[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H4269-H4271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING FUSION CENTERS' ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2169) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance
information sharing in the Department of Homeland Security State,
Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative, and for other purposes,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2169
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 ``Improving Fusion Centers'
Access to Information Act''.
SEC. 2. ENHANCED INFORMATION SHARING IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY STATE, LOCAL, AND REGIONAL
FUSION CENTER INITIATIVE.
Subsection (b) of section 210A of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the semicolon at
the end the following: ``and conduct outreach to such fusion
centers to identify any gaps in information sharing and
consult with other Federal agencies to develop methods to
address such gaps, as appropriate'';
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (12) as
paragraphs (4) through (13), respectively; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new
paragraph:
``(3) identify Federal databases and datasets, including
databases and datasets used, operated, or managed by
Department components, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and the Department of the Treasury, that are appropriate, in
accordance with Federal laws and policies, to address any
gaps identified pursuant to paragraph (2), for inclusion in
the information sharing environment and coordinate with the
appropriate Federal agency to deploy or access such databases
and datasets;''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Katko) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela) each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous materials 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. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2169, the Improving Fusion
Centers' Access to Information Act.
In the years since 9/11, Congress and the executive branch have taken
many steps to address information shortfalls and information-sharing
shortfalls. However, we know that silos remain.
The purpose of H.R. 2169 is to ensure that the Department of Homeland
Security is truly serving as a State and local information-sharing
advocate, as originally intended by the Homeland Security Act.
This bill requires the DHS to regularly review information-sharing
efforts with the National Network of Fusion Centers and then work with
other Federal agencies to close any identified gaps.
State and local fusion centers have grown in maturity and number
during the last 16 years since 9/11. There are now 78 fusion centers
within the national network. As the network has matured, fusion centers
have established themselves as a critical conduit
[[Page H4270]]
for sharing terrorism, homeland security, and criminal information with
Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial partners. As the threat
environment continues to evolve, it is vital they have access to the
tools and information systems to stay ahead of threats to the homeland.
Despite existing requirements for DHS to share intelligence and
information with State and local entities, I have found that the
Department does not regularly assess if fusion centers have access to
necessary information or databases held by other Federal agencies. H.R.
2169 addresses this deficiency by requiring the Secretary to conduct
outreach to the fusion centers to identify information-sharing gaps and
work with the appropriate Federal agencies to address these gaps.
Additionally, the Secretary is required to identify Federal databases
and datasets that should be included in the information-sharing
environment and coordinate with the appropriate Federal agency to
deploy such systems.
H.R. 2169 includes input from the fusion centers, Department of
Homeland Security, and other Federal agencies.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National
Fusion Center Association, and I am pleased they have endorsed the
bill.
National Fusion
Center Association,
April 28, 2017.
Re Support for H.R. 2169--Improving Fusion Centers' Access to
Information Act.
Hon. John Katko,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Katko: On behalf of the National Fusion
Center Association (NFCA), I write in support of your
legislation--H.R. 2169--to enhance information sharing and
analysis among fusion centers and federal agencies by
encouraging appropriate fusion center access to federally
managed information systems. As you know, the National
Network of Fusion Centers (NNFC) is a focal point for
analytical collaboration and information sharing on threats
to public safety among federal, local, state, territorial,
and tribal public safety agencies.
The NFCA has worked closely with DHS, the FBI, and other
partners to develop strong information sharing pathways. We
have made significant strides to improve daily working
relationships with our federal partners. The flow of
information from state and local public safety agencies to
appropriate federal agencies continues to improve, and the
same is true with information coming from federal agencies to
local and state jurisdictions. We are also seeing enhanced
analytical collaboration.
Still, challenges remain that should be addressed. Your
legislation will provide important support in this effort by
encouraging improved access to data from federally managed
information systems that our analysts need to do their jobs
in the most effective manner possible. It is crucial for
Congress to consistently support a strong information sharing
environment, and this legislation would assist in that
effort.
We appreciate your dedication to effective information
sharing and analysis and look forward to working with you to
move your legislation forward and accomplish our shared
mission of protecting America.
