[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4942 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 4942


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 27, 2006

                                Received

                           November 13, 2006

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                          Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT



  To establish a capability and office to promote cooperation between 
   entities of the United States and its allies in the global war on 
terrorism for the purpose of engaging in cooperative endeavors focused 
 on the research, development, and commercialization of high-priority 
technologies intended to detect, prevent, respond to, recover from, and 
 mitigate against acts of terrorism and other high consequence events 
and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local 
                              governments.

    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 ``Promoting Antiterrorism Capabilities 
Through International Cooperation Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The development and implementation of technology is 
        critical to combating terrorism and other high consequence 
        events and implementing a comprehensive homeland security 
        strategy.
            (2) The United States and its allies in the global war on 
        terrorism share a common interest in facilitating research, 
        development, testing, and evaluation of technologies that will 
        aid in detecting, preventing, responding to, recovering from, 
        and mitigating against acts of terrorism.
            (3) Certain United States allies in the global war on 
        terrorism, including Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, 
        Australia, and Singapore have extensive experience with, and 
        technological expertise in, homeland security.
            (4) The United States and certain of its allies in the 
        global war on terrorism have a history of successful 
        collaboration in developing mutually beneficial technologies in 
        the areas of defense, agriculture, and telecommunications.
            (5) The United States and its allies in the global war on 
        terrorism will mutually benefit from the sharing of 
        technological expertise to combat domestic and international 
        terrorism.
            (6) The establishment of a program to facilitate and 
        support cooperative endeavors between and among government 
        agencies, for-profit business entities, academic institutions, 
        and nonprofit entities of the United States and its allies will 
        safeguard lives and property worldwide against acts of 
        terrorism and other high consequence events.

SEC. 3. PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACT.

    (a) In General.--The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by 
inserting after section 313 (6 U.S.C. 193) the following new section:

``SEC. 314. PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director 
        selected under subsection (c)(1).
            ``(2) International cooperative activities.--The term 
        `international cooperative activities' includes--
                    ``(A) coordinated research projects, joint research 
                projects, or joint ventures;
                    ``(B) joint studies or technical demonstrations;
                    ``(C) coordinated field exercises, scientific 
                seminars, conferences, symposia, and workshops;
                    ``(D) training of scientists and engineers;
                    ``(E) visits and exchanges of scientists, 
                engineers, or other appropriate personnel;
                    ``(F) exchanges or sharing of scientific and 
                technological information; and
                    ``(G) joint use of laboratory facilities and 
                equipment.
            ``(3) Under secretary.--The term `Under Secretary' means 
        the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            ``(4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
    ``(b) International Cooperative Activities.--
            ``(1) Authorization.--The Under Secretary is authorized to 
        carry out international cooperative activities to support the 
        responsibilities specified under section 302.
            ``(2) Mechanisms and equitability.--In carrying out this 
        section, the Under Secretary may award grants to and enter into 
        cooperative agreements or contracts with United States 
        governmental organizations, businesses, federally funded 
        research and development centers, institutions of higher 
        education, and foreign public or private entities. The Under 
        Secretary shall ensure that funding and resources expended in 
        international cooperative activities will be equitably matched 
        by the foreign partner organization through direct funding or 
        funding of complementary activities, or through provision of 
        staff, facilities, materials, or equipment.
            ``(3) Cooperation.--The Under Secretary is authorized to 
        conduct international cooperative activities jointly with other 
        agencies.
            ``(4) Foreign partners.--Under this section, the Under 
        Secretary may form partnerships with United States allies in 
        the global war on terrorism, including Israel, the United 
        Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and other countries as 
        appropriate.
            ``(5) Exotic diseases.--As part of the international 
        cooperative activities authorized in this section, the Under 
        Secretary may facilitate the development of information sharing 
        and other types of cooperative mechanisms with foreign 
        countries, including nations in Africa, to strengthen American 
        preparedness against threats to the Nation's agricultural and 
        public health sectors from exotic diseases.
    ``(c) Program and Director.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Under Secretary shall establish 
        the Science and Technology Homeland Security International 
        Cooperative Program to facilitate international cooperative 
        activities throughout the Science and Technology Directorate. 
        The Program shall be headed by a Director, who shall be 
        selected by and shall report to the Under Secretary.
            ``(2) Responsibilities of the director.--
                    ``(A) Development of mechanisms.--The Director 
                shall be responsible for developing, in consultation 
                with the Department of State and in coordination with 
                other Federal agencies, mechanisms and legal frameworks 
                to allow and to support international cooperative 
                activities in support of homeland security research.
                    ``(B) Identification of partners.--The Director 
                shall facilitate the matching of United States entities 
                engaged in homeland security research with non-United 
                States entities engaged in homeland security research 
                so that they may partner in homeland security research 
                activities.
                    ``(C) Coordination.--The Director shall ensure that 
                the activities under this subsection are coordinated 
                with those of other components of the Department and of 
                other relevant research agencies.
                    ``(D) Conferences and workshops.--The Director, 
                periodically, shall support the planning and execution 
                of international homeland security technology workshops 
                and conferences to improve contact among the 
                international community of technology developers and to 
                help establish direction for future technology goals.
            ``(3) Program manager authority.--This subsection shall not 
        be construed to limit the ability of a program manager to 
        initiate or carry out international cooperative activities 
        provided that such activities are appropriately coordinated 
        with the Program established under this subsection.
    ``(d) Budget Allocation.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
to the Secretary, to be derived from amounts otherwise authorized for 
the Directorate of Science and Technology, $25,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2007 through 2010 for activities under this section.
    ``(e) Report to Congress on International Cooperative Activities.--
            ``(1) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date of enactment of this section, the Under Secretary, acting 
        through the Director, shall transmit to the Congress a report 
        containing--
                    ``(A) a brief description of each partnership 
                formed under subsection (b)(4), including the 
                participants, goals, and amount and sources of funding; 
                and
                    ``(B) a list of international cooperative 
                activities underway, including the participants, goals, 
                expected duration, and amount and sources of funding, 
                including resources provided to support the activities 
                in lieu of direct funding.
            ``(2) Updates.--At the end of the fiscal year that occurs 5 
        years after the transmittal of the report under subsection (a), 
        and every 5 years thereafter, the Under Secretary, acting 
        through the Director, shall transmit to the Congress an update 
        of the report required under subsection (a).''.
    (b) Table of Contents Amendment.--The table of contents of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by adding after the item 
relating to section 313 the following new item:

``Sec. 314. Promoting antiterrorism through international cooperation 
                            program.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 26, 2006.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.