[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2359 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2359

    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a Joint 
      Requirements Council in the Department of Homeland Security.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 30, 2018

Mrs. McCaskill introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a Joint 
      Requirements Council in the Department of Homeland Security.

    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 ``DHS Joint Requirements Council Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. JOINT REQUIREMENTS COUNCIL.

    (a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 710. JOINT REQUIREMENTS COUNCIL.

    ``(a) Definition of Joint Requirement.--In this section, the term 
`joint requirement' means a condition or capability of multiple 
operating components of the Department that is required to be met or 
possessed by a system, product, service, result, or component to 
satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed 
document.
    ``(b) Department Leadership Councils.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary may establish such 
        Department leadership councils as the Secretary determines 
        necessary to ensure coordination and improve programs and 
        activities of the Department.
            ``(2) Function.--A Department leadership council shall--
                    ``(A) serve as a coordinating forum;
                    ``(B) advise the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on 
                Department strategy, operations, and guidance;
                    ``(C) establish policies to reduce duplication in 
                programs; and
                    ``(D) consider and report on such other matters as 
                the Secretary or Deputy Secretary may direct.
            ``(3) Relationship to other forums.--The Secretary or 
        Deputy Secretary may delegate the authority to direct the 
        implementation of any decision or guidance resulting from the 
        action of a Department leadership council to any office, 
        component, coordinator, or other senior official of the 
        Department.
    ``(c) Joint Requirements Council.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There Secretary shall establish 
        within the Department a Joint Requirements Council.
            ``(2) Mission.--In addition to other matters assigned to it 
        by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, the Joint Requirements 
        Council shall--
                    ``(A) identify, assess, and validate joint 
                requirements (including existing systems and associated 
                capability gaps) to meet mission needs of the 
                Department;
                    ``(B) ensure that appropriate efficiencies are made 
                among life-cycle cost, schedule, and performance 
                objectives, and procurement quantity objectives, in the 
                establishment and approval of joint requirements; and
                    ``(C) make prioritized capability recommendations 
                for the joint requirements validated under subparagraph 
                (A) to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, or the 
                chairperson of a Department leadership council 
                designated by the Secretary to review decisions of the 
                Joint Requirements Council.
            ``(3) Chairperson.--The Secretary shall appoint a 
        chairperson of the Joint Requirements Council, for a term of 
        not more than 2 years, from among senior officials of the 
        Department as designated by the Secretary.
            ``(4) Composition.--The Joint Requirements Council shall be 
        composed of senior officials representing components of the 
        Department and other senior officials as designated by the 
        Secretary.
            ``(5) Relationship to future years homeland security 
        program.--The Secretary shall ensure that the Future Years 
        Homeland Security Program required under section 874 is 
        consistent with the recommendations of the Joint Requirements 
        Council required under paragraph (2)(C), as affirmed by the 
        Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, or the chairperson of a 
        Department leadership council designated by the Secretary under 
        that paragraph.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections in 
section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296; 
116 Stat. 2135) is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 709 the following:

``Sec. 710. Joint Requirements Council.''.
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