[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 111 (Monday, July 11, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4594-H4595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
QUADRENNIAL HOMELAND SECURITY REVIEW TECHNICAL CORRECTION ACT OF 2016
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5385) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make
technical corrections to the requirement that the Secretary of Homeland
Security submit quadrennial homeland security reviews, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5385
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 ``Quadrennial Homeland
Security Review Technical Correction Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS TO QUADRENNIAL HOMELAND
SECURITY REVIEW.
(a) In General.--Section 707 of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 347) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3)--
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'';
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D);
and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new
subparagraph (C):
``(C) representatives from appropriate advisory committees
established pursuant to section 871 of this Act, including
the Homeland Security Advisory Council and the Homeland
Security Science and Technology Advisory Committee, or
otherwise established, including the Aviation Security
Advisory Committee established pursuant to section 44946 of
title 49, United States Code; and'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the semicolon at
the end the following: ``based on the risk assessment
required pursuant to subsection (c)(2)(B)'';
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by inserting ``, to the extent practicable,'' after
``describe''; and
(ii) by striking ``budget plan'' and inserting ``resources
required'';
(C) in paragraph (4)--
(i) by inserting ``, to the extent practicable,'' after
``identify'';
(ii) by striking ``budget plan required to provide
sufficient resources to successfully'' and inserting
``resources required to''; and
(iii) by striking the semicolan after ``paragraph (2)'' and
inserting ``, including any resources identified from
redundant, wasteful, or unnecessary capabilities and
capacities that can be redirected to better support other
existing capabilities and capacities; and'';
(D) in paragraph (5), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
period; and
(E) by striking paragraph (6);
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``December 31 of the year'' and inserting
``60 days after the date of the submittal of the President's
budget for the fiscal year after the fiscal year''; and
(ii) by striking ``conducted'' and inserting ``required
under subsection (a)(1)'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``description of the
threats to'' and inserting ``risk assessment of'';
(ii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``, as required
under subsection (b)(2)'' before the semicolon at the end;
(iii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``to the extent
practicable,'' before ``a description'';
(iv) in subparagraph (F)--
(I) by inserting ``to the extent practicable,'' before ``a
discussion''; and
(II) by striking ``the status of'';
(v) in subparagraph (G)--
(I) by inserting ``to the extent practicable,'' before ``a
discussion'';
(II) by striking ``the status of'';
(III) by inserting ``and risks'' before ``to national
homeland''; and
(IV) by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon;
(vi) by striking subparagraph (H); and
(vii) by redesignating subparagraph (I) as subparagraph
(H);
(C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
(D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new
paragraph (3):
``(3) Documentation.--The Secretary shall retain and, upon
request, provide to Congress the following documentation
regarding the quadrennial homeland security review:
``(A) Records regarding the consultation carried out the
pursuant to subsection (a)(3), including--
``(i) all written communications, including communications
sent out by the Secretary and feedback submitted to the
Secretary through technology, online communications tools,
in-person discussions, and the interagency process; and
``(ii) information on how feedback received by the
Secretary informed the quadrennial homeland security review.
``(B) Information regarding the risk assessment, as
required under subsection (c)(2)(B), including--
``(i) the risk model utilized to generate the risk
assessment;
``(ii) information, including data used in the risk model,
utilized to generate the risk assessment;
``(iii) sources of information, including other risk
assessments, utilized to generate the risk assessment; and
``(iv) information on assumptions, weighing factors, and
subjective judgments utilized to generate the risk
assessment, together with information on the rationale or
basis thereof.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Review.--Not later than 90 days after the submission
of the report pursuant to subsection (c)(1), the Secretary
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 information
on the degree to which the findings and recommendations
developed in the review were integrated into the acquisition
strategy and expenditure plans for the Department.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall
apply with respect to a quadrennial homeland security review
required to be submitted after December 31, 2017.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs.
Watson Coleman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 5385, the Quadrennial Homeland
Security Review Technical Correction Act of 2016.
[[Page H4595]]
Congress mandated through the Implementing Recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Act of 2007 that the Department of Homeland Security
conduct a quadrennial homeland security review, or a QHSR, every 4
years. This review is intended to outline the DHS' vision and strategy
to effectively implement its mission to protect the homeland. Given the
threats we face from radical Islamist terrorists, it is vital that the
DHS has a sound strategy to keep the American public safe.
Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office reported on
opportunities for the DHS to improve the QHSR process. The GAO made
four recommendations for executive action, and this legislation
leverages the GAO's findings to make the QHSR better. Specifically,
this legislation requires the DHS to conduct a risk assessment to
better inform the QHSR. The bill also mandates that the DHS maintain a
paper trail of communications related to the QHSR. This should allow
Congress and watchdogs to conduct more effective oversight of the DHS.
