United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session

[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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. <>

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 ``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 <> 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 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 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:
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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.