Federal Communications Commission	DA 21-378


DA 21-378
Released:  March 31, 2021

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES 
COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DATES FOR THE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING AND NOTICE OF INQUIRY ON EAS AND WEA IMPROVEMENT 

PS Docket Nos. 15-94 and 15-91

NPRM Comments Due:  April 20, 2021
NPRM Reply Comments Due:  May 4, 2021

NOI Comments Due: May 14, 2021
NOI Reply Comments Due: June 14, 2021

	On March 17, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry (NPRM and NOI) seeking comment on proposed rules and an inquiry to improve the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts System (WEA), as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Amendment of Part 11 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System; Wireless Emergency Alerts, PS Docket Nos. 15-94 and 15-91, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry, FCC 21-36 (March 17, 2021) (NPRM and NOI); National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Pub. L. 116-283, 134 Stat. 3388, § 9201 (NDAA21).
  The NPRM proposes rules that would ensure that mobile devices cannot opt-out of receiving WEA alerts from the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, adopt additional requirements for State Emergency Communications Committees and State EAS Plans, establish a false alert reporting system for certain government entities, and require the repeating of certain EAS messages.  The NOI seeks comment on the feasibility of updating EAS to enable or improve alerts to consumers provided through the Internet, including from streaming services.  The NPRM and NOI set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments for the NPRM at 21 and 35 days, respectively, and for the NOI at 45 and 75 days, respectively, after publication of a summary of each in the Federal Register. NPRM and NOI at 1. 
 

	On March 30, 2021, the Office of the Federal Register published a summary of the NPRM and NOI, including the associated comment and reply comment dates. 86 FR 16565 (March 30, 2021). 
  Accordingly, NPRM comments and reply comments must be filed on or before April 20, 2021 and May 4, 2021, respectively, and NOI comments and reply comments must be filed on or before May 14, 2021 and June 14, 2021, respectively.  The NPRM and NOI contains the comment filing instructions. NPRM and NOI at 29-30, paras. 72-76. 
  
For further information on the NPRM and NOI, contact Chris Fedeli, Attorney Advisor, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, (202) 418-1514 or via e-mail at Christopher.Fedeli@fcc.gov. 

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