[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.

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