ACCEPTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES.

SEC. 1051. ACCEPTANCE OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT PROVIDED BY LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES. (a) Authority.—Chapter 155 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:118 STAT. 2054 “§ 2613. Emergency communications equipment: acceptance from local public safety agencies for temporary use related to disasters“(a) Authority to Accept Equipment.—(1) Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary concerned—“(1) may accept communications equipment for use in coordinating joint response and recovery operations with public safety agencies in the event of a disaster; and“(2) may accept services related to the operation and maintenance of such equipment.“(b) Regulations.—The authority under subsection (a) shall be exercised under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.“(c) Limitations.—(1) Equipment may be accepted under subsection (a)(1) only to the extent that communications equipment under the control of the Secretary concerned at the potential disaster response site is inadequate to meet military requirements for communicating with public safety agencies during the period of response to the disaster.“(2) Services may be accepted under subsection (a)(2) related to the operation and maintenance of communications equipment only to the extent that the necessary capabilities are not available to the military commander having custody of the equipment.“(c) Liability.—A person providing services accepted under this section may not be considered, by reason of the provision of such services, to be an officer, employee, or agent of the United States for any purpose.” .(b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: “2613. Emergency communications equipment: acceptance from local public safety agencies for temporary use related to disasters.”.