DHS Biodetection Improvement Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 706 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 706

  To improve the biodetection functions of the Department of Homeland
                   Security, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2025

 Mr. Strong (for himself and Mr. Higgins of Louisiana) introduced the
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland
                                Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To improve the biodetection functions 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 ``DHS Biodetection Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. DHS UTILIZATION OF DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL LABORATORIES
              AND SITES FOR CERTAIN BIODETECTION RESEARCH AND
              DEVELOPMENT RELATING TO THE MISSIONS OF THE DHS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct
an assessment of how the Department of Homeland Security has utilized
Department of Energy national laboratories and sites regarding research
and development in carrying out the missions of the Department of
Homeland Security, in accordance with section 309 of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 189).
    (b) Strategy on Biodetection Research and Development.--Not later
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary 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 the assessment
required under subsection (a), together with a strategy for how the
Department of Homeland Security will conduct research and development
in coordination with Department of Energy national laboratories and
sites to address biodetection research and development of the
Department of Homeland Security, including the following:
            (1) Identifying biodetection technologies that can, either
        individually or together, meet the biodetection mission needs
        as outlined in Department of Homeland Security capabilities
        analysis and requirements documents and informed by studies
        produced by the Comptroller General of the United States, such
        as the National Re-Assessment of the BioWatch Collector Network
        to Increase the Fraction of Population Covered, as developed by
        the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office of the
        Department in November 2021, and other such future studies as
        applicable.
            (2) Developing an acquisition and procurement plan to
        acquire and provide, in accordance with Federal law, the
        Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Department of Homeland
        Security acquisition and procurement management directives, the
        biodetection technologies referred to in paragraph (1) to
        existing BioWatch jurisdictions.
            (3) Conducting periodic external evaluations to identify
        gaps and potential failure points with respect to such
        biodetection technologies, and recommending contingency plans
        in the event such biodetection technologies do not perform as
        expected or intended.
            (4) Assisting, as appropriate and in partnership with
        Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, institutions of
        higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), and the private
        sector, with the development of clearly defined program and
        technical requirements for future Department of Homeland
        Security environmental biodetection programs, including any
        related transformational program of research and development.
    (c) Reports to Congress.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall
provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate an update of the assessment and strategy required
under this section, including any challenges to implementing such
strategy.
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