[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6174 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6174

  To improve the biodetection functions of the Department of Homeland 
                   Security, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 2, 2023

 Mr. Strong (for himself, Mr. Green of Tennessee, Mr. D'Esposito, and 
Mr. Swalwell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve the biodetection functions 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,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Biodetection Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. DHS UTILIZATION OF DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL LABORATORIES 
              AND SITES FOR CERTAIN BIODETECTION RESEARCH AND 
              DEVELOPMENT RELATING TO THE MISSIONS OF THE DHS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct 
an assessment of how the Department of Homeland Security has utilized 
Department of Energy national laboratories and sites regarding research 
and development in carrying out the missions of the Department of 
Homeland Security, in accordance with section 309 of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 189).
    (b) Strategy on Biodetection Research and Development.--Not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary 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 the assessment 
required under subsection (a), together with a strategy for how the 
Department of Homeland Security will conduct research and development 
in coordination with Department of Energy national laboratories and 
sites to address biodetection research and development of the 
Department of Homeland Security, including the following:
            (1) Identifying biodetection technologies that can, either 
        individually or together, meet the biodetection mission needs 
        as outlined in Department of Homeland Security capabilities 
        analysis and requirements documents and informed by studies 
        produced by the Comptroller General of the United States, such 
        as the National Re-Assessment of the BioWatch Collector Network 
        to Increase the Fraction of Population Covered, as developed by 
        the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office of the 
        Department in November 2021, and other such future studies as 
        applicable.
            (2) Developing an acquisition and procurement plan to 
        acquire and provide, in accordance with Federal law, the 
        Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Department of Homeland 
        Security acquisition and procurement management directives, the 
        biodetection technologies referred to in paragraph (1) to 
        existing BioWatch jurisdictions.
            (3) Conducting periodic external evaluations to identify 
        gaps and potential failure points with respect to such 
        biodetection technologies, and recommending contingency plans 
        in the event such biodetection technologies do not perform as 
        expected or intended.
            (4) Assisting, as appropriate and in partnership with 
        Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, institutions of 
        higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), and the private 
        sector, with the development of clearly defined program and 
        technical requirements for future Department of Homeland 
        Security environmental biodetection programs, including any 
        related transformational program of research and development.
    (c) Reports to Congress.--Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate an update of the assessment and strategy required 
under this section, including any challenges to implementing such 
strategy.
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