[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 615 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 615

    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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 28, 2015

    Mr. Payne (for himself, Mrs. Brooks of Indiana, Mr. Thompson of 
 Mississippi, and Mr. McCaul) introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    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. 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 paragraph (4) of subsection (a), 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 new subsection:
    ``(d) Interoperable Communications Defined.--In this section, the 
term `interoperable communications' means the ability of components of 
the Department to communicate with each other as necessary, utilizing 
information technology systems and radio communications systems to 
exchange voice, data, and video in real time, as necessary, for acts of 
terrorism, daily operations, planned events, and emergencies.''.

SEC. 3. STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Management of the 
Department of Homeland Security 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 (as such term is defined in subsection (d) 
of section 701 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by 
section 2 of this Act) among the components of the Department of 
Homeland Security, including for daily operations, planned events, and 
emergencies, with corresponding milestones, that includes, at a minimum 
the following:
            (1) An assessment of interoperability gaps in radio 
        communications among the components of the Department, as of 
        the date of the 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 any intra-agency effort or task force that has 
been delegated certain responsibilities by the Under Secretary relating 
to achieving and maintaining interoperable communications among the 
components of the Department by the dates referred to in paragraph (9) 
of subsection (a), and on who, within each such component, is 
responsible for implementing policies and directives issued by the 
Under Secretary to so achieve and maintain such interoperable 
communications.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 220 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and biannually thereafter, 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, since the 
issuance of the strategy required under section 3, to implement such 
strategy, including the following:
            (1) Progress on each interim milestone referred to in 
        paragraph (9) of subsection (a) 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.
            (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 to achieve and maintain interoperable 
        communications among such components.
            (4) Information on any additional resources or authorities 
        needed by the Under Secretary.
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