H.R. 1076 — WARN Act

This section establishes the short title of the Act as the “Weather Alert Response and Notification Act” or the “WARN Act.”

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the effectiveness of local, State, territorial, and Federal emergency alerting systems in disseminating timely and relevant information during weather-related emergencies. As background, emergency alerting systems include tools such as outdoor sirens, social media, and other public warning platforms used to notify communities about hazards and protective actions. The study must (1) evaluate the effectiveness of various alert mediums, including social media, for disseminating emergency alerts during extreme weather events, including travel bans and mass power outages; (2) assess the extent to which guidance and training exist for developing alert content that is clear, relevant, and actionable; and (3) determine whether improvements could be made to public alerting, including outdoor siren systems, based on input from a selected sample of emergency managers, local officials, and community groups. This section also requires the Comptroller General to submit a report on the study to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the House Committee on Homeland Security, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.