[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 126 (Thursday, July 25, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DHS FIELD ENGAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 47, H.R.
504.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A 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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike all after the
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:
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) redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections
(k) and (l), respectively; and
(2) inserting after subsection (i) the following:
``(j) Fusion Center Information Sharing Strategy.--Not
later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the DHS
Field Engagement Accountability Act, and not less frequently
than once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall
develop or update 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, the Officer for
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, 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 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).
``(3) A 5-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 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, the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis
shall develop and implement a formalized training module for
fusion center personnel regarding the classified Homeland
Secure Data Network, or any successor system.
(c) Fusion Center Defined.--In this section, the term
``fusion center'' has the meaning given such term in section
210A(k) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as so
redesignated by section 2.
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 Information Officer, in
consultation with the Under Secretary for Intelligence and
Analysis, and in accordance with the functions and
responsibilities assigned to the Under Secretary under title
II of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et
seq.), shall--
(1) develop policies and metrics to ensure effective use by
components of the Department of the unclassified Homeland
Security Information Network (referred to in this section as
``HSIN''), or any successor system; and
(2) develop policies for posting unclassified products on
HSIN, or any successor system.
(b) Technical Enhancements.--The Chief Information Officer,
in consultation with the Chief Intelligence Officer, shall
assess and implement, as appropriate, technical enhancements
to 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 a
report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate, the Select Committee on Intelligence
of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives, and the Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence of the House of Representatives that
describes the implementation of--
(1) the fusion center information sharing strategy required
under section 210A(j) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002,
as added by section 2, based on performance metrics developed
pursuant to such strategy;
(2) the deployment of field personnel 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; and
(3) policies that seek to ensure the effective use of the
Homeland Security Information Network, in accordance with
section 4, based on the metrics developed pursuant to such
section.
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-
reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended,
be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
agreed to.
The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a
third time.
The bill was read the third time.
The bill (H.R. 504), as amended, was passed.
____________________