1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Local Television Service and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2018 . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Section 307(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 307(b) ) provides that the Federal Communications Commission shall make such distribution of licenses, frequencies, hours of operation, and of power among the several States and communities as to provide a fair, efficient, and equitable distribution of radio service to each of the same . (2) In 1982, Congress added section 331(a) to such Act ( 47 U.S.C. 331(a) ) with the clear intent of providing high quality, competitive, commercial very high frequency (VHF) television service identifiable as such to the public in States without VHF television service. Such section was adopted, in part, to address the need for focused local news and emergency information in States without dedicated VHF television service, and as important, without an in-State Nielsen designated market area with the usual accompaniment of stations affiliated with the major networks and oriented toward local news. (3) Key reasons for ensuring that a VHF station’s virtual major channel number matches its radio frequency channel number when allocated pursuant to such section 331(a) include the following: (A) More comprehensive deployment of the Emergency Alert System. (B) Increased public awareness through ongoing, over-the-air education of crisis management by Federal, State, and local officials. (C) Augmented public emergency preparedness. (D) Enhanced focus and in-State coordination of communications to facilitate improved public responsiveness to calls for action from alerts issued through the Emergency Alert System, whether local, State, or national in origination. (E) Continuing comprehensive local news reports and dissemination of pertinent emergency management information within a State to which a VHF station relocates during and following such alerts. (F) Ensuring viewers will know to select the proper VHF antenna for