[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 659 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 659

To improve the programs of the Department of Homeland Security relating 
         to trained detection canines, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 24, 2007

 Mr. Rogers of Alabama (for himself, Mr. Carney, Mr. King of New York, 
 and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which 
           was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To improve the programs of the Department of Homeland Security relating 
         to trained detection canines, 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 ``Canine Detection Team Improvement 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. CANINE DETECTION TEAM IMPROVEMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second title XVIII as title XIX; 
        and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

                  ``TITLE XX--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

                  ``Subtitle A--Canine Detection Teams

``SEC. 2001. COORDINATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF CANINE DETECTION TEAM 
              TRAINING.

    ``The Secretary shall--
            ``(1) fully coordinate the canine training programs of the 
        Department, including the research and development of new 
        canine training methods, including the optimum number and type 
        of training aids and research on all measurements for 
        efficiency and effectiveness; and
            ``(2) ensure that the Department is maximizing its use of 
        existing training facilities and resources to train canines 
        throughout the year.

``SEC. 2002. CANINE PROCUREMENT.

    ``The Secretary shall--
            ``(1) make it a priority to increase the number of 
        domestically bred canines used by the Department to assist in 
        its counter-terrorism mission, including the protection of 
        ports of entry and along the United States border;
            ``(2) increase the utilization of domestically bred canines 
        from universities and private and nonprofit sources in the 
        United States; and
            ``(3) consult with other Federal, State, and local 
        agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private 
        entities that use detection canines, such as those 
        participating in the Scientific Working Group on Dog and 
        Orthogonal Detector Guidelines (popularly known as `SWGDOG'), 
        as well as 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.

``SEC. 2003. DOMESTIC CANINE BREEDING GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary shall establish a 
competitive grant program for domestic breeders of canines. The purpose 
of the grant program shall be to encourage the development and growth 
of targeted breeding programs that are best suited for breeding canines 
for detection purposes within the United States.
    ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2008 through 2012.

``SEC. 2004. HOMELAND SECURITY CANINE DETECTION ACCREDITATION BOARD.

    ``(a) Establishment of Accreditation Board.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        on which the national voluntary consensus standards referred to 
        in subsection (b)(1) are issued, the Secretary, in consultation 
        with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the 
        Attorney General, shall establish a Homeland Security Canine 
        Detection Accreditation Board to develop and implement a 
        process for certifying compliance with such standards.
            ``(2) Membership.--The membership of the Accreditation 
        Board shall consist of experts in the fields of canine training 
        and explosives detection from Federal and State agencies, 
        universities, other research institutions, and the private 
        sector, such as those represented on the Executive Board of 
        SWGDOG.
    ``(b) Accreditation Process.--The Accreditation Board shall 
establish and implement a voluntary accreditation process to--
            ``(1) certify that persons conducting certification of 
        canine detection teams appropriately ensure that the canine 
        detection teams meet the national voluntary consensus standards 
        for canines, handlers, and trainers developed by SWGDOG;
            ``(2) ensure that canine detection teams do not put public 
        safety and the safety of law enforcement personnel at risk due 
        to fraud or weaknesses in the initial or maintenance training 
        curriculum; and
            ``(3) maintain and update a public list of entities 
        accredited by the Department to certify canine detection teams.
    ``(c) Compliance With Standards.--Beginning not later than the date 
that is 180 days after the date on which the standards referred to in 
subsection (b)(1) are issued, the Secretary shall require that grant 
funds administered by the Department may not be used to acquire a 
canine detection team unless--
            ``(1) the canine detection team is certified under the 
        process established under subsection (b); or
            ``(2) the Secretary determines that the applicant has shown 
        special circumstances that justify the acquisition of canines 
        that are not certified under the process established under 
        subsection (b).

``SEC. 2005. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subtitle:
            ``(1) Canine detection team.--The term `canine detection 
        team' means a canine and a canine handler.
            ``(2) Certifying entity.--The term `certifying entity' 
        means an entity that oversees the processes and procedures used 
        to train and test canine detection teams.
            ``(3) SWGDOG.--The term `SWGDOG' means the Scientific 
        Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Detector Guidelines.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections in section 1(b) of 
such Act is amended by striking the items relating to the second title 
XVIII and adding at the end the following:

             ``TITLE XIX--DOMESTIC NUCLEAR DETECTION OFFICE

``Sec. 1901. Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
``Sec. 1902. Mission of Office.
``Sec. 1903. Hiring authority.
``Sec. 1904. Testing authority.
``Sec. 1905. Relationship to other Department entities and Federal 
                            agencies.
``Sec. 1906. Contracting and grant making authorities.
                  ``TITLE XX--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

                  ``Subtitle A--Canine Detection Teams

``Sec. 2001. Coordination and enhancement of canine detection team 
                            training.
``Sec. 2002. Canine procurement.
``Sec. 2003. Domestic canine breeding grant program.
``Sec. 2004. Homeland Security Canine Detection Accreditation Board.
``Sec. 2005. Definitions.''.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 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 on the plan of the Secretary to coordinate and consolidate the 
canine training and related programs of the Department of Homeland 
Security in accordance with section 2001 of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002, as added by subsection (a).
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