The Senate Commerce Committee marked up a bill (S-385) Tues. to i...

how the govt. is to manage the $1 billion grant program established under the DTV fund. S-385 calls for $100 million of the $1 billion to be set aside as a “strategic technology reserve” for an emergency or major disaster. The bill would award grants no later than Sept. 30, “subject to the receipt of qualified applications as determined by the Assistant Secretary.” To qualify for grants, public safety agencies must base their cases upon “threat and risk factors that reflect an all-hazards approach to communications preparedness,” the bill says. Some states have said grants should be based only on location. The bill would direct the FCC to evaluate and report to Congress on the technical feasibility of creating a backup emergency communications system that complements existing communications resources and takes into account next generation technologies. Under amendments adopted, the bill would include software and services among categories of eligible assistance, as well as interim or long-term IP-based interoperable solutions. Another amendment would ensure that final rules for implementations would be issued within 90 days of enactment. Separately, the committee marked up without debate the 911 Modernization bill (S-93), which would allow NTIA to borrow against anticipated receipts of the DTV fund up to $43.5 million to become 911 compliant. The bill calls for the Commerce Dept. to issue regulations “updating the criteria to provide priority for public safety answering points not capable” of receiving 911 calls.