[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2120-S2121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Specter, and Mrs. Murray):
  S. 3176. A bill to further the mission of the Global Justice 
Information Sharing Initiative Advisory Committee by continuing its 
development of policy recommendations and technical solutions on 
information sharing and interoperability, and enhancing its pursuit of 
benefits and cost savings for local, State, tribal, and Federal justice 
agencies; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Department of 
Justice Global Advisory Committee Authorization Act of 2010. This 
legislation will make it easier and less costly for local, state, 
tribal and federal agencies to share public safety and criminal justice 
information and to better protect our communities. I am pleased to be 
joined by Senator Arlen Specter, the chairman of the Crime and Drugs 
Subcommittee, and Senator Patty Murray in introducing this legislation. 
I look forward to working with all my colleagues to see it enacted into 
law.
  Ensuring the public's safety often depends on effective information 
sharing. In recent years, criminal gangs, fugitives, illegal 
trafficking networks, cybercriminals and terrorist organizations have 
increased their ability to operate across jurisdictional boundaries. 
However, too often the public safety agencies charged with combating 
these threats have operated without all the information that should be 
available to them. Inconsistent information-sharing protocols and 
databases that are not interoperable with one another are barriers the 
law enforcement and public safety communities have identified. Quite 
simply, if we want to combat the threats of the 21st century, we need a 
21st century information-sharing framework.
  The U.S. Department of Justice has long recognized the need to bring 
law enforcement and public safety stakeholders together to take on this 
challenge of improving information sharing. In 1998, the Justice 
Department established the Global Justice Information Sharing 
Initiative Advisory Committee, also known as the ``Global Advisory 
Committee''. Chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the 
Global Advisory Committee brings together key representatives from law 
enforcement, judicial, correctional, and public safety agencies to 
advise the Attorney General on information-sharing policies, practices 
and technical solutions.
  Over the years, the Global Advisory Committee has developed a strong 
track record of consolidating stakeholder views and developing 
consensus information-sharing solutions that local, state, tribal and 
federal agencies all agree upon. The Committee has recruited experts on 
a pro bono basis to develop new interoperable technological standards, 
and they have already developed a criminal justice information sharing 
standard--the Global Justice XML Data Model--and a broader justice and 
homeland security information exchange--the National Information 
Exchange Model--that enable agencies to convert their own database 
information into a common format which can be shared.
  The Global Advisory Committee also created the ``National Criminal 
Intelligence Sharing Plan,'' a blueprint for agency intelligence-
sharing procedures that has been endorsed by the Departments of Justice 
and Homeland Security. And the Committee has drafted ``Fusion Center 
Guidelines'' which have helped communities throughout the country 
establish information-sharing ``fusion centers'' for responding to 
security threats. The Justice Department plans to involve the Committee 
in crafting new information-sharing strategies and protocols for 
combating gang violence, improving correctional information, and 
sharing fugitive information.
  In addition to its work developing information-sharing standards, the 
charter and bylaws of the Global Advisory Committee prioritize civil 
liberties and privacy protection and promote database security and 
shared information accuracy. The Committee has established a working 
group specifically dedicated to protecting privacy and information 
quality, and has also created resources to help jurisdictions develop 
privacy and civil liberties programs.
  The Global Advisory Committee's work has already led to cost savings 
in the design and procurement of interoperable information systems. 
These cost-saving benefits are likely to grow if the Committee's 
information-sharing standards become increasingly adopted and if 
interoperability among local, state, tribal and federal databases 
increases. With Congress's help, the Committee can revolutionize 
efficient information-sharing among public safety and law enforcement 
agencies, which will both lower information technology costs and help 
prevent and fight crime.
  While the Global Advisory Committee's value has been recognized 
throughout the law enforcement and public safety communities, it has 
not yet been recognized by Congress. The legislation I am introducing 
today will give Congress's blessing to the Committee by authorizing the 
Justice Department to provide it with technical and financial support 
and dedicated funding.
  Currently, under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Global 
Advisory Committee must terminate and reestablish itself every two 
years, but my legislation will keep the Committee in continuous 
operation. The bill also directs the Committee to make recommendations 
to the Attorney General on interoperability and information-sharing 
practices and technologies, and to report to Congress at least annually 
on its recommendations. My legislation also expresses the sense of 
Congress that agencies across the country should adopt the Global 
Advisory Committee's recommendations in order to improve their 
information sharing. The bill further directs the Attorney General to 
submit a report to Congress regarding the state of information sharing 
between corrections and law enforcement agencies through the Interstate 
Compact for Adult Offender Supervision, including suggestions for 
improvement.
  This legislation has been endorsed by the National District Attorneys 
Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the National Narcotics 
Officers' Associations' Coalition, the National Criminal Justice 
Association, the National Association of Counties, the American 
Probation and Parole Association, the American Correctional 
Association, the Association of State Correctional Administrators, and 
the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, SEARCH.
  The Global Advisory Committee has already achieved great success in 
bringing together local, state, tribal and federal agencies to develop 
consensus information-sharing solutions. With Congressional 
authorization and a consistent funding stream, the Committee can build 
upon that success in a way that will benefit justice and public safety 
agencies across the nation. I urge my colleagues to support this 
important legislation.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3176

