[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.

                          ____________________