H.R. 2976: Help Emergency Responders Operate Emergency Systems Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-09-20 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-09-20 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Rothman, Steven R. [D-NJ-9] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. 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

Help Emergency Responders Operate Emergency Systems Act of 2011

Plain summary

Help Emergency Responders Operate Emergency Systems Act of 2011 or the HEROES Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to increase the electromagnetic spectrum allocation for public safety services by 10 megahertz within a specified range and reduce such allocation for commercial use by the same amount. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to license certain paired bands to the public safety broadband licensee (PSBL). Directs the FCC to establish rules to: (1) permit the PSBL to authorize public safety services providers to construct and operate a wireless public safety broadband network in the PSBL's spectrum, and (2) authorize the shared use of public safety broadband spectrum and network infrastructure by non-public safety services and the use of public safety broadband spectrum by emergency response providers. Requires: (1) the FCC to develop a public safety agency statement of requirements enabling nationwide interoperability and roaming across communications systems, and (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish standards for meeting such requirements. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a grant program (a maximum 80% federal share of the costs for each project) to assist public safety entities in constructing a nationwide interoperable broadband network in the 700 megahertz band; (2) administer a program to reimburse up to 50% of network maintenance, operation, and improvement expenses; and (3) establish a narrowbanding compliance assistance program. Requires: (1) the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to reallocate for commercial use spectrum from a specified range, and (2) the FCC to establish rules for pairing spectrum within specified ranges and to auction licenses for such paired spectrum. Extends to September 30, 2020, the FCC's authority to grant a license or permit under applicable competitive bidding provisions. Prohibits a bidder from being deemed ineligible for or excluded from an auction on account of its size or the amount of its other spectrum holdings.

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

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Help Emergency Responders Operate Emergency Systems Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Rothman, Steven R. [D-NJ-9] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

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 (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112hr2976.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/hr>

Record fed-us-cong112-hr2976 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112