[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 704 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 704

  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support 
          homeland security missions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 25, 2009

 Mr. Harkin (for himself and Mr. Burr) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support 
          homeland security missions, 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. CIVIL AIR PATROL STUDY.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall conduct a study of the functions and capabilities 
        of the Civil Air Patrol to support the homeland security 
        missions of State, local, and tribal governments and the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            (2) Scope.--In conducting the study under this subsection, 
        the Comptroller General of the United States shall review the 
        process by which the Civil Air Patrol may provide assistance to 
        the Department of Homeland Security, other Federal departments 
        and agencies, and States to support homeland security missions 
        by--
                    (A) providing aerial reconnaissance or 
                communications capabilities for border security;
                    (B) providing capabilities for collective response 
                to an act of terrorism, natural disaster, or other man-
                made event, by assisting in damage assessment and 
                situational awareness, conducting search and rescue 
                operations, assisting in evacuations, transporting 
                time-sensitive medical or other materials;
                    (C) providing assistance in the exercise and 
                training of departmental resources responsible for the 
                intercept of aviation threats to designated restricted 
                areas; or
                    (D) such other activities as may be determined 
                appropriate by the Comptroller General in the conduct 
                of the study.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
        States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
        Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and 
        Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report 
        containing the findings of the study conducted under subsection 
        (a).
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    (A) an assessment of the feasibility and cost-
                effectiveness of using Civil Air Patrol assets for the 
                purposes described in subsection (a); and
                    (B) an assessment of whether the mechanisms in 
                effect on the date of enactment of this Act for Federal 
                departments and agencies and States to request support 
                from the Civil Air Patrol are sufficient or whether 
                additional agreements between relevant Federal 
                departments and agencies and the Civil Air Patrol are 
                necessary.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
which the Comptroller General of the United States completes the study 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall review 
and analyze the study and submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives a report on the study, which shall include any 
recommendations of the Secretary for further action that could affect 
the organization and administration of the Department of Homeland 
Security.
                                 <all>