[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1665-H1666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ENHANCING DHS' FUSION CENTER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ACT

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5099) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
establish in the Department of Homeland Security a fusion center 
technical assistance program.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5099

       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 ``Enhancing DHS' Fusion Center 
     Technical Assistance Program Act''.

     SEC. 2. FUSION CENTER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

       Section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     124h) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections 
     (k) and (l), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the following new 
     subsection (j):
       ``(j) Fusion Center Technical Assistance Program.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
     officials from the National Network of Fusion Centers and, to 
     the greatest extent practicable, other relevant stakeholders, 
     shall establish a fusion center technical assistance program.
       ``(2) Elements of program.--In carrying out the fusion 
     center technical assistance program established under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall--
       ``(A) provide technical assistance to fusion centers 
     regarding--
       ``(i) grants administered under sections 2003 and 2004;
       ``(ii) terrorism prevention activities; and
       ``(iii) intelligence and information sharing;
       ``(B) provide to fusion centers notice of any changes to 
     the activities referred to in subparagraph (A);
       ``(C) make available best practices regarding--
       ``(i) fusion center operations;
       ``(ii) information sharing and analysis of homeland 
     security threats, including cyber threats;
       ``(iii) protecting privacy, civil rights, and civil 
     liberties; and
       ``(iv) such other best practices as the Secretary 
     determines appropriate; and
       ``(D) carry out such other activities as the Secretary 
     determines appropriate.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Estes) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. 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 Kansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 5099, the Enhancing DHS' 
Fusion Center Technical Assistance Program Act.
  Today, the Nation is facing a complex and evolving threat. Terrorist 
attacks, like the New York City vehicle attack and the Pulse nightclub 
shooting, have been carried out by individuals inspired by ISIS and 
other terrorist organizations. These type of lone wolf attacks appear 
to be the new normal.
  This means that now, more than ever, it is imperative that we have 
strong preventive activities in place, including intelligence and 
information sharing.
  Since 9/11, States and major urban areas established fusion centers 
to build up the preventive activities by creating an avenue for greater 
collaboration between Federal, State, and local governments with 
regards to terrorism and information sharing.
  These State and locally owned fusion centers have largely evolved 
from terrorist-focused centers to all-crimes, all-hazard centers 
working on a range of relevant Homeland Security issues, including 
cybersecurity.
  I was able to see the work of one of these fusion centers firsthand 
when I visited my home State's fusion center, the Kansas Intelligence 
Fusion Center--KIFC--earlier this year. I was very impressed with their 
operation. I want to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is 
fully supporting this center and the other 78 fusion centers across the 
United States.
  That is why I was troubled to hear about a key fusion center resource 
in the DHS not living up to its potential.
  In 2009, the DHS created a fusion center technical assistance program 
to provide fusion centers with assistance on a range of topics, 
including suspicious activity reporting and other relevant trainings. 
However, based on the findings from the committee's recent fusion 
center report and my meetings with fusion center personnel, this 
program is not meeting the needs of the National Network of Fusion 
Centers.
  This is why I introduced H.R. 5099, the Enhancing DHS' Fusion Center 
Technical Assistance Program Act. This bill provides formal 
authorization for the DHS fusion center technical assistance program 
and a clear set of directives on the services to be provided by the 
program, including assistance related to available grant funding and 
DHS terrorism prevention programs, as well as intelligence and 
information sharing.

[[Page H1666]]

  The bill expands the role of the program to include being a 
repository of best practices relevant to fusion center activities, 
including cybersecurity. This is a commonsense bill that should help 
strengthen the Nation's ability to prevent and protect against 
terrorist attacks and other Homeland Security relevant events.
  Earlier this month, this legislation was passed out of the Committee 
on Homeland Security by a voice vote. I would like to thank Chairman 
McCaul and Mr. Gallagher for cosponsoring this legislation. I urge all 
my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5099, the Enhancing DHS' 
Fusion Center Technical Assistance Program Act.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5099 would authorize the Department of Homeland 
Security's existing fusion center technical assistance program. 
Currently, there are 79 fusion centers operating in the United States. 
Each fusion center relies on the DHS to help assist with intelligence 
products and information-sharing activities, terrorism prevention 
initiatives, and Homeland Security grant programs.
  This bill seeks to solidify engagement between representatives at the 
fusion centers with their partners in the departments like FEMA and the 
DHS intelligence branch. Specifically, the program provides technical 
assistance on topics like best practices for information sharing 
regarding threats and operating a fusion center.
  By codifying this existing program, H.R. 5099 seeks to strengthen the 
DHS' partnership with fusion centers to ensure that they are well-
positioned to address a wide range of diverse security threats that may 
emerge.
  The bill passed committee unanimously and would amend the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, the security and well-being of our country is dependent 
upon the timely sharing of threat information between our law 
enforcement and intelligence personnel.
  Importantly, one of the key areas where the DHS will provide 
expertise to fusion centers under H.R. 5099 is with respect to the 
protection of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 5099, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1630

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the ranking member for his support 
on this legislation. I would once again urge my colleagues to support 
this commonsense bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Johnson of Ohio). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5099.
  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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