[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 615 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

                  In the Senate of the United States,

                                                         June 11, 2015.
    Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
615) entitled ``An Act to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
require the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of 
Homeland Security to take administrative action to achieve and maintain 
interoperable communications capabilities among the components of the 
Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.'', do pass 
with the following

                               AMENDMENT:

            Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Homeland Security 
Interoperable Communications Act'' or the ``DHS Interoperable 
Communications Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Department'' means the Department of 
        Homeland Security;
            (2) the term ``interoperable communications'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 701(d) of the Homeland 
        Security Act of 2002, as added by section 3; and
            (3) the term ``Under Secretary for Management'' means the 
        Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland 
        Security.

SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES IN 
              RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNDER SECRETARY FOR MANAGEMENT.

    Section 701 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 341) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(4), by inserting before the period at 
        the end the following: ``, including policies and directives to 
        achieve and maintain interoperable communications among the 
        components of the Department''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Interoperable Communications Defined.--In this section, the 
term `interoperable communications' has the meaning given that term in 
section 7303(g) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act 
of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 194(g)).''.

SEC. 4. STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Management shall submit 
to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a strategy, which shall be updated as necessary, for achieving 
and maintaining interoperable communications among the components of 
the Department, including for daily operations, planned events, and 
emergencies, with corresponding milestones, that includes the 
following:
            (1) An assessment of interoperability gaps in radio 
        communications among the components of the Department, as of 
        the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Information on efforts and activities, including 
        current and planned policies, directives, and training, of the 
        Department since November 1, 2012 to achieve and maintain 
        interoperable communications among the components of the 
        Department, and planned efforts and activities of the 
        Department to achieve and maintain such interoperable 
        communications.
            (3) An assessment of obstacles and challenges to achieving 
        and maintaining interoperable communications among the 
        components of the Department.
            (4) Information on, and an assessment of, the adequacy of 
        mechanisms available to the Under Secretary for Management to 
        enforce and compel compliance with interoperable communications 
        policies and directives of the Department.
            (5) Guidance provided to the components of the Department 
        to implement interoperable communications policies and 
        directives of the Department.
            (6) The total amount of funds expended by the Department 
        since November 1, 2012 and projected future expenditures, to 
        achieve interoperable communications, including on equipment, 
        infrastructure, and maintenance.
            (7) Dates upon which Department-wide interoperability is 
        projected to be achieved for voice, data, and video 
        communications, respectively, and interim milestones that 
        correspond to the achievement of each such mode of 
        communication.
    (b) Supplementary Material.--Together with the strategy required 
under subsection (a), the Under Secretary for Management shall submit 
to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate information on--
            (1) any intra-agency effort or task force that has been 
        delegated certain responsibilities by the Under Secretary for 
        Management relating to achieving and maintaining interoperable 
        communications among the components of the Department by the 
        dates referred to in subsection (a)(7); and
            (2) who, within each such component, is responsible for 
        implementing policies and directives issued by the Under 
        Secretary for Management to so achieve and maintain such 
        interoperable communications.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than 100 days after the date on which the strategy 
required under section 4(a) is submitted, and every 2 years thereafter 
for 6 years, the Under Secretary for Management shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report on the status of efforts to implement the strategy required 
under section 4(a), including the following:
            (1) Progress on each interim milestone referred to in 
        section 4(a)(7) toward achieving and maintaining interoperable 
        communications among the components of the Department.
            (2) Information on any policies, directives, guidance, and 
        training established by the Under Secretary for Management.
            (3) An assessment of the level of compliance, adoption, and 
        participation among the components of the Department with the 
        policies, directives, guidance, and training established by the 
        Under Secretary for Management to achieve and maintain 
        interoperable communications among the components.
            (4) Information on any additional resources or authorities 
        needed by the Under Secretary for Management.

SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY.

    Sections 4 and 5 shall only apply with respect to the interoperable 
communications capabilities within the Department and components of the 
Department to communicate within the Department.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
114th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                H.R. 615

_______________________________________________________________________

                               AMENDMENT