[114th Congress Public Law 29]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 129 STAT. 421]]

Public Law 114-29
114th Congress

                                 An Act


 
    To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Under 
Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to take 
      administrative action to achieve and maintain interoperable 
 communications capabilities among the components of the Department of 
Homeland Security, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: July 6, 2015 -  [H.R. 
                                 615]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Department of 
Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act. 6 USC 194 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Homeland Security 
Interoperable Communications Act'' or the ``DHS Interoperable 
Communications Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Department'' means the Department of Homeland 
        Security;
            (2) the term ``interoperable communications'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 701(d) of the Homeland 
        Security Act of 2002, as added by section 3; and
            (3) the term ``Under Secretary for Management'' means the 
        Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland 
        Security.
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES IN 
                    RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNDER SECRETARY FOR 
                    MANAGEMENT.

    Section 701 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 341) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(4), by inserting before the period at 
        the end the following: ``, including policies and directives to 
        achieve and maintain interoperable communications among the 
        components of the Department''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

    ``(d) Interoperable Communications Defined.--In this section, the 
term `interoperable communications' has the meaning given that term in 
section 7303(g) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act 
of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 194(g)).''.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Not <<NOTE: Deadline.>> later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Management 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a strategy, which shall be updated as necessary, 
for achieving and maintaining interoperable

[[Page 129 STAT. 422]]

communications among the components of the Department, including for 
daily operations, planned events, and emergencies, with corresponding 
milestones, that includes the following:
            (1) An assessment of interoperability gaps in radio 
        communications among the components of the Department, as of the 
        date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Information on efforts and activities, including current 
        and planned policies, directives, and training, of the 
        Department since November 1, 2012, to achieve and maintain 
        interoperable communications among the components of the 
        Department, and planned efforts and activities of the Department 
        to achieve and maintain such interoperable communications.
            (3) An assessment of obstacles and challenges to achieving 
        and maintaining interoperable communications among the 
        components of the Department.
            (4) Information on, and an assessment of, the adequacy of 
        mechanisms available to the Under Secretary for Management to 
        enforce and compel compliance with interoperable communications 
        policies and directives of the Department.
            (5) Guidance provided to the components of the Department to 
        implement interoperable communications policies and directives 
        of the Department.
            (6) The total amount of funds expended by the Department 
        since November 1, 2012, and projected future expenditures, to 
        achieve interoperable communications, including on equipment, 
        infrastructure, and maintenance.
            (7) Dates upon which Department-wide interoperability is 
        projected to be achieved for voice, data, and video 
        communications, respectively, and interim milestones that 
        correspond to the achievement of each such mode of 
        communication.

    (b) Supplementary Material.--Together with the strategy required 
under subsection (a), the Under Secretary for Management shall submit to 
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate information on--
            (1) any intra-agency effort or task force that has been 
        delegated certain responsibilities by the Under Secretary for 
        Management relating to achieving and maintaining interoperable 
        communications among the components of the Department by the 
        dates referred to in subsection (a)(7); and
            (2) who, within each such component, is responsible for 
        implementing policies and directives issued by the Under 
        Secretary for Management to so achieve and maintain such 
        interoperable communications.
SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than 100 days after the date on which the strategy 
required under section 4(a) is submitted, and every 2 years thereafter 
for 6 years, the Under Secretary for Management shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report on the status of efforts to implement the strategy required under 
section 4(a), including the following:
            (1) Progress on each interim milestone referred to in 
        section 4(a)(7) toward achieving and maintaining interoperable 
        communications among the components of the Department.

[[Page 129 STAT. 423]]

            (2) Information on any policies, directives, guidance, and 
        training established by the Under Secretary for Management.
            (3) An assessment of the level of compliance, adoption, and 
        participation among the components of the Department with the 
        policies, directives, guidance, and training established by the 
        Under Secretary for Management to achieve and maintain 
        interoperable communications among the components.
            (4) Information on any additional resources or authorities 
        needed by the Under Secretary for Management.
SEC. 6. APPLICABILITY.

    Sections 4 and 5 shall only apply with respect to the interoperable 
communications capabilities within the Department and components of the 
Department to communicate within the Department.

    Approved July 6, 2015.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 615:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 114-53 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015):
            Feb. 2, considered and passed House.
            June 11, considered and passed Senate, amended.
            June 23, House concurred in Senate amendment.

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