[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H796-H797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SECURING THE CITIES ACT OF 2017
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 655) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish
the Securing the Cities program to enhance the ability of the United
States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high
consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials
that pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban areas,
and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 655
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 ``Securing the Cities Act of
2017''.
SEC. 2. SECURING THE CITIES PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Title XIX of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 591 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new section:
``SEC. 1908. SECURING THE CITIES PROGRAM.
``(a) Establishment.--The Director for Domestic Nuclear
Detection shall establish the `Securing the Cities' (`STC')
program to enhance the ability of the United States to detect
and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence
events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that
pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban
areas. Through the STC program the Director shall--
``(1) assist State, local, tribal, and territorial
governments in designing and implementing, or enhancing
existing, architectures for coordinated and integrated
detection and interdiction of nuclear or other radiological
materials that are out of regulatory control;
``(2) support the development of a region-wide operating
capability to detect and report on nuclear and other
radioactive materials out of regulatory control;
``(3) provide resources to enhance detection, analysis,
communication, and coordination to better integrate State,
local, tribal, and territorial assets into Federal
operations;
``(4) facilitate alarm adjudication and provide subject
matter expertise and technical assistance on concepts of
operations, training, exercises, and alarm response
protocols;
``(5) communicate with, and promote sharing of information
about the presence or detection of nuclear or other
radiological materials among appropriate Federal, State,
local, tribal, and territorial governments, in a manner that
ensures transparency with the jurisdictions served by such
program;
``(6) provide augmenting resources, as appropriate,
enabling State, local, tribal, and territorial governments to
sustain and refresh their capabilities developed under the
STC program; and
``(7) provide any other assistance the Director determines
appropriate.
``(b) Designation of Jurisdictions.--In carrying out the
program under subsection (a), the Director shall designate
jurisdictions from among high-risk urban areas under section
2003, and other cities and regions, as appropriate.
``(c) Congressional Notification.--The Director shall
notify the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate not later than
three days before the designation of new jurisdictions under
subsection (b) or other changes to participating
jurisdictions.''.
(b) GAO Report.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of
the Senate an assessment, including an evaluation of the
effectiveness, of the Securing the Cities program under
section 1908 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added
by subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 1907 the
following new item:
``Sec. 1908. Securing the Cities program.''.
SEC. 3. MODEL EXERCISES.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Director for Domestic Nuclear Detection of the
Department of Homeland Security shall report to the Committee
on Homeland Security and the Committee on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate on the feasibility of the
Director developing model exercises to test the preparedness
of jurisdictions participating in the Securing the Cities
program under section 1908 of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (as added by section 2 of this Act) in meeting the
challenges that may be posed by a range of nuclear and
radiological threats.
SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the
requirements of this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts
otherwise authorized.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Donovan) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency
Preparedness, Response, and Communications, I rise in support of H.R.
655, the Securing the Cities Act of 2017.
Representing New York's 11th Congressional District, which includes
Staten Island and Brooklyn, and as a former district attorney, I fully
understand the importance of protecting our major cities from
catastrophic terrorist attacks. In keeping our pledge to never forget
9/11, it is our duty to ensure that such an attack never happens again.
This legislation underscores our commitment and gives the Department of
Homeland Security the tools it needs to carry out this mission.
In 2015, the Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing at Ground
Zero in lower Manhattan. At that hearing, we heard from Commissioner
Bratton of the New York City Police Department who described the
current threat environment facing New York City. In his testimony, he
specifically referenced the risk that terrorists may introduce illicit
nuclear materials into the city to conduct an attack. Similarly,
Secretary of Homeland Security Kelly recently stated: The United States
must prepare for the eventuality of a catastrophic attack given the
potential impact and consequences.
This bill establishes the Securing the Cities program at the
Department of Homeland Security to enhance the ability of the United
States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high-
consequence events using nuclear and other radiological materials in
high-risk urban areas.
The Securing the Cities program within the Domestic Nuclear Detection
Office provides training, equipment, and other resources to State and
local law enforcement in high-risk urban areas to prevent a terrorist
group from carrying out an attack using a radiological or nuclear
device.
The Securing the Cities program began in 2006 as a pilot program in
the New York City region which included Jersey City and Newark. Since
2007, the New York City region has purchased nearly 14,000 radiation
detectors and trained nearly 20,000 personnel. The pilot program has
been so successful it was expanded to the Los Angeles/Long Beach region
in fiscal year 2012, the National Capital Region in fiscal year 2014,
and to the cities of Houston and Chicago in 2016. Once the Securing
[[Page H797]]
the Cities program is fully implemented, it will protect nearly 100
million people across this country.
I would like to thank the Department of Homeland Security for its
hard work and commitment to this program. Given the alarming terrorist
threat from ISIS and al Qaeda and their willingness to carry out an
attack using a weapon of mass destruction, this program could not be
more vital.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 655.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 655.
For over a decade, the Securing the Cities program has provided a
growing number of first responders from New York City and Newark, New
Jersey to Los Angeles and Long Beach to Washington, D.C., Houston, and
Chicago with the tools they need to detect radiological and nuclear
threats.
Securing the Cities is administered by the Department of Homeland
Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, DNDO, which houses the
Department's experts on preparing for and responding to rad/nuc events.
The program makes funding available to participating jurisdictions
for planning and analysis related to radiological and nuclear threats,
as well as equipment purchases, training, and exercises.
Through this program, DNDO supports grantees by providing subject
matter expertise, training, coordination, and technological support.
H.R. 655 would formally authorize the existing Securing the Cities
program and improve it by directing the Government Accountability
Office to assess the program and offer recommendations for how it could
become more effective.
Mr. Speaker, this bill passed the House last Congress by a vote of
441-4.
Mr. Speaker, the Securing the Cities program plays a critical role in
protecting communities across America from the threat posed by
radiological and nuclear weapons.
H.R. 655 will ensure that this important program continues and
becomes more robust in future years. I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 655.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 655, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 655.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________