[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H1261-H1263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DHS FIELD ENGAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 504) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
require the Department of Homeland Security to develop an engagement
strategy with fusion centers, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 504
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 ``DHS Field Engagement
Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY WITH FUSION CENTERS.
Section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
124h) is amended by--
(1) redesigning subsections (j) and (k) as subsections (k)
and (l), respectively; and
(2) inserting after subsection (i) the following new
subsection:
``(j) Fusion Center Information Sharing Strategy.--Not
later than one year after the date of the enactment of this
subsection, the Secretary shall develop and update at least
once every five years a strategy for Department engagement
with fusion centers. Such strategy shall be developed and
updated in consultation with the heads of intelligence
components of the Department, the Chief Privacy Officer of
the Department, the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties of the Department, officials of fusion centers,
officers designated as Homeland Security Advisors, and the
heads of other relevant agencies, as appropriate. Such
strategy shall include the following:
``(1) Specific goals and objectives for sharing information
and engaging with fusion centers--
``(A) through the direct deployment of personnel from
intelligence components of the Department;
``(B) through the use of Department unclassified and
classified information sharing systems, including the
Homeland Security Information Sharing Network and the
Homeland Secure Data Network, or any successor systems; and
``(C) through any additional means.
``(2) The performance metrics to be used to measure success
in achieving the goals and objectives referred to in
paragraph (1).
[[Page H1262]]
``(3) A five-year plan for continued engagement with fusion
centers.''.
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS FIELD PERSONNEL
SUPPORT TO FUSION CENTERS.
(a) Performance Metrics.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for
Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland
Security shall--
(1) consider the effectiveness of existing processes to
identify and prepare field personnel for deployment to
support fusion centers and internal mechanisms to ensure
oversight and accountability of such field personnel,
including field personnel assigned to one center and field
personnel assigned to multiple centers; and
(2) publish and disseminate performance metrics, taking
into account, as appropriate, regional and threat diversity,
for--
(A) field personnel from the Office of Intelligence and
Analysis assigned to an individual fusion center;
(B) field personnel from the Office of Intelligence and
Analysis assigned to multiple fusion centers; and
(C) regional Directors of the Office of Intelligence and
Analysis to ensure accountability for monitoring all field
personnel under the supervision of such Regional Directors.
(b) Training.--In consultation with the Chief Information
Officer of the Department of Homeland Security, the Under
Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the Department
shall develop and implement a formalized training module for
fusion center personnel regarding the classified Homeland
Secure Data Network of the Department, or any successor
system.
(c) Fusion Center Defined.--In this section, the term
``fusion center'' has the meaning given such term in section
210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h).
SEC. 4. DHS COMPONENT USAGE OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY
INFORMATION NETWORK.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Chief Intelligence Officer of
the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the
Chief Information Officer of the Department, shall--
(1) develop policies and metrics to ensure effective use by
components of the Department of the Department's unclassified
Homeland Security Information Sharing Network, or any
successor system; and
(2) develop policies for posting unclassified products on
the Homeland Security Information Sharing Network, or any
successor system.
(b) Technical Enhancements.--The Chief Information Officer
of the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with
the Chief Intelligence Officer of the Department, shall
assess and implement, as appropriate, technical enhancements
to the Homeland Security Information Sharing Network (HSIN)
to improve usability, including search functionality, data
analysis, and collaboration capabilities.
SEC. 5. REPORT.
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to
the Committee on Homeland Security and the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a
report on the implementation of the following:
(1) The fusion center information sharing strategy required
under subsection (j) of section 210A of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), as added by section 2 of this
Act, based on performance metrics developed pursuant to such
strategy.
(2) Field personnel deployed to fusion centers (as such
term is defined in section 210A of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h)) in accordance with section 3, based
on performance metrics developed pursuant to such section.
(3) Policies that seek to ensure the effective use of the
Homeland Security Information Sharing Network in accordance
with section 4, based on the metrics developed pursuant to
such section.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Miss Rice) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague on the other side of
the aisle, Mr. Bacon, for reintroducing the DHS Field Engagement
Accountability Act.
One of the core responsibilities of this committee is to ensure
collaboration and information-sharing among Federal, State, local,
Tribal, and territorial partners. That is how we protect our cities
from any and all terrorist threats, whether it is one that comes from a
foreign organization or a homegrown, lone-wolf attacker.
One example of our commitment to this comprehensive approach is the
committee's long history of bipartisan support for the Department of
Homeland Security's 79 fusion centers located across the country. These
centers are meant to connect the dots at the local level. They are
information-sharing hubs that facilitate coordination and the sharing
of resources between Federal, State, and local law enforcement
officials.
