Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2015

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3503 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3503

  To require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, and for
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 11, 2015

    Ms. McSally (for herself, Mr. McCaul, Mr. King of New York, Mr.
Loudermilk, and Mr. Barletta) introduced the following bill; which was
             referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, 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
Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FUSION CENTER PERSONNEL NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis
of the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the
appropriate components and offices of the Department and the Homeland
Security Advisors of the States, shall, in consultation with the
principal officials of the fusion centers in the National Network of
Fusion Centers, conduct a needs assessment of Department personnel
assigned to fusion centers pursuant to subsection (c) of section 210A
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), including an
assessment of whether deploying additional Department personnel to such
fusion centers would enhance the Department's mission under section
101(b) of such Act and the National Network of Fusion Centers. The
assessment required under this subsection shall include the following:
            (1) Information on the current deployment of the
        Department's personnel to each fusion center.
            (2) Information on the roles and responsibilities of the
        Office of Intelligence and Analysis' intelligence officers,
        intelligence analysts, senior reports officers, reports
        officers, and regional directors deployed to fusion centers.
            (3) Information on Federal resources, in addition to
        personnel, provided to each fusion center.
            (4) An assessment of whether deploying additional
        personnel, as described in paragraph (2), would enhance
        intelligence and information sharing between the Department and
        Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial partners.
            (5) An assessment of fusion centers located in
        jurisdictions along land and maritime borders of the United
        States, and the degree to which deploying personnel, as
        appropriate, from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S.
        Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Coast Guard to
        such fusion centers would enhance the integrity and security at
        such borders by helping Federal, State, local, and tribal law
        enforcement authorities to identify, investigate, and interdict
        persons, weapons, and related contraband that pose a threat to
        homeland security.
            (6) An assessment of fusion centers located in
        jurisdictions with large and medium hub airports, and the
        degree to which deploying, as appropriate, personnel from the
        Transportation Security Administration to such fusion centers
        would enhance the integrity and security of aviation security.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the completion of the
assessment required under subsection (a), the Under Secretary of
Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, in
coordination with the appropriate components and offices of the
Department of Homeland Security 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 such
assessment, together with a report on the following:
            (1) The number of personnel assigned to fusion centers from
        the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of
        Homeland Security, including a breakdown of the types of
        positions assigned and the methodology for determining the
        fusion centers to which such personnel are assigned.
            (2) The number of personnel assigned to the National
        Network of Fusion Centers from components and offices of the
        Department of Homeland Security and the methodology for
        determining the fusion centers to which such personnel are
        assigned.
            (3) An implementation plan for determining how the
        Department's personnel resources will be allocated to fusion
        centers in the future.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM FOR STATE AND LOCAL ANALYST CLEARANCES.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis
of the Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Chief
Security Officer of the Department, shall establish a program to
provide eligibility for access to information classified as Top Secret
pursuant to Executive Order 13526 (50 U.S.C. 3161 note) for State and
local analysts located in fusion centers.
    (b) Report.--Not later than two years after the establishment of
the program required under subsection (a), the Under Secretary of
Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security 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 following:
            (1) The effects of such program on the Department's ability
        to sponsor such Top Secret clearances for State and local
        analysts located in designated fusion centers.
            (2) The effects of such program on enhancing information
        sharing with State, local, tribal, and territorial partners.
            (3) The cost for providing additional training and
        providing such Top Secret clearances for State and local
        analysts.
            (4) The effect of such program on increasing the
        situational awareness of key stakeholders of the fusion
        centers, including Federal, State, local, tribal, and
        territorial law enforcement and emergency response providers.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Fusion center.--The term ``fusion center'' has the
        meaning given such term in subsection (j) of section 210A of
        the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h).
            (2) National network of fusion centers.--The term
        ``National Network of Fusion Centers'' means a decentralized
        arrangement of fusion centers intended to enhance individual
        State and urban area fusion centers' ability to leverage the
        capabilities and expertise of all such fusion centers for the
        purpose of enhancing analysis and homeland security information
        sharing nationally.
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