[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H277-H279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEVERAGING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ACT OF 2017
Mr. RATCLIFFE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 240) to encourage engagement between the Department of
Homeland Security and technology innovators, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 240
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 ``Leveraging Emerging
Technologies Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. INNOVATION ENGAGEMENT.
(a) Innovation Engagement.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security--
(A) shall engage with innovative and emerging technology
developers and firms, including technology-based small
businesses and startup ventures, to address homeland security
needs; and
(B) may identify geographic areas in the United States with
high concentrations of such innovative and emerging
technology developers and firms, and may establish personnel
and office space in such areas, as appropriate.
(2) Engagement.--Engagement under paragraph (1) may include
innovative and emerging technology developers or firms with
proven technologies, supported with outside investment, with
potential applications for the Department of Homeland
Security.
(3) Co-location.--If the Secretary of Homeland Security
determines that it is appropriate to establish personnel and
office space in a specific geographic area in the United
States pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall co-
locate such personnel and office space with other existing
assets of--
(A) the Department of Homeland Security, where possible; or
(B) Federal facilities, where appropriate.
(4) Oversight.--Not later than 30 days after establishing
personnel and office space in a specific geographic area in
the United States pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary
of Homeland Security shall inform Congress about the
rationale for such establishment, the anticipated costs
associated with such establishment, and the specific goals
for such establishment.
(b) Strategic Plan.--Not later than six months after the
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall develop, implement, and submit to the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate a Department of Homeland
Security-wide strategy to proactively engage with innovative
and emerging technology developers and firms, including
technology-based small businesses and startup ventures, in
accordance with subsection (a). Such strategy shall--
(1) focus on sustainable methods and guidance to build
relationships, including with such innovative and emerging
technology developers and firms in geographic areas in the
United States with high concentrations of such innovative and
emerging technology developers and firms, and in geographic
areas outside such areas, to establish, develop, and enhance
departmental capabilities to address homeland security needs;
(2) include efforts to--
(A) ensure proven innovative and emerging technologies can
be included in existing and future acquisition contracts;
(B) coordinate with organizations that provide venture
capital to businesses, particularly small businesses and
startup ventures, as appropriate, to assist the
commercialization of innovative and emerging technologies
that are expected to be ready for commercialization in the
near term and within 36 months; and
(C) address barriers to the utilization of innovative and
emerging technologies and the engagement of small businesses
and startup ventures in the acquisition process;
(3) include a description of how the Department plans to
leverage proven innovative and emerging technologies to
address homeland security needs; and
(4) include the criteria the Secretary plans to use to
determine an innovation or technology is proven.
(c) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No additional funds
are authorized to carry out the requirements of this Act.
Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts
otherwise authorized.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. RATCLIFFE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
[[Page H278]]
Mr. RATCLIFFE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, I am pleased that the House is today considering
H.R. 240, the Leveraging Emerging Technologies Act of 2017.
H.R. 240 encourages engagement between the Department of Homeland
Security and technology innovators, including startups. This bill
requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to proactively engage with
innovative and emerging technology developers and firms to address our
vital Homeland Security needs.
Additionally, H.R. 240 provides the Secretary with the authority to
identify geographic areas in the United States where high
concentrations of these innovative and emerging technology developers
and firms exist and to establish personnel and office space in these
areas to more effectively collaborate with these technology hubs. The
Federal Government certainly needs to do a better job working with the
private sector, and H.R. 240 will help to address that.
Mr. Speaker, this bill also requires the Secretary to develop and to
implement a targeted strategy to proactively engage innovative and
emerging technology developers and firms.
{time} 1630
Under this bill, the Secretary must use the strategic plan to address
existing barriers to leveraging innovative and emerging technologies,
and the small businesses and startup ventures that create those
technologies, and to incorporate them into the Department's acquisition
process.
For example, in order to keep pace, the Department of Homeland
Security has established an office in Silicon Valley to encourage
engagement and communication with the innovative technology developers
in that area. Although it is a vital technology hub, Silicon Valley
certainly is not the only technology hub in the United States. The
Department should not be limited to a single geographic area from which
to identify these emerging and innovative technologies.
Mr. Speaker, all Americans are learning that cybersecurity is
national security. The impacts of cyber intrusions are being felt
everywhere, from boardroom tables to kitchen tables. We have seen them
undermine consumer confidence and damage a company's hard-earned
reputation in just a couple of seconds. Cybersecurity is a complex and
serious issue that our Nation will have to address for decades to come.
