[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 4, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S596-S597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2003

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 416, S. 1612.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1612) to establish a technology, equipment, and 
     information transfer program within the Department of 
     Homeland Security.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill 
which had been reported from the Committee on Governmental Affairs with 
an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:
  (Strike the part shown in black brackets and insert the part shown in 
italic.)

                                S. 1612

       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 ``Homeland Security 
     Technology Improvement Act of 2003''.

     [SEC. 2. HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSFER PROGRAM.

       [(a) In General.--Section 430 of the Homeland Security Act 
     of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 238) is amended--
       [(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e);
       [(2) in subsection (c)--
       [(A) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       [(B) in paragraph (8), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       [(C) by adding at the end the following:
       [``(9) overseeing and coordinating a multi-agency homeland 
     security technology, equipment, and information transfer 
     program to allow for the transfer of technology, equipment, 
     and information to State and local law enforcement 
     agencies.''; and
       [(3) by adding after subsection (c) the following:
       [``(d) Technology, Equipment, and Information Transfer 
     Program.--
       [``(1) In general.--The Director shall--
       [``(A) identify counterterrorism technologies, equipment, 
     and information developed or proven to be effective by--
       [``(i) consulting with the Undersecretary for Science and 
     Technology;
       [``(ii) establishing an advisory committee comprised of 
     retired and active-duty law enforcement officials from 
     geographically diverse regions;
       [``(iii) consulting with State and local law enforcement 
     agencies; and
       [``(iv) entering into agreements and coordinating with 
     other Federal agencies to maximize the effectiveness of the 
     technologies, equipment, and information available to law 
     enforcement agencies;
       [``(B) make these technologies, equipment, and information 
     available to State and local law enforcement agencies on an 
     annual basis;
       [``(C) accept applications from the head of State and local 
     law enforcement agencies that wish to acquire such 
     technologies, equipment, and information to improve the 
     homeland security capabilities of those agencies, and review 
     such applications in coordination with the advisory committee 
     established under subparagraph (A)(ii); and
       [``(D) transfer the approved technology, equipment, and 
     information, and provide the appropriate training to the 
     State or local law enforcement agency pending the approval of 
     the application of the State or local law enforcement agency 
     under subparagraph (C).
       [``(2) Limitation on administration expenditure.--No more 
     than 10 percent of the budget of the technology, equipment, 
     and information transfer program under this subsection may be 
     used for administrative expenses.
       [``(3) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
     years 2004 through 2014 to carry out this subsection.''.]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Homeland Security Technology 
     Improvement Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Section 313 of the Homeland Security Act 
     of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 193) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following:
       ``(6) The establishment of a multi-agency homeland security 
     technology, equipment, and information transfer program to 
     allow for the transfer of technology, equipment, and 
     information to State and local law enforcement agencies.'';
       (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
       (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
       ``(c) Technology Transfer Program.--In developing the 
     program described under subsection (b)(6), the Secretary, 
     acting through the Under Secretary for Science and Technology 
     shall--
       ``(1) in close cooperation with the Office of Domestic 
     Preparedness, conduct, on an ongoing basis--
       ``(A) research and development of new technologies;
       ``(B) surveys and reviews of available appropriate 
     technologies; and
       ``(C) tests, evaluations, and demonstrations of new and 
     available technologies that significantly improve the 
     capability of law enforcement agencies in countering 
     terrorist threats;
       ``(2) in support of the activities described in paragraph 
     (1)--
       ``(A) consult with State and local law enforcement agencies 
     and others determined by the Secretary, including the 
     advisory committee established under section 430(d);
       ``(B) work with the National Institute for Standards and 
     Technology and any other office or agency determined by the 
     Secretary;
       ``(C) at the discretion of the Secretary, enter into 
     agreements and coordinate with other Federal agencies to 
     maximize the effectiveness of the technologies, equipment, 
     and information; and
       ``(3) provide a comprehensive list of available 
     technologies, equipment, and information to the Office for 
     Domestic Preparedness which shall administer a technology 
     transfer program described under section 430(d).''.
       (b) Office for Domestic Preparedness.--Section 430 of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 238) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
       ``(d) Technology, Equipment, and Information Transfer 
     Program.--
       ``(1) Administration.--The Director of the Office for 
     Domestic Preparedness, in coordination with the Under 
     Secretary for Science and

[[Page S597]]

     Technology, shall establish and administer a technology 
     transfer program through which the Director shall--
       ``(A) make the counterterrorism technology, equipment, and 
     information available to State and local law enforcement 
     agencies each year based on--
       ``(i) the comprehensive list of available technologies, 
     equipment, and information described under section 313(c); 
     and
       ``(ii) the needs identified by the advisory committee 
     established under this subsection;
       ``(B) consult with State and local law enforcement agencies 
     and others, as determined by the Secretary;
       ``(C) accept applications from the head of State and local 
     law enforcement agencies that wish to acquire such 
     technologies, equipment, and information to improve the 
     homeland security capabilities of those agencies, and review 
     these applications with the advisory committee established 
     under this subsection; and
       ``(D) transfer the approved technology, equipment, and 
     information and provide the appropriate training to the State 
     or local law enforcement agencies to implement such 
     technology, equipment, and information.
       ``(2) Technology transfer advisory committee.--Under the 
     authority of section 871, the Secretary, acting through the 
     Director of the Office for Domestic Preparedness, shall 
     establish an advisory committee, or designate an existing 
     advisory committee comprised of retired and active duty State 
     and local law enforcement officers, to advise the Director of 
     the Office for Domestic Preparedness and the Under Secretary 
     for Science and Technology regarding the homeland security 
     technology transfer program established under this 
     subsection.
       ``(3) Expansion of program.--Upon the approval of the 
     Secretary, the Director of the Office for Domestic 
     Preparedness may expand the program established under this 
     subsection to transfer technology, equipment, and information 
     to first responders other than law enforcement agencies and 
     revise the advisory committee accordingly.
       ``(4) Limitation on administration expenditure.--Not more 
     than 10 percent of the budget of the technology, equipment, 
     and information transfer program established under this 
     subsection may be used for administrative expenses.
       ``(5) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of the 
     fiscal years 2005 through 2014 to carry out this 
     subsection.''.

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee 
substitute be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read the third 
time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; 
and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1612), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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