[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6098 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 6098


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 2008

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
  To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the financial 
    assistance provided to State, local, and tribal governments for 
        information sharing activities, 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 ``Personnel Reimbursement for 
Intelligence Cooperation and Enhancement of Homeland Security Act'' or 
the ``PRICE of Homeland Security Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, 
        State, local, and tribal governments redoubled their efforts to 
        combat terrorism and expended tremendous energy and financial 
        resources to help the Federal Government fight the terrorist 
        threat.
            (2) States and localities have formed fusion centers, hired 
        intelligence analysts, and contributed a significant amount of 
        resources to the expansion of Federal homeland security 
        efforts.
            (3) These actions, in conjunction with the efforts of the 
        Federal Government and private industry, have materially 
        contributed to the common defense of this Nation and have 
        helped keep our homeland secure.
            (4) The National Strategy for Information Sharing issued by 
        the President in October 2007 plainly states that ``The Federal 
        Government may need to provide financial and technical 
        assistance, as well as human resource support, to these fusion 
        centers if they are to achieve and sustain a baseline level of 
        capability. The objective is to assist State and local 
        governments in the establishment and the sustained operation of 
        these fusion centers. A sustained Federal partnership with 
        State and major urban area fusion centers is critical to the 
        safety of our Nation, and therefore a national priority.''.
            (5) The Federal Government has endeavored to support these 
        State efforts through the State Homeland Security Grant Program 
        and other methods of Federal assistance but have placed 
        restrictions on the use of these funds that make long-term 
        planning for fusion centers unmanageable.
            (6) It is vital to the security of our homeland that States 
        and localities are able to continue to receive funding for the 
        participation of State and local analysts in fusion centers and 
        in their State and local efforts to combat terrorism and 
        terrorist-related activities.

SEC. 3. GRANT ELIGIBILITY FOR ANALYSTS.

    Section 2008(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
609(a)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking 
        ``Grants'' and all that follows through ``plans, through'' and 
        inserting the following: ``The Administrator shall permit grant 
        recipients under section 2003 or 2004 to use grant funds to 
        achieve and sustain target capabilities related to preventing, 
        preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of 
        terrorism, consistent with a State homeland security plan and 
        relevant local, tribal, and regional homeland security plans, 
        through''; and
            (2) in paragraph (10) by inserting the following after 
        ``analysts'': ``regardless of whether such analysts are current 
        or new full-time employees or contract employees and such 
        funding shall be made available without time limitations placed 
        on the period of time that such analyst can serve under awarded 
        grants.''.

SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS FOR PERSONNEL AND OPERATIONAL COSTS.

    Section 2008(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
609(b)(2)) is amended by striking so much as precedes subparagraph (B) 
and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Personnel and operational costs.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The recipient of a grant under 
                section 2003 or 2004 may, at the recipient's 
                discretion, use up to 50 percent of the amount of the 
                grant awarded for any fiscal year to pay for personnel 
                and operational costs, including overtime and backfill 
                costs, in support of the uses authorized under 
                subsection (a).''.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 29, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.