Rep. John E. Bradley

Filed: 2/28/2012

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5528

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5528 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the First
5Informer Broadcasters Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions.
7    "Broadcaster" means a radio broadcasting station, cable
8operator, or other video service provider or television
9broadcasting station primarily engaged in, and deriving income
10from, the business of facilitating speech via over-the-air
11communications, both as to pure speech and commercial speech.
12    "First informer broadcaster" means a person who has been
13certified as a first informer broadcaster pursuant to Section
1415 of this Act.
 
15    Section 10. Broadcasters. Broadcasters in this State

 

 

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1shall, in cooperation with the Illinois Emergency Management
2Agency and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, or its
3successor organization, develop comprehensive, coordinated
4plans for preparing for and responding appropriately to an
5emergency or disaster.
 
6    Section 15. First informer broadcasters; training and
7certification.
8    (a) The Illinois Broadcasters Association, or its
9successor organization, the Cable Television and
10Communications Association of Illinois, or its successor
11organization, any member of the Illinois Broadcasters
12Association, Cable Television and Communications Association
13of Illinois, or its successor organization, and any other
14provider of emergency broadcasts, including, without
15limitation, a provider who uses emerging technologies, may
16establish a program for training and certifying broadcast
17engineers and technical personnel as first response
18broadcasters. Each program established pursuant to this
19subsection must:
20        (i) be consistent with federal law and guidelines;
21        (ii) provide training and education concerning
22    restoring, repairing and resupplying any facilities and
23    equipment of a broadcaster in an area affected by an
24    emergency or disaster; and
25        (iii) provide training and education concerning the

 

 

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1    personal safety of a first informer broadcaster in an area
2    affected by an emergency or disaster.
3    (b) To the extent practicable and consistent with not
4endangering public safety or inhibiting recovery efforts,
5State and local governmental agencies shall allow a first
6informer broadcaster access to an area affected by an emergency
7or disaster for the purpose of restoring, repairing, or
8resupplying any facility or equipment critical to the ability
9of a broadcaster to acquire, produce, and transmit essential
10emergency or disaster-related public information programming,
11including, without limitation, repairing and maintaining
12transmitters and generators, and transporting fuel for
13generators.
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.".