However, a 2016 review found that DHS does not have a strategic
engagement plan for these 79 fusion centers. H.R. 504 will help fill
that void. This important legislation will require DHS to develop a
departmentwide strategy for engaging and sharing information with
national fusion centers.
Additionally, this measure requires DHS to develop metrics that will
help hold fusion center staff accountable for their performance.
This legislation also requires DHS to improve the classified and
unclassified information-sharing systems that are used by fusion
centers to ensure that information is shared properly and in accordance
with Department standards. Specifically, H.R. 504 would require that
all information-sharing policies are developed and maintained by the
Department's experts on privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
The recent shooting in Pittsburgh and the spate of pipe bombs that
were mailed across the country last year are potent reminders of how
important it is for local law enforcement agencies to be equipped with
the resources and information they need to combat urgent threats. In
short, events like these exemplify the growing need for well-informed
and well-maintained fusion centers.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 504, the DHS Field Engagement
Accountability Act.
The Committee on Homeland Security has long supported the role and
mission of locally owned fusion centers across the United States. These
hubs for assessing and sharing threat information are important links
for the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and other Federal,
State, and local stakeholders.
The legislation before us today directs the Department of Homeland
Security to develop a forward-looking strategy to improve engagement
efforts with fusion centers and establish metrics for both DHS
personnel and technology deployed to fusion centers.
Clear performance metrics for fusion center personnel are needed to
ensure fusion center directors understand what to expect from DHS
personnel detailed to their centers. This effort will also allow DHS to
better track the value fusion centers are providing to the national
information-sharing environment.
Lastly, the bill addresses a need for improvements to DHS information
sharing utilized by fusion centers and other stakeholders by requiring
training modules and feedback mechanisms.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Don Bacon for his work on this
legislation and his overall commitment to Federal, State, and local
information sharing.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am
prepared to close after the gentleman from Louisiana closes.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon), the cosponsor of this bill.
Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana and I
thank the gentlewoman from New York for their leadership today.
[[Page H1263]]
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, H.R. 504, that I
authored. It is called the DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act.
The purpose of this legislation is to provide transparency,
predictability, and technology improvements to the 79 State and locally
owned fusion centers across the United States. This bill fixes several
shortfalls that were identified by recent inspection findings.
I was able to visit the Nebraska Information Analysis Center, known
as NIAC, my home State's fusion center, in January of this last year.
The NIAC was established in 2007 and serves as a critical information-
sharing conduit between the State of Nebraska and the Federal
Government to the benefit of all 93 counties in Nebraska.
While the NIAC currently has outside support from DHS, not all fusion
centers are in the same situation throughout our country, and that
needs to be fixed. To address this shortfall, H.R. 504 requires the
Department to engage an engagement strategy for how to best coordinate
information sharing, technology, and personnel resources with fusion
centers. Additionally, the bill requires DHS to develop clear and
robust performance metrics for the personnel assigned to fusion centers
to provide needed accountability.
In addition to personnel, DHS also provides fusion centers with
access to databases and information-sharing programs for classified and
sensitive information. H.R. 504 includes several provisions to address
improvements in training and technology needed for these systems,
including a requirement that DHS components share appropriate
intelligence products with fusion centers.
The sharing of counterterrorism and other homeland security
information with State and local officials is vital in our efforts to
protect the homeland. In the past few years, there have been
significant improvements in DHS' support for key stakeholders. The DHS
Field Engagement Accountability Act builds on this progress by holding
DHS more accountable for supporting fusion centers and making the
improvements needed to truly utilize them as a resource for the Federal
Government.
This is a commonsense bill that passed the House last Congress. With
another strong showing of bipartisan support from the House, I am
confident that we will be able to work with our colleagues in the other
Chamber to enact this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers,
and I am prepared to close.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Rogers, and
Congressman Bacon for bringing this bill to the floor.
I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 504, to improve DHS'
coordination and information-sharing activities with State and local
fusion centers across the country, thereby making the homeland security
intelligence enterprise more robust.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 504, which passed the House on suspension last
Congress, would help ensure that fusion centers throughout the country
have access to the resources necessary to keep our homeland safe and
secure.
By directing the Department to develop a strategy for its fusion
centers, the bill seeks to enhance DHS' overall ability to fulfill its
core mission. Additionally, H.R. 504 would ensure that DHS'
information-sharing policies include strong privacy and civil liberty
safeguards.
Regardless of the target or the underlying ideology behind a
terrorist plot, State and local law enforcement entities need a clear
line of communication with their Federal counterparts.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 504, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 504.
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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