[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 56 (Monday, April 1, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2931-H2933]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         CBRN INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SHARING ACT OF 2019

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 1589) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 to establish chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear 
intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of 
Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and to 
require dissemination of information analyzed by the Department to 
entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1589

       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 ``CBRN Intelligence and 
     Information Sharing Act of 2019''.

[[Page H2932]]

  


     SEC. 2. CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR 
                   INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SHARING.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title II of the Homeland 
     Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et seq.) is amended by 
     inserting after section 210E the following new section:

     ``SEC. 210F. CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, AND NUCLEAR 
                   INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SHARING.

       ``(a) In General.--The Office of Intelligence and Analysis 
     of the Department of Homeland Security shall--
       ``(1) support homeland security-focused intelligence 
     analysis of terrorist actors, their claims, and their plans 
     to conduct attacks involving chemical, biological, 
     radiological, or nuclear materials against the United States, 
     including critical infrastructure;
       ``(2) support homeland security-focused intelligence 
     analysis of global infectious disease, public health, food, 
     agricultural, and veterinary issues;
       ``(3) support homeland security-focused risk analysis and 
     risk assessments of the homeland security hazards described 
     in paragraphs (1) and (2), including the transportation of 
     chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological materials, by 
     providing relevant quantitative and nonquantitative threat 
     information;
       ``(4) leverage existing and emerging homeland security 
     intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance early 
     detection, prevention, protection, response, and recovery 
     efforts with respect to a chemical, biological, radiological, 
     or nuclear attack;
       ``(5) share information and provide tailored analytical 
     support on such threats to State, local, Tribal, and 
     territorial authorities, and other Federal agencies, as well 
     as relevant national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders, 
     as appropriate; and
       ``(6) perform other responsibilities, as assigned by the 
     Secretary.
       ``(b) Coordination.--Where appropriate, the Office of 
     Intelligence and Analysis shall coordinate with other 
     relevant Department components, including the Countering 
     Weapons of Mass Destruction Office and the National 
     Biosurveillance Integration Center, agencies within the 
     intelligence community, including the National Counter 
     Proliferation Center, and other Federal, State, local, 
     Tribal, and territorial authorities, including officials from 
     high-threat urban areas, State and major urban area fusion 
     centers, and local public health departments, as appropriate, 
     and enable such entities to provide recommendations on 
     optimal information sharing mechanisms, including expeditious 
     sharing of classified information, and on how such entities 
     can provide information to the Department.
       ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Intelligence community.--The term `intelligence 
     community' has the meaning given such term in section 3(4) of 
     the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).
       ``(2) National biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders.--
     The term `national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders' 
     means officials from Federal, State, local, Tribal, and 
     territorial authorities and individuals from the private 
     sector who are involved in efforts to prevent, protect 
     against, respond to, and recover from a biological attack or 
     other phenomena that may have serious health consequences for 
     the United States, including infectious disease outbreaks.''.
       (b) 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 201E the 
     following new item:

``Sec. 210F. Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear 
              intelligence and information sharing.''.

       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for each of 
     the following four years, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     shall report to the appropriate congressional committees on 
     the following:
       (A) The intelligence and information sharing activities 
     under section 210F of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as 
     added by subsection (a) of this section) and of all relevant 
     entities within the Department of Homeland Security to 
     counter the threat from attacks using chemical, biological, 
     radiological, or nuclear materials.
       (B) The Department's activities in accordance with relevant 
     intelligence strategies.
       (2) Assessment of implementation.--The reports required 
     under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
       (A) An assessment of the progress of the Office of 
     Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland 
     Security in implementing such section 210F.
       (B) A description of the methods established to carry out 
     such assessment.
       (3) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means the Committee on Homeland 
     Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and 
     any committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate 
     having legislative jurisdiction under the rules of the House 
     of Representatives or Senate, respectively, over the matter 
     concerned.

     SEC. 3. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ANALYZED BY THE 
                   DEPARTMENT TO STATE, LOCAL, TRIBAL, 
                   TERRITORIAL, AND PRIVATE ENTITIES WITH 
                   RESPONSIBILITIES RELATING TO HOMELAND SECURITY.

       Paragraph (6) of section 201(d) of the Homeland Security 
     Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121(d)) is amended by striking ``and to 
     agencies of State'' and all that follows through the period 
     at the end and inserting ``to State, local, tribal, 
     territorial, and private entities with such responsibilities, 
     and, as appropriate, to the public, in order to assist in 
     preventing, deterring, or responding to acts of terrorism 
     against the United States.''.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which 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 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1589, the Chemical, 
Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Intelligence and Information 
Sharing Act of 2019.
  In the last two Congresses, the Committee on Homeland Security has 
held several hearings on Federal, State, and local capabilities to 
prevent, identify, and respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, 
or nuclear attack.
  At those hearings, State and local stakeholders, including public 
health professionals, emergency managers, and first responders, 
expressed general awareness of the evolving CBRN threat, but expressed 
frustration with the level of information sharing about such threats.
  H.R. 1589 seeks to facilitate improved CBRN information sharing by 
directing DHS to analyze CBRN-related terrorist threats and share 
relevant threat information with Federal, State, and local 
stakeholders.
  These activities could help improve situational awareness at all 
levels of government and help DHS grant recipients better target their 
limited resources.
  Prior versions of this measure passed the House overwhelmingly in the 
last two Congresses.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the measure once again, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1589. We all know that 
terrorist groups have long sought to develop capabilities to attack our 
Nation with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials.
  H.R. 1589 would address this threat by requiring the Office of 
Intelligence and Analysis within the Department of Homeland Security to 
conduct analysis of terrorist capabilities relating to chemical, 
biological, radiological, and nuclear materials, as well as threats to 
the homeland from global and infectious diseases.
  To improve coordination with local law enforcement, H.R. 1589 
requires the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to share threat 
information not only with Federal entities, but also State, local, 
Tribal, and territorial agencies.
  I commend my colleague, Mr. Walker of North Carolina, for introducing 
this important legislation, and I urge all Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, effective information 
sharing is essential to prevent and respond to threats posed by bad 
actors. H.R. 1589 will facilitate information sharing in the CBRN space 
where new threats are constantly emerging.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1589, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1589, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.

[[Page H2933]]

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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