[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2390 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2390


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2015

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To require a review of university-based centers for homeland security, 
                        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 ``Homeland Security University-Based 
Centers Review Act''.

SEC. 2. REVIEW OF UNIVERSITY-BASED CENTERS.

    (a) GAO Study of University-Based Centers.--Not later than 120 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall initiate a study to assess the university-based 
centers for homeland security program authorized by section 308(b)(2) 
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)), and provide 
recommendations to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate for appropriate improvements.
    (b) Subject Matters.--The study under subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) A review of the Department of Homeland Security's 
        efforts to identify key areas of study needed to support the 
        homeland security mission, and criteria that the Department 
        utilized to determine those key areas for which the Department 
        should maintain, establish, or eliminate university-based 
        centers.
            (2) A review of the method by which university-based 
        centers, federally funded research and development centers, and 
        Department of Energy national laboratories receive tasking from 
        the Department of Homeland Security, including a review of how 
        university-based research is identified, prioritized, and 
        funded.
            (3) A review of selection criteria for designating 
        university-based centers and a weighting of such criteria.
            (4) An examination of best practices from other agencies' 
        efforts to organize and use university-based research to 
        support their missions.
            (5) A review of the Department of Homeland Security's 
        criteria and metrics to measure demonstrable progress achieved 
        by university-based centers in fulfilling Department taskings, 
        and mechanisms for delivering and disseminating the research 
        results of designated university-based centers within the 
        Department and to other Federal, State, and local agencies.
            (6) An examination of the means by which academic 
        institutions that are not designated or associated with the 
        designated university-based centers can optimally contribute to 
        the research mission of the Directorate of Science and 
        Technology of the Department of Homeland Security.
            (7) An assessment of the interrelationship between the 
        different university-based centers and the degree to which 
        outreach and collaboration among a diverse array of academic 
        institutions is encouraged by the Department of Homeland 
        Security, particularly with historically Black colleges and 
        universities and minority-serving institutions.
            (8) A review of any other essential elements of the 
        programs determined in the conduct of the study.
    (c) Information Relating to University-Based Centers.--Subparagraph 
(D) of section 308(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
188(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(D) Annual report to congress.--Not later than 1 
                year after the date of the enactment of this 
                subparagraph and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
                shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation 
                of this section. Each such report shall--
                            ``(i) indicate which center or centers have 
                        been designated pursuant to this section;
                            ``(ii) describe how such designation or 
                        designations enhance homeland security;
                            ``(iii) provide information on any 
                        decisions to revoke or modify such designation 
                        or designations;
                            ``(iv) describe research that has been 
                        tasked and completed by each center that has 
                        been designated during the preceding year;
                            ``(v) describe funding provided by the 
                        Secretary for each center under clause (iv) for 
                        that year; and
                            ``(vi) describe plans for utilization of 
                        each center or centers in the forthcoming 
                        year.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 23, 2015.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.