[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 115-331
115th Congress

An Act


 
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a data
framework to provide access for appropriate personnel to law enforcement
and other information of the Department, 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 Data
Framework Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. <>  DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DATA
FRAMEWORK.

(a) In General.--
(1) Development.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
develop a data framework to integrate existing Department of
Homeland Security datasets and systems, as appropriate, for
access by authorized personnel in a manner consistent with
relevant legal authorities and privacy, civil rights, and civil
liberties policies and protections.
(2) Requirements.--In developing the framework required
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
ensure, in accordance with all applicable statutory and
regulatory requirements, the following information is included:
(A) All information acquired, held, or obtained by
an office or component of the Department of Homeland
Security that falls within the scope of the information
sharing environment, including homeland security
information, terrorism information, weapons of mass
destruction information, and national intelligence.
(B) Any information or intelligence relevant to
priority mission needs and capability requirements of
the homeland security enterprise, as determined
appropriate by the Secretary.

(b) Data Framework Access.--
(1) <>  In general.--The Secretary of
Homeland Security shall ensure that the data framework required
under this section is accessible to employees of the Department
of Homeland Security who the Secretary determines--
(A) have an appropriate security clearance;
(B) are assigned to perform a function that requires
access to information in such framework; and
(C) are trained in applicable standards for
safeguarding and using such information.
(2) Guidance.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall--

[[Page 4485]]

(A) issue guidance for Department of Homeland
Security employees authorized to access and contribute
to the data framework pursuant to paragraph (1); and
(B) ensure that such guidance enforces a duty to
share between offices and components of the Department
when accessing or contributing to such framework for
mission needs.
(3) <>  Efficiency.--The Secretary of
Homeland Security shall promulgate data standards and instruct
components of the Department of Homeland Security to make
available information through the data framework required under
this section in a machine-readable standard format, to the
greatest extent practicable.

(c) <>  Exclusion of Information.--The
Secretary of Homeland Security may exclude information from the data
framework required under this section if the Secretary determines
inclusion of such information may--
(1) jeopardize the protection of sources, methods, or
activities;
(2) compromise a criminal or national security
investigation;
(3) be inconsistent with other Federal laws or regulations;
or
(4) be duplicative or not serve an operational purpose if
included in such framework.

(d) Safeguards.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
incorporate into the data framework required under this section systems
capabilities for auditing and ensuring the security of information
included in such framework. Such capabilities shall include the
following:
(1) Mechanisms for identifying insider threats.
(2) Mechanisms for identifying security risks.
(3) Safeguards for privacy, civil rights, and civil
liberties.

(e) Deadline for Implementation.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
ensure the data framework required under this section has the ability to
include appropriate information in existence within the Department of
Homeland Security to meet the critical mission operations of the
Department of Homeland Security.
(f) Notice to Congress.--
(1) Status updates.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees regular
updates on the status of the data framework until the framework
is fully operational.
(2) <>  Operational notification.--Not
later than 60 days after the date on which the data framework
required under this section is fully operational, the Secretary
of Homeland Security shall provide notice to the appropriate
congressional committees that the data framework is fully
operational.
(3) <>  Value added.--The Secretary of
Homeland Security shall annually brief Congress on component use
of the data framework required under this section to support
operations that disrupt terrorist activities and incidents in
the homeland.

(g) Definitions.--In this section:

[[Page 4486]]

(1) Appropriate congressional committee; homeland.--The
terms ``appropriate congressional committee'' and ``homeland''
have the meaning given those terms in section 2 of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101).
(2) Homeland security information.--The term ``homeland
security information'' has the meaning given such term in
section 892 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 482).
(3) National intelligence.--The term ``national
intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(5)
of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(5)).
(4) Terrorism information.--The term ``terrorism
information'' has the meaning given such term in section 1016 of
the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (6
U.S.C. 485).

Approved December 19, 2018.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2454 (S. 2397):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 115-380 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs) accompanying S. 2397.
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
Vol. 163 (2017):
Sept. 12, considered and passed
House.
Vol. 164 (2018):
Dec. 6, considered and passed
Senate, amended.
Dec. 12, House concurred in Senate
amendment.