[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 615 Reported in Senate (RS)]

                                                        Calendar No. 95
114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 615

                          [Report No. 114-53]


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 3, 2015

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

                              May 21, 2015

               Reported by Mr. Johnson, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

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

<DELETED>SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES 
              IN RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNDER SECRETARY FOR 
              MANAGEMENT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 701 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
341) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) by adding at the end the following new 
        subsection:</DELETED>
<DELETED>    ``(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.''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. STRATEGY.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (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:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) An assessment of obstacles and challenges to 
        achieving and maintaining interoperable communications among 
        the components of the Department.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Guidance provided to the components of the 
        Department to implement interoperable communications policies 
        and directives of the Department.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. REPORT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    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:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Information on any policies, directives, 
        guidance, and training established by the Under 
        Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Information on any additional resources or 
        authorities needed by the Under Secretary.</DELETED>

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.
                                                        Calendar No. 95

114th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 615

                          [Report No. 114-53]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 21, 2015

                       Reported with an amendment