[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3644 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3644

To establish a technology, equipment, and information transfer program 
              within the Department of Homeland Security.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 2003

Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Andrews) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, and in 
   addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, 
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Select Homeland Security, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a technology, equipment, and information transfer program 
              within the Department of Homeland Security.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Homeland Security Technology 
Improvement Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 313 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 193) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) The establishment of a multi-agency homeland security 
        technology, equipment, and information transfer program to 
        allow for the transfer of technology, equipment, and 
        information to State, regional, and local fire, emergency 
        medical service, and law enforcement agencies.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Technology Transfer Program.--In developing the program 
described under subsection (b)(6), the Secretary, acting through the 
Under Secretary for Science and Technology shall--
            ``(1) in close cooperation with the Office of Domestic 
        Preparedness, conduct, on an ongoing basis--
                    ``(A) research and development of new technologies;
                    ``(B) surveys and reviews of available appropriate 
                technologies; and
                    ``(C) tests, evaluations, and demonstrations of new 
                and available technologies that significantly improve 
                the capability of fire, emergency medical service, and 
                law enforcement agencies in countering terrorist 
                threats and traditional threats not related to 
                terrorism;
            ``(2) in support of the activities described in paragraph 
        (1)--
                    ``(A) consult with State, regional, and local fire, 
                emergency medical service, and law enforcement agencies 
                and others determined by the Secretary, including the 
                advisory committee established under section 430(d);
                    ``(B) work with the National Institute of Standards 
                and Technology and any other office or agency 
                determined by the Secretary;
                    ``(C) at the discretion of the Secretary, enter 
                into agreements and coordinate with other Federal 
                agencies to maximize the effectiveness of the 
                technologies, equipment, and information; and
                    ``(D) utilize existing technology transfer centers 
                and Federal and State training centers that test, 
                evaluate, and transfer military and other technologies 
                for use by the first responder community;
            ``(3) provide a comprehensive list of available 
        technologies, equipment, and information to the Office for 
        Domestic Preparedness which shall administer a technology 
        transfer program described under section 430(d); and
            ``(4) work with the Secretary of Defense to identify, 
        evaluate, deploy, and transfer to Federal, State, regional, and 
        local fire, emergency medical service, and law enforcement 
        personnel, Department of Defense technologies and equipment for 
        homeland security purposes, pursuant to section 1401 of the Bob 
        Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
        2003.''.
    (b) Office for Domestic Preparedness.--Section 430 of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 238) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Technology, Equipment, and Information Transfer Program.--
            ``(1) Administration.--The Director of the Office for 
        Domestic Preparedness, in coordination with the Under Secretary 
        for Science and Technology, shall establish and administer a 
        technology transfer program through which the Director shall--
                    ``(A) make the counterterrorism and nonterrorism 
                response technology, equipment, and information 
                available to State, regional, and local fire, emergency 
                medical service, and law enforcement agencies each year 
                based on--
                            ``(i) the comprehensive list of available 
                        technologies, equipment, and information 
                        described under section 313(c); and
                            ``(ii) the needs identified by the advisory 
                        committee established under this subsection;
                    ``(B) consult with State, regional, and local fire, 
                emergency medical service, and law enforcement agencies 
                and others, as determined by the Secretary;
                    ``(C) accept applications from the head of State, 
                regional, and local fire, emergency medical service, 
                and law enforcement agencies that wish to acquire such 
                technologies, equipment, and information to improve the 
                homeland security capabilities of those agencies, and 
                review these applications with the advisory committee 
                established under this subsection; and
                    ``(D) transfer the approved technology, equipment, 
                and information and provide the appropriate training to 
                the State, regional, or local fire, emergency medical 
                service, and law enforcement agencies to implement such 
                technology, equipment, and information.
            ``(2) Technology transfer advisory committee.--Under the 
        authority of section 871, the Secretary, acting through the 
        Director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness, shall 
        establish an advisory committee, or designate an existing 
        advisory committee comprised of retired and active duty State, 
        regional, and local fire, emergency medical service, and law 
        enforcement officers, to advise the Director of the Office for 
        Domestic Preparedness and the Under Secretary for Science and 
        Technology regarding the homeland security technology transfer 
        program established under this subsection.
            ``(3) Limitation on administration expenditure.--Not more 
        than 10 percent of the budget of the technology, equipment, and 
        information transfer program established under this subsection 
        may be used for administrative expenses.
            ``(4) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of the 
        fiscal years 2005 through 2014 to carry out this subsection.''.
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