So it only makes sense for us to require the Department to consider
strategically just how it will engage these technology developers to
strengthen the Department's ability to access innovative and emerging
technologies to better combat evolving cyber threats.
I am happy to support this measure today because I believe it will
move us forward, further addressing our homeland security needs by
supporting technology innovation. I urge Members to join me in
supporting this important bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R.
240, the Leveraging Emerging Technologies Act of 2017, and I yield
myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor of this measure, as I was for its
predecessor last Congress. Last June, the House approved this measure
by a 347-8 vote. This bipartisan bill directs the Department of
Homeland Security to engage small businesses, startup companies, and
other developers of innovative and emerging technologies to tackle some
of our most vexing, persistent homeland security challenges.
It is no secret that navigating the Federal procurement process is
difficult, especially for small startups. Meanwhile, small companies
continue to develop some of the most innovative technological solutions
in use today. They are a huge source of untapped potential, capable of
bringing forward-thinking, groundbreaking ideas to the homeland
security enterprise.
To build these relationships, H.R. 240 allows DHS to establish
personnel and office space in areas around the U.S. where technology
innovators are concentrated. Having a physical presence in these tech
hubs will make it easier for DHS to grow and maintain connections with
local startups, innovators, and incubators. The Department has already
taken action in this regard.
In 2015, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate established a
Silicon Valley office and announced its first-ever procurement focused
on working with nontraditional contractors and tech startups. The DHS
innovation ``other transaction'' solution sought technologies to
address security challenges in aviation, border, and cybersecurity.
To date, under this program, DHS has funded awards to 13 small
businesses in California, Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Washington
State. Additionally, DHS has reached out to technology innovators at
regional events in Boston, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, New Orleans,
Chicago, Louisville and Austin, raising awareness with more than 1,500
startups, accelerators, and venture capitalists through industry days,
panels, conferences, and startup meetups. The feedback has been very
positive, but it has also validated the need to educate the community
about who DHS is and what the challenges are.
Mr. Speaker, for those reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this
bipartisan legislation.
H.R. 240 recognizes that DHS depends on technology to carry out its
missions, and must nurture and maintain robust and direct relationships
with talented technology developers, even those that do not fit the
mold of the typical Federal contractor.
DHS could improve the productivity and sustainability of these
outreach efforts by developing a strategy to proactively engage with
innovators in a way that supports long-term relationships. H.R. 240
calls for such a strategy to be delivered to Congress and implemented
within 6 months.
Two features of that strategy required under this bill that I would
like to highlight are provisions that I sponsored. One requires the
strategy to give attention to fostering engagement with developers that
may be located outside a recognized regional technology hub. The other
directs the strategy to include coordination with venture capital
organizations, like the In-Q-Tel nonprofit, to help emerging technology
developers, including small businesses and startup ventures,
commercialize technologies that address a rapidly growing list of
homeland security needs.
Mr. Speaker, for all of the reasons discussed, I urge support of H.R.
240.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. RATCLIFFE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi
(Mr. Thompson) for his support of this bill and for his leadership in
keeping this issue at the forefront of our cybersecurity discussion.
This is an incredibly important bill, and I, once again, urge my
colleagues to support H.R. 240.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland
Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 240, the ``Leveraging
Emerging Technologies Act of 2017,'' which requires the Secretary of
Homeland Security to engage with innovative and emerging technology
developers, including technology-based small businesses and startup
ventures that can help tackle the rapidly expanding list of homeland
security technology needs.
H.R. 240 helps to protect America's computer and communications
networks, which security experts believe represent the nation's most
critical national security challenge, including Internet functions and
connected critical infrastructure such as air traffic control, the U.S.
electrical grid, and nuclear power plants.
H.R. 240 authorizes DHS to establish personnel and office space in
diverse geographic areas around the United States that have high
concentrations of technology developers and firms.
The bill also directs DHS, within 6 months, to develop and submit to
Congress a Department-wide strategy to engage with innovative and
emerging technology companies.
Importantly, the bill specifically requires the Secretary to include
in that strategy ways to effectively integrate technology-based small
businesses and startup ventures.
Importantly, the bill also requires the DHS Secretary to coordinate
with those in the venture capital industry to assist in the development
of technologies that are ready for commercialization and use in the
Homeland Security Enterprise.
Since its founding, the Department of Homeland Security has overcome
many challenges as an organization but much more
[[Page H279]]
progress must be made regarding effective inter-operable communication
between the federal, state, and local agencies.
Although not a panacea, H.R. 240 is a step in the right direction
because it will help improve DHS' overall functions so that it can more
effectively protect our people.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 240, 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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