[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 615 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.615
One Hundred Fourteenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,
the sixth day of January, two thousand and fifteen
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.
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 ``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.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.