[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 240 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 240

To encourage engagement between the Department of Homeland Security and 
             technology innovators, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2017

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To encourage engagement between the Department of Homeland Security and 
             technology innovators, 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 ``Leveraging Emerging Technologies Act 
of 2017''.

SEC. 2. INNOVATION ENGAGEMENT.

    (a) Innovation Engagement.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security--
                    (A) shall engage with innovative and emerging 
                technology developers and firms, including technology-
                based small businesses and startup ventures, to address 
                homeland security needs; and
                    (B) may identify geographic areas in the United 
                States with high concentrations of such innovative and 
                emerging technology developers and firms, and may 
                establish personnel and office space in such areas, as 
                appropriate.
            (2) Engagement.--Engagement under paragraph (1) may include 
        innovative and emerging technology developers or firms with 
        proven technologies, supported with outside investment, with 
        potential applications for the Department of Homeland Security.
            (3) Co-location.--If the Secretary of Homeland Security 
        determines that it is appropriate to establish personnel and 
        office space in a specific geographic area in the United States 
        pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall co-locate 
        such personnel and office space with other existing assets of--
                    (A) the Department of Homeland Security, where 
                possible; or
                    (B) Federal facilities, where appropriate.
            (4) Oversight.--Not later than 30 days after establishing 
        personnel and office space in a specific geographic area in the 
        United States pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security shall inform Congress about the rationale for 
        such establishment, the anticipated costs associated with such 
        establishment, and the specific goals for such establishment.
    (b) Strategic Plan.--Not later than six months after the date of 
the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
develop, implement, and 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 Department of Homeland Security-
wide strategy to proactively engage with innovative and emerging 
technology developers and firms, including technology-based small 
businesses and startup ventures, in accordance with subsection (a). 
Such strategy shall--
            (1) focus on sustainable methods and guidance to build 
        relationships, including with such innovative and emerging 
        technology developers and firms in geographic areas in the 
        United States with high concentrations of such innovative and 
        emerging technology developers and firms, and in geographic 
        areas outside such areas, to establish, develop, and enhance 
        departmental capabilities to address homeland security needs;
            (2) include efforts to--
                    (A) ensure proven innovative and emerging 
                technologies can be included in existing and future 
                acquisition contracts;
                    (B) coordinate with organizations that provide 
                venture capital to businesses, particularly small 
                businesses and startup ventures, as appropriate, to 
                assist the commercialization of innovative and emerging 
                technologies that are expected to be ready for 
                commercialization in the near term and within 36 
                months; and
                    (C) address barriers to the utilization of 
                innovative and emerging technologies and the engagement 
                of small businesses and startup ventures in the 
                acquisition process;
            (3) include a description of how the Department plans to 
        leverage proven innovative and emerging technologies to address 
        homeland security needs; and
            (4) include the criteria the Secretary plans to use to 
        determine an innovation or technology is proven.
    (c) Prohibition on Additional Funding.--No additional funds are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
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