[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 44 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 44

     To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish an 
independent panel to assess the homeland security needs of the National 
                            Capital Region.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2005

   Mr. Bartlett of Maryland introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish an 
independent panel to assess the homeland security needs of the National 
                            Capital Region.

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

SECTION 1. HOMELAND SECURITY NEEDS OF NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION.

    (a) Establishment of Independent Panel.--The Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall establish an independent panel to assess the homeland 
security needs of the National Capital Region.
    (b) Duties of Panel.--The panel shall--
            (1) evaluate the definition of National Capital Region used 
        by the Department of Homeland Security to determine whether the 
        definition should be modified to include additional areas, 
        including jurisdictions in the States of Maryland and Virginia 
        along Interstate Routes 270, 95, and 66;
            (2) determine whether jurisdictions in the States of 
        Maryland and Virginia along Interstate Routes 270, 95, and 66 
        should be taking actions to prepare for the possibility of a 
        terrorist attack in the National Capital Region, including the 
        construction of facilities to accommodate the needs of the 
        National Capital Region in the event of a terrorist attack; and
            (3) if the panel determines under paragraph (2) that 
        actions should be taken by jurisdictions along Interstate 
        Routes 270, 95, and 66, make recommendations for appropriate 
        funding to permit the actions to be taken as expeditiously as 
        possible.
    (c) Composition of Panel.--The panel shall include representatives 
of the jurisdictions that comprise the National Capital Region and the 
jurisdictions to be considered for inclusion in the National Capital 
Region under subsection (b)(1).
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
the first meeting of the panel, the panel shall transmit to the 
Secretary and Congress a report containing the recommendations of the 
panel.
                                 <all>