Sincerely,
Mike Sena,
President.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to report that H.R. 2169 is
a very bipartisan bill that passed the Committee on Homeland Security
unanimously.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the measure, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. VELA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2169, the Improving Fusion
Centers' Access to Information Act of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, today we consider H.R. 2169, a bill that seeks to
authorize DHS' State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative. The
bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out outreach
to identify gaps in information sharing.
This measure highlights the importance of equipping fusion centers so
that they can quickly adapt to the ever-evolving terrorist threat
landscape. Congress has given particular attention to fusion centers
and, in the 114th Congress, enacted measures to support fusion centers.
Fusion centers operate as State and major urban area focal points for
the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related
information between Federal, local, and private sector partners.
I want to particularly highlight a provision of this bill focused on
improving the interagency collaboration by requiring the DHS Secretary
to consult with other Federal partners in order to develop new methods
to address such gaps.
DHS must continue to address and improve the Nation's fusion centers'
capabilities in gathering, analyzing, and sharing threat-related
information between partners on every level.
{time} 1545
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to again express my support for this
bill and thank Mr. Katko for his efforts in bringing this bill forward.
We live in a time when the threats we face as a nation remain
complex, and this bill is an important tool to ensure our law
enforcement professionals have the resources and methods to prevent and
deter terror threats.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2169.
Before I close, I want to note that I routinely engage in bipartisan
efforts on behalf of Homeland Security with Congressman Vela and
others. The committee works in a very bipartisan manner to do what is
best for this country to keep it safe, and this bill is one of those
bills that helps keep our country safe.
It is critical that we ensure the proper flow of information to all
law enforcement agencies, that they properly use that information, and
that they have access to it on a regular basis no matter whether they
are a local police officer who is working at a fusion center or whether
it is an FBI agent. Everyone should have access to that information
because we are all on the same team to keep this country safe.
I think our bipartisan efforts that we engage in with Homeland
Security on a regular basis are a good example of the good things that
happen in Congress. I am proud to be a part it, and I am proud to have
Mr. Vela as my colleague on that as well.
Mr. Speaker, 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. 2169. the ``Improving
Fusion Centers Access to Information Act of 2017,'' which would enhance
information sharing in the Department of Homeland Security State, Local
and Regional Fusion Center Initiative.
This bill requires outreach to be conducted to fusion centers in
order to identify gaps in information sharing and consultation with
other Federal agencies to develop methods to address such gaps.
Additionally, it requires the DHS Secretary to coordinate with the
heads of other federal departments and agencies to provide operational
and intelligence advice to fusion centers and support their efforts to
operate efficiently and effectively.
H.R. 2169 requires the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis
(I&A) to ensure fusion centers have access to Homeland Security
information sharing centers and that DHS personnel are deployed to
support fusion centers in a manner consistent with the department's
mission and statutory limits.
Fusion centers provide the means to local, state, and tribal law
enforcement to bring together information from distributed federal and
private sector sources for the purpose of collection, retention,
analysis, and dissemination. The term fusion centers first coined by
the Department of Defense (DOD) refer to the fusing of information for
analysis purposes.
The Houston Regional Intelligence Service Center is a Fusion Center.
The mission of the Houston Regional Intelligence Service Center is to
provide security to the Houston area by gathering, developing and
sharing intelligence regarding the capabilities, intentions, and
actions of terrorist groups and individuals which pose threats.
Houston hosted the 51st Super Bowl earlier this year and the Houston
Regional Intelligence Service Center was on duty for this major
national event.
This year's Super Bowl had:
10,000--volunteers;
140,000--visitors; and
1 million--people who participated in at least one Super Bowl event.
The Super Bowl took place free of incidents, which is a testament to
the collaborative work of federal, state, and local law enforcement
through the Houston Fusion Center.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is not only good for our country, but it also
will greatly benefit the citizens of Houston, Texas.
[[Page H4271]]
If local law enforcement is given the proper resources, information,
and intelligence, they will know how to properly handle terrorism
threats.
H.R. 2169 will strengthen our economy while keeping our fellow
citizens safe.
Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in supporting H.R. 2169
because the safety of citizens from potential threats is critical to
the security of the homeland and strength of our economy.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan of Tennessee). The question is on
the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2169, 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.
____________________