110 HR 659 IH: To improve the programs of the Department of Homeland U.S. House of Representatives 2007-01-24 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
I 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 659 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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Canine Detection Team Improvement Act of 2007.
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: <enum>XX</enum><header>Miscellaneous provisions</header> <subtitle id="H2ED37BB352C443ADA173F02C38DD5222"><enum>A</enum><header>Canine detection teams</header> <section id="HB52F344A9E5C45188F5317C081BD4F4C"><enum>2001.</enum><header>Coordination and enhancement of canine detection team training</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Secretary shall—</text> <paragraph id="HAAD5E5103D004A71874525D025003340"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H06CA0719866041398043DF94C9EE6D00"><enum>(2)</enum><text>ensure that the Department is maximizing its use of existing training facilities and resources to train canines throughout the year.</text> </paragraph></section><section id="HC321C19D50E84C1FBD7B802F936092FC"><enum>2002.</enum><header>Canine procurement</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Secretary shall—</text> <paragraph id="H4FAFE6C0CCAD4308BF18CDF400E04E2B"><enum>(1)</enum><text>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;</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HF80561A1DAF9448ABB9E1FBE170644A"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">increase the utilization of domestically bred canines from universities and private and nonprofit sources in the United States; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H44AE055FF96B4B5C97F45DCF37019FC5"><enum>(3)</enum><text>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.</text> </paragraph></section><section id="H13EE288C8D8B4329B2076800C913CA54"><enum>2003.</enum><header>Domestic canine breeding grant program</header> <subsection id="H614D9DF01C184183B3BF9BAFCC41ED62"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment of program</header><text>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.</text> </subsection><subsection id="H98C0352A632A4F689F9FE989A6B3DC27"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text>There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.</text> </subsection></section><section id="H6F1E93BBBA724CBEA3EDE9D5E5FB8243"><enum>2004.</enum><header>Homeland Security Canine Detection Accreditation Board</header> <subsection id="H3B5F04C4C5FB4E7FA8569445261FA698"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Establishment of Accreditation Board</header> <paragraph id="H6BE89934C7EA49698D65C6AA0260865B"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>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.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H3AC1565A2B0C4768A24ED333A755DBE0"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Membership</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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.</text> </paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H3C3D7515B9114262967FA879FFA64D56"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Accreditation process</header><text>The Accreditation Board shall establish and implement a voluntary accreditation process to—</text> <paragraph id="HA6E971D60F5845D0AD14B68DB8B653F"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">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;</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H2CEC0F6451DB41BB920447F408EA128"><enum>(2)</enum><text>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</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="HD936021BEAD54A11B6F1E3C7D83EF8E"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">maintain and update a public list of entities accredited by the Department to certify canine detection teams.</text> </paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HB90CE0C8D9164A8CAEF8BA00DF9D0300"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Compliance with standards</header><text>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—</text> <paragraph id="H007403A594CD4B5382D0E4003FAF7382"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the canine detection team is certified under the process established under subsection (b); or</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H9C295FB247BE4872B46726D370978FEE"><enum>(2)</enum><text>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).</text> </paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H4939A3CE7F9D43BE97C5E0002F8F346"><enum>2005.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this subtitle:</text> <paragraph id="H09094613A47649C5B8E28E4C4160FC31"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Canine detection team</header><text>The term <quote>canine detection team</quote> means a canine and a canine handler.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H2307759537B54F039B4DB87EFDCCC96E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Certifying entity</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <quote>certifying entity</quote> means an entity that oversees the processes and procedures used to train and test canine detection teams.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="H39E8E4357605474EA1DB1D8CDCF12B40"><enum>(3)</enum><header>SWGDOG</header><text>The term <quote>SWGDOG</quote> means the Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Detector Guidelines.</text> </paragraph></section></subtitle>. (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).