       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 Justice Global 
     Advisory Committee Authorization Act of 2010''.

     SEC. 2. GLOBAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SHARING INITIATIVE 
                   ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

       (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Committee'' 
     means the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative 
     (Global) Advisory Committee established by the Attorney 
     General.
       (b) Authorization.--Notwithstanding section 14(a)(2) of the 
     Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the Committee 
     shall not terminate unless terminated by an Act of Congress. 
     The Attorney General is authorized to provide technical and 
     financial assistance and support services to the Committee to 
     carry out the activities of the Committee, including the 
     activities described in subsection (c).

[[Page S2121]]

       (c) Activities.--In addition to any activities assigned to 
     the Committee by the Attorney General, the Committee shall--
       (1) gather views from agencies of local, State, and tribal 
     governments and the Federal Government and other entities 
     that work to support public safety and justice;
       (2) recommend to the Attorney General measures to improve 
     the administration of justice and protect the public by 
     promoting practices and technologies for database 
     interoperability and the secure sharing of justice and public 
     safety information between local, State, and tribal 
     governments and the Federal Government; and
       (3) submit to Congress an annual report regarding issues 
     considered by the Committee and recommendations made to the 
     Attorney General by the Committee.
       (d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     local, State, and tribal governments and other relevant 
     entities should use the recommendations developed and 
     disseminated by the Committee in accordance with this Act to 
     evaluate, improve, and develop effective strategies and 
     technologies to improve public safety and information 
     sharing.
       (e) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Attorney General for the activities of the Committee such 
     sums as may be necessary out of the funds made available to 
     the Department of Justice for State and local law enforcement 
     assistance.

     SEC. 3. REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON INFORMATION SHARING 
                   BETWEEN CORRECTIONS AGENCIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT 
                   AGENCIES, AND THE INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR 
                   ADULT OFFENDER SUPERVISION.

       (a) Review.--The Attorney General, based on input from 
     local, State, and tribal governments through the Committee 
     and other components of the Department of Justice, shall 
     review the state of information sharing between corrections 
     and law enforcement agencies of local, State, and tribal 
     governments and of the Federal Government.
       (b) Contents.--The review by the Attorney General under 
     subsection (a) shall--
       (1) identify policy and technical barriers to effective 
     information sharing;
       (2) identify best practices for effective information 
     sharing; and
       (3) assess ways for information sharing to improve the 
     awareness and safety of law enforcement and corrections 
     officials, including information sharing by the Interstate 
     Commission for Adult Offenders Supervision.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to 
     Congress a report regarding the review under this section, 
     including a discussion of the recommendations of the 
     Committee and the efforts of the Department of Justice to 
     address the recommendations.
                                 ______