    restoring, repairing and resupplying any facilities and
19    equipment of a broadcaster in an area affected by an
20    emergency or disaster; and
21        (iii) provide training and education concerning the
22    personal safety of a first informer broadcaster in an area
23    affected by an emergency or disaster.
24    (b) To the extent practicable and consistent with not
25endangering public safety or inhibiting recovery efforts,

 

 

09700HB5528ham003- 3 -LRB097 17545 KMW 67295 a

1State and local governmental agencies shall allow a first
2informer broadcaster access to an area affected by an emergency
3or disaster for the purpose of restoring, repairing, or
4resupplying any facility or equipment critical to the ability
5of a broadcaster to acquire, produce, and transmit essential
6emergency or disaster-related public information programming,
7including, without limitation, repairing and maintaining
8transmitters and generators, and transporting fuel for
9generators.
 
10    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
11becoming law.".