I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for introducing this
legislation.
I absolutely urge all Members to join me in supporting this
commonsense legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 5385, the Quadrennial Homeland Security
Review Technical Correction Act of 2016. It would require the
Department of Homeland Security to improve the quadrennial homeland
security review that is conducted every 4 years.
Pursuant to the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission,
the QHSR should be a unified, strategic framework for homeland security
missions and goals. The review was intended to be modeled after the
Quadrennial Defense Review that the Pentagon undertakes to review the
Defense Department's strategy and priorities. To date, there have been
two QHSRs issued by the Department, in 2010 and 2014. While, by all
accounts, the 2014 QHSR was an improvement from the first QHSR, the
Comptroller General found that the 2014 review fell short in several
areas.
I introduced H.R. 5385 to specifically address the Comptroller
General's findings about weaknesses with respect to stakeholder
engagement, risk analysis, and documentation.
To help improve the quality of future QHSRs, my legislation requires
the DHS to utilize and document a risk assessment to help determine
homeland security missions and threats. H.R. 5385 also requires more
robust stakeholder engagement and better documentation of the factors
that inform the review's findings.
H.R. 5385 places a major emphasis on stakeholder engagement by
requiring documentation regarding communications with stakeholders and
information on how feedback from stakeholders influences the review. It
also seeks to enhance stakeholder engagement by specifying certain key
stakeholders to be consulted.
To ensure that the risk assessment undertaken to produce the QHSR is
repeatable in future years, H.R. 5385 requires the DHS to retain all
information regarding the risk assessment, including data used to
generate the risk results and the sources of information to generate
the risk assessment.
As our Nation faces an ever-evolving threat, it is imperative that
the Department of Homeland Security effectively analyzes and defines
future threats facing the country. With the use of a defined,
repeatable risk assessment, as required in H.R. 5385, the DHS will be
better able to outline specific threats to the homeland and offer
tactical strategies for handling these threats.
The DHS will also be able to gain insight from the entire homeland
security enterprise and valuable stakeholders through more documented
communications. Improving stakeholder engagement is important not only
for the quality of the QHSR, but for ensuring buy-in from critical
homeland security enterprise partners who operate outside the
Department. The improvements provided in H.R. 5385 will make the QHSR
the impactful document it was designed to be.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5385, which was approved
unanimously by the Committee on Homeland Security.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 5385 is a great move forward in the QHSR. Mrs. Watson Coleman
and I believe in transparency and also believe in being on the same
page when it comes to security and the safety of our Nation and in
making sure that we can follow the metrics that the DHS is using to
evaluate that so we can do better in the future. I applaud her for her
efforts on this legislation as well as for her ability to get it passed
through the committee on a bipartisan basis.
Once again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5385.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. I rise in support of in support of H.R 5385, the
``Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical Correction Act of
2016'' and thank my good friend Congresswoman Watson Coleman for her
leadership on this important bill.
This bill provides a simple but yet crucial purpose: to improve the
quality and timeliness of the review that DHS carries out by including
more stakeholder engagement, conducting a regular risk assessment, and
maintaining all documents regarding the Quadrennial Review.
In 2007, the Committee on Homeland Security passed Public Law 110-53,
the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act.
Under this Act, the Department of Homeland Security is required to
produce every four years a unified, strategic framework for homeland
security missions and goals, known as the Quadrennial Homeland Security
Review (QHSR).
The goal of the QHSR is to provide a comprehensive assessment and
analysis of the threats facing the homeland.
Thus far, the Department has produced two reviews, in 2010 and 2014.
The Government Accountability Office assessed each review extensively
and determined that stakeholder engagement and documentation were among
the areas for improvement in future QHSRs.
Among the key provisions are more specificity on outreach to
stakeholders and requirements for supporting documentation on
stakeholder engagement and risk assessments.
In addition, this legislation enhances stakeholder engagement, by
further specifying appropriate stakeholders to consult with during the
preparation of the QHSR including the Homeland Security Advisory
Council, the Homeland Security Science and Technology Advisory
Committee, and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.
Additionally, this bill requires the Department to use a risk
assessment when determining the homeland security missions and threats.
When interacting with outside agencies to gather information on
sources and strategies, the Department must do so to the extent
practical for the Department to gather the information needed.
Finally, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical
Correction Act of 2016 requires DHS to retain all written
communications through technology, online communication, in-person
discussions and the interagency process and all information on how the
communications and feedback informed the development of the review.
I urge support of this legislation to ensure that future Quadrennial
Homeland Security Reviews provide homeland security decision-makers
inside Department of Homeland Security and across the country with the
analysis they need to help protect the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5385, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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