[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7439 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7439

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of 
 Homeland Security to prioritize strengthening of State and local law 
enforcement capabilities to combat transnational repression and related 
               terrorism threats, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 23, 2024

   Mr. Magaziner (for himself, Mr. D'Esposito, Mr. Pfluger, and Mr. 
Goldman of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee 
  on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of 
 Homeland Security to prioritize strengthening of State and local law 
enforcement capabilities to combat transnational repression and related 
               terrorism threats, 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 ``Strengthening State and Local 
Efforts to Combat Transnational Repression Act''.

SEC. 2. COMBATING TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``SEC. 437. STRENGTHENING STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS TO 
              COMBAT TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION AND RELATED TERRORISM 
              THREATS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with public and 
private sector stakeholders, shall in a manner consistent with the 
protection of privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties, 
develop, through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, a 
training program to enhance the capabilities of State, local, Tribal, 
and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the 
National Network of Fusion Centers, to combat transnational repression 
and related terrorism threats.
    ``(b) Requirements.--The training provided pursuant to subsection 
(a) shall relate to the following:
            ``(1) Identifying instances of transnational repression and 
        related terrorism threats.
            ``(2) Types of information that should be collected and 
        recorded in information technology systems to help identify 
        suspected perpetrators of transnational repression and related 
        terrorism threats.
            ``(3) Identifying suspected targets or victims of 
        transnational repression and related terrorism threats.
            ``(4) Personal safety best practices for individuals and 
        communities that may be targets or are victims of transnational 
        repression and related terrorism threats to prevent and 
        mitigate transnational repression and related terrorism threats 
        and ensure that such targets and victims are afforded prompt 
        information about and access to victim support resources, 
        including such resources offered by the Cybersecurity and 
        Infrastructure Security Agency and the Office for Civil Rights 
        and Civil Liberties, to address their immediate and long-term 
        needs.
    ``(c) Community Awareness Briefings.--The Officer for Civil Rights 
and Civil Liberties shall engage with State, local, Tribal, and 
territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the 
National Network of Fusion Centers, and individuals and communities 
that may be targets or are victims of transnational repression and 
related terrorism threats, including by informing such individuals and 
communities about how to identify transnational repression and related 
terrorism threats and protect against transnational repression and 
related terrorism threats.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Personal safety best practices.--The term `personal 
        safety best practices' means measures for enhancing 
        individuals' and communities' physical security, situational 
        awareness, and online security.
            ``(2) Transnational repression.--The term `transnational 
        repression' means actions of a foreign government, or an 
        individual or entity working on behalf or at the direction of a 
        foreign government, involving the transgression of national 
        borders through physical, digital, or analog means to 
        intimidate, silence, coerce, harass, or harm individuals or 
        communities in order to prevent their exercise of freedom of 
        speech, expression, religion, or assembly.''.
    (b) Research and Development.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall coordinate with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of 
the Department of Homeland Security to--
            (1) carry out research and development of a technology to 
        enhance participation rates in training offered to other State, 
        local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement personnel, 
        including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, 
        for the purpose of enhancing domestic preparedness for and 
        collective response to transnational repression and related 
        terrorism threats and other homeland security threats; and
            (2) share information relating to researching and 
        developing methods for identifying instances, suspected 
        targets, and victims of transnational repression and related 
        terrorism threats, and methods for collecting and recording 
        information to help identify suspected perpetrators of 
        transnational repression and related terrorism threats.
    (c) Comptroller General Review.--Not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation 
of section 437 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by 
subsection (a).
    (d) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 436 the following new item:

``Sec. 437. Strengthening State and local law enforcement efforts to 
                            combat transnational repression and related 
                            terrorism threats.''.
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