[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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