[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2454 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2454
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a data
framework to provide access for appropriate personnel to law
enforcement and other information of the Department, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 16, 2017
Mr. Hurd (for himself and Mr. McCaul) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a data
framework to provide access for appropriate personnel to law
enforcement and other information of the Department, 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 Data
Framework Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Department of Homeland Security was established
pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-
296) and has the statutory mission to prevent terrorist attacks
and reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism,
among other critical functions.
(2) The Department is comprised of more than 22 component
agencies and offices with different legal mandates and
restrictions regarding collecting, storing, and sharing
information.
(3) In November 2013, the Department issued a privacy
impact assessment for the Department of Homeland Security Data
Framework, which is intended to be a scalable information
technology program to connect numerous databases located in
different Department component agencies.
(4) The privacy impact assessment referred to in paragraph
(3) stated that such Framework ``will enable the implementation
of efficient and cost-effective search and analysis across DHS
databases in both classified and unclassified domains.''.
(5) Given the size and purpose of such Framework, it is
essential that the Department appropriately manages the
timeline, budget, privacy, and security requirements for the
system, as well as ensures the Department has the specialized
and trained personnel to fully utilize the Framework.
SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DATA FRAMEWORK.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop a
data framework to integrate existing Department of Homeland Security
datasets and systems, as appropriate, for access by authorized
personnel in a manner consistent with relevant legal authorities and
privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties policies and protections. In
developing such framework, the Secretary shall ensure, in accordance
with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, the
following information is included:
(1) All information acquired, held, or obtained by an
office or component of the Department that falls within the
scope of the information sharing environment, including
homeland security information, terrorism information, weapons
of mass destruction information, and national intelligence.
(2) Any information or intelligence relevant to priority
mission needs and capability requirements of the homeland
security enterprise, as determined appropriate by the
Secretary.
(b) Data Framework Access.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
ensure that the data framework required under this section is
accessible to employees of the Department of Homeland Security
who the Secretary determines--
(A) have an appropriate security clearance;
(B) are assigned to perform a function that
requires access to information in such framework; and
(C) are trained in applicable standards for
safeguarding and using such information.
(2) Guidance.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
(A) issue guidance for Department of Homeland
Security employees authorized to access and contribute
to the data framework pursuant to paragraph (1); and
(B) ensure that such guidance enforces a duty to
share between offices and components of the Department
when accessing or contributing to such framework for
mission needs.
(3) Efficiency.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
instruct components of the Department of Homeland Security to
make available information through the data framework under
this section in a machine-readable format, to the greatest
extent practicable.
(c) Exclusion of Information.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
may exclude from the data framework information that the Secretary
determines access to or the confirmation of the existence of could--
(1) jeopardize the protection of sources, methods, or
activities;
(2) compromise a criminal or national security
investigation;
(3) be inconsistent with the other Federal laws or
regulations; or
(4) be duplicative or not serve an operational purpose if
included in such framework.
(d) Safeguards.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
incorporate into the date framework systems capabilities for auditing
and ensuring the security of information included in such framework.
Such capabilities shall include the following:
(1) Mechanisms for identifying insider threats.
(2) Mechanisms for identifying security risks.
(3) Safeguards for privacy, civil rights, and civil
liberties.
(e) Deadline for Implementation.--Not later than two years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland
Security shall ensure the completion of the data framework required
under this section and that such framework includes all appropriate
information in existence within the Department of Homeland Security.
(f) Notice to Congress.--
(1) Operational notification.--Not later than 60 days after
the date on which the data framework required under this
section is fully operational, the Secretary of Homeland
Security shall provide notice to the Committee on Homeland
Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate of
such.
(2) Regular status.--The Secretary 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 regular updates on the status of the data
framework required under this section.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Finished analysis.--The term ``finished analysis''
means any document, briefing, report, or presentation for which
an analyst has evaluated, interpreted, integrated, or placed
into context information that falls within the scope of the
information sharing environment, including homeland security
information, terrorism information, weapons of mass destruction
information, and national intelligence.
(2) Intelligence component of the department.--The term
``intelligence component of the Department'' has the meaning
given such term in section 2(11) of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101(11)).
(3) National intelligence.--The term ``national
intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(5)
of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(5)).
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