S. 2696: U.S. Homeland Security Signal Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2004-07-20 · Emergency Management · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

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Where it came from: introduced 2004-07-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

U.S. Homeland Security Signal Act of 2004

Plain summary

U.S. Homeland Security Signal Act of 2004 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish, within the Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response, a Homeland Security Signal Corps, comprised of specially trained emergency personnel, to: (1) ensure that first responders can communicate with one another, mobile command centers, headquarters, and the public at disaster sites or in the event of a terrorist attack or a national crisis; (2) provide sufficient training and equipment to enable fire and police units to deal with all threats and contingencies in any environment; and (3) secure joint-use equipment that can access surviving telephone land lines to supplement communications access. Directs the Signal Corps to establish a set of standard operating procedures that will ensure that first responders from each Federal, State, and local agency have the methods and means to communicate with, or substitute for, first responders from other agencies in the event of a multi-state terrorist attack or a national crisis. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Secretary to establish a demonstration signal corps in New York City to ensure communications connectivity between New York's police and fire departments and to serve as a model for other major metropolitan areas. Directs: (1) the Mayor of New York to appoint team captains to command communications companies drawn from such personnel; and (2) the Signal Corps Headquarters, located in Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, to provide technical assistance to the demonstration signal corps.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

U.S. Homeland Security Signal Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] reported raising $1.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

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Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108s2696.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/s>

Record fed-us-cong108-s2696 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108