Office for State and Local Law Enforcement

Section 2006 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 607) is amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:

(b)

Office for State and local law enforcement

(1)

Establishment

There is established in the Office of the Secretary an Office for State and Local Law Enforcement, which shall be headed by an Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement. (2)

Qualifications

The Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement shall have an appropriate background with experience in law enforcement, intelligence, and other antiterrorist functions. (3)

Assignment of personnel

The Secretary may assign to the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement permanent staff and other appropriate personnel detailed from other components of the Department to carry out the responsibilities under this subsection. (4)

Responsibilities

The Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement shall— (A)lead the coordination of Department-wide policies relating to the role of State and local law enforcement in preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters within the United States; (B)serve as a liaison between State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and the Department; (C)work with the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to ensure the intelligence and information sharing requirements of State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies are being addressed; (D)work with the Administrator to ensure that homeland security grants to State, local, and tribal government agencies, including grants under sections 2003 and 2004 and subsection (a) of this section, the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program, and grants to support fusion centers and other law enforcement-oriented programs, are adequately focused on terrorism prevention activities; (E)coordinate, in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, information sharing and fusion center training, technical assistance, and other information sharing activities to ensure needs of State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and fusion centers are being met, including the development of a Law Enforcement Information Sharing Resource Center under paragraph (6); (F)carry out, in coordination with the Administrator, the National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program established under paragraph (5); and (G)coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Justice, the National Institute of Justice, law enforcement organizations, and other appropriate entities to support the development, promulgation, and updating, as necessary, of national voluntary consensus standards for training and personal protective equipment to be used in a tactical environment by law enforcement officers. (5)

National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program

(A)

Establishment

The Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement shall establish a National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program to develop and implement a series of Law Enforcement Deployment Teams comprised of State and local law enforcement personnel capable of providing immediate support in response to the threat or occurrence of a natural or man-made incident. (B)

Activities

In carrying out the National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program, the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement shall— (i)consult with State and local law enforcement and public safety agencies and other relevant stakeholders as to the capabilities required by a Law Enforcement Deployment Team; (ii)develop and implement a model Law Enforcement Deployment Team located in a region of the Federal Emergency Management Agency selected by the Assistant Secretary; (iii)exercise and train the Law Enforcement Deployment Teams; (iv)create model policies and procedures, templates, and general policies and procedures and document best practices that can be applied to the development of Law Enforcement Deployment Teams in each region of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; (v)develop an implementation strategy to support the development, overall management, equipment, infrastructure, and training needs of a National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program, including the development of a technical assistance and training program; and (vi)not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of the Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Improvements Act of 2008, and before implementation of the National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program in any region of the Federal Emergency Management Agency other than the region selected under clause (ii), submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the National Law Enforcement Deployment Team Program, which shall include the implementation strategy described in clause (v). (C)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph— (i)$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010; and (ii)such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015. (6)

Law Enforcement Information Sharing Resource Center

(A)

Establishment

There is established within the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement, the Law Enforcement Information Sharing Resource Center to provide technical assistance relating to information sharing and intelligence with and between State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies and Federal agencies. (B)

Activities

In carrying out the Law Enforcement Information Sharing Resource Center, the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement shall— (i)develop a single repository within the Department to house all relevant guidance, templates, examples, best practices, data sets, analysis tools, and other fusion center and information sharing related items; (ii)consult with State and local law enforcement agencies in the development of the Law Enforcement Information Sharing Resource Center; (iii)consolidate access to Department resources within the Law Enforcement Information Sharing Resource Center; (iv)provide technical assistance to law enforcement and public safety agencies; and (v)coordinate, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, intelligence, information sharing, and fusion center related training, technical assistance, exercise, and other services provided to State and local law enforcement and other agencies developing or operating fusion centers and intelligence units. (C)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph— (i)$3,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; (ii)$3,500,000 for fiscal year 2010; and (iii)such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015. (7)

Foreign Liaison Officers Against Terrorism Programs

(A)

Establishment

There is established within the Office of State and Local Law Enforcement, the Foreign Liaison Officers Against Terrorism Program. (B)

Duties

In carrying out the Foreign Liaison Officers Against Terrorism Program the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement shall— (i)identify foreign cities the government of which desires a State, local, or tribal law enforcement agency to assign an officer to the foreign city, to share information with law enforcement agencies of State, local, and tribal governments; and (ii)assign each foreign city identified under clause (i) to a law enforcement agency participating in the Foreign Liaison Officers Against Terrorism Program, to— (I)obtain information relevant to law enforcement agencies of State, local, and tribal governments from each such city for information sharing purposes; and (II)share information obtained under subclause (I) with other law enforcement agencies participating in the Foreign Liaison Officers Against Terrorism Program. (C)

Use of grant funds

A grant awarded under section 2003 may be used for the costs of participation in the Foreign Liaison Officers Against Terrorism Program established under subparagraph (A).