Tuesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (ALERT) Act, which aims to improve the emergency system and give the federal government the primary responsibility of alerting the public of a missile threat.

This comes after a false emergency alert went out across Hawaii on January 13. 

State and local governments are usually responsible for alerting the public to natural disaster and severe weather threats.  

The bill will now go to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.