[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4285 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4285

 To increase the number of trained detection canines of the Department 
             of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 9, 2005

   Mr. Rogers of Alabama (for himself, Mr. McCaul of Texas, and Mr. 
   Pearce) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on 
the Judiciary and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 increase the number of trained detection canines of the Department 
             of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Detection Canine Augmentation Act 
of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Detection canines are an important part of a layered 
        homeland security system to prepare for, respond to, mitigate 
        against, and prevent acts of terrorism.
            (2) Detection canines can be deployed quickly and can move 
        easily throughout a variety of areas, including mass transit 
        systems, airports, cargo areas, sea ports, the Nation's 
        borders, ports of entry, office buildings, and stadiums.
            (3) Detection canines can be trained to detect a variety of 
        items, such as explosives, narcotics, concealed humans, and 
        cadavers.
            (4) Detection canines can be utilized in situations where 
        detection technologies are unavailable, immobile, or not cost-
        effective.
            (5) There is a shortage of detection canines available to 
        assist Federal, State, and local law enforcement personnel as 
        they put their lives at risk daily to protect the Nation.
            (6) The Congress has authorized 2,000 new Border Patrol 
        agents for each of the next 5 years without a corresponding 
        increase in the number of detection canines deployed with these 
        Border Patrol agents.
            (7) Detection canines have been deployed to the Nation's 
        busiest airports. However, the Transportation Security 
        Administration must increase the capacity of its canine 
        training program in order to train and deploy canines to the 
        Nation's mass transit systems.
            (8) Urban search and rescue canines and cadaver detection 
        canines were used effectively in the Gulf Coast region to 
        respond to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
            (9) The Bureau of United States Customs and Border 
        Protection, the United States Secret Service, the Coast Guard, 
        and the Federal Protective Service regularly use detection 
        canines to secure National Special Security Events, protect 
        Federal buildings and their occupants, and protect the Nation's 
        sea ports.
            (10) The Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and 
        Oversight of the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
        Representatives held a hearing on September 28, 2005, regarding 
        the use of detection canines in support of homeland security 
        activities. At the hearing, Subcommittee Members were informed 
        by several Federal agencies, a local transit police department, 
        a private canine security company, and a university-based 
        canine training center that there is a shortage of trained 
        detection canines.

SEC. 3. INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TRAINED DETECTION CANINES.

    In each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall, subject to the availability of appropriations 
for such purpose, increase the number of trained detection canines as 
follows:
            (1) Customs and border protection.--Increase by not less 
        than 25 percent the number of trained canine detection teams 
        deployed at and between the Nation's ports of entry.
            (2) Transportation security administration.--Increase by 
        not less than 25 percent the number of trained detection 
        canines deployed at the Nation's airports and mass transit 
        systems.
            (3) Coast guard, united states secret service, federal 
        protective service, and federal emergency management agency.--
        Increase by not less than 25 percent the number of trained 
        detection canine teams available to Coast Guard stations, 
        Secret Service operations, and Federal Protective Service 
        operations across the country, and to the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency to ensure their availability as needed in 
        emergencies.

SEC. 4. COORDINATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF CANINE TRAINING PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
            (1) fully coordinate the Department of Homeland Security's 
        canine training programs that support the Department's counter-
        terrorism, counter-smuggling, transportation security, border 
        security, and other missions, including with respect to the 
        research and development of new training methods;
            (2) ensure that the Department is maximizing its use of 
        existing training facilities and resources to train canines 
        throughout the year; and
            (3) consider ways to use detection canines trained by other 
        Federal agencies, non-profit organizations, universities, and 
        private training facilities in order to increase the number of 
        trained detection canines available to Federal, State, and 
        local law enforcement agencies.
    (b) Report.--The Secretary shall report to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate within 120 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act regarding the 
Department's plan to coordinate and consolidate its canine training 
programs. The report shall include how the Department will increase 
coordination with other Federal agencies, such as the Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the Department of Justice, 
that operate canine training programs.

SEC. 5. CANINE PROCUREMENT.

    The Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
            (1) make it a priority to increase the number of 
        domestically bred canines used by the Department of Homeland 
        Security to assist in its counter-terrorism mission, including 
        the protection of ports of entry and along the United States 
        border; and
            (2) consult with other Federal agencies that use canines 
        and the Office of Management and Budget to encourage domestic 
        breeding of canines and consolidate canine procurement, where 
        possible, across the Federal Government to reduce the cost of 
        purchasing canines.
                                 <all>