Effective 28 Aug 2016

190.260. Citation — definitions — training for broadcast engineers and technical personnel — credentialing — access to disaster areas. — 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "First Informer Broadcasters Act".

2. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:

(1) "Broadcaster", a radio broadcasting station or television broadcasting station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and subject to participation in the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which is primarily engaged in and deriving income from the business of facilitating speech via over-the-air-communications, both as pure speech and commercial speech;

(2) "First informer broadcaster", a person who has been certified as a first informer broadcaster under this section.

3. The department of public safety, in cooperation with any statewide organization or any member of a statewide organization that represents broadcasters, shall establish a program for training and certifying broadcast engineers and technical personnel as first informer broadcasters. Upon completion of the program, broadcasters shall receive statewide recognized credentials to certify that such broadcasters are first informer broadcasters. The program established under this section shall provide training and education concerning:

(1) The restoration, repair, and resupply of any facilities and equipment of a broadcaster in an area affected by an emergency or disaster; and

(2) The personal safety of a first informer broadcaster in an area affected by an emergency or disaster.

4. To the extent practicable and consistent with not endangering public safety or inhibiting recovery efforts, state and local governmental agencies shall allow first informer broadcasters access to areas affected by an emergency or disaster for the purposes of restoring, repairing, or resupplying any facility or equipment critical to the ability of a broadcaster to acquire, produce, and transmit essential emergency or disaster-related public information programming including, without limitation, repairing and maintaining transmitters and generators, and transporting fuel for generators.

5. The statewide association involved in establishing a program in accordance with this section shall pay the costs of developing and implementing the training program.

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(L. 2016 S.B. 732)