6 U.S.C. § 195a — Emergency communications interoperability research and development

(a) In general. The Under Secretary for Science and Technology, working through the Director of the Office for Interoperability and Compatibility, must build a full research and development program to support: (1) the ability of emergency responders and relevant officials to keep communicating during natural disasters, terrorism, and other man-made disasters; and (2) interoperable emergency communications among responders and officials — including by (A) funding competitive research, including through the Science and Technology Directorate and the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency, and (B) considering setting up a Center of Excellence, under the Department's Centers of Excellence Program, focused on improving how emergency responders communicate. (b) Purposes. This program's goals include: (1) supporting research, development, testing, and evaluation of emergency communication tools; (2) understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the public safety communications systems already in use; (3) studying how current and new technology can make responders more effective, and how governments at every level can use it well and affordably; (4) investigating technologies that could lead to major long-term improvements, and supporting research into big potential systemic changes; and (5) evaluating and confirming advanced technology ideas, and helping deploy interoperable emergency communication tools. (c) Definitions. In this section, "interoperable," as it applies to emergency communications, means whatever it means in section 578 of this title.