Preventing Radicalism by Exploring and Vetting its Emergence as a National Threat (PREVENT) Act

[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1695 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1695

To establish a National Commission on the Prevention of Radicalization,
        to enhance information sharing, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 26, 2007

 Mr. Reichert introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
    Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on
 Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a National Commission on the Prevention of Radicalization,
        to enhance information sharing, 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 ``Preventing Radicalism by Exploring
and Vetting its Emergence as a National Threat (PREVENT) Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE PREVENTION OF RADICALIZATION.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the legislative branch
the National Commission on Radicalization and Terrorism (in this title
referred to as the ``Commission''.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Commission are the following:
            (1) Examine and report upon the facts and causes relating
        to radicalization in the United States, including United States
        connections to non-United States persons and networks,
        radicalization in prison, individual or ``lone wolf''
        radicalization, radicalization in connection with gang
        activity, radicalization and the use of the internet and other
        facets of the phenomenon of radicalization that the Commission
        considers important.
            (2) Build upon and bring together the work of other
        entities and avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the
        findings, conclusions, and recommendations of--
                    (A) the ongoing work of the National Consortium for
                the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terror, the
                Homeland Security Policy Institute at the George
                Washington University, and other academic work, as
                appropriate;
                    (B) Federal, State, local or tribal studies on,
                reviews of, and experiences with radicalization; and
                    (C) foreign governments and overseas experiences.
            (3) Report to the President and the Congress on its
        findings, conclusions, and recommendations for immediate and
        long-term countermeasures to radicalization in the United
        States and measures that can be taken to prevent radicalization
        from developing and spreading within the United States.
    (c) Composition of Commission.--
            (1) Members.--The Commission shall be composed of 20
        members, of whom--
                    (A) 4 members shall be appointed by the President,
                one of whom shall be designated by the President to
                serve as chairman of the Commission;
                    (B) 1 member shall be appointed by the Senate
                majority leader;
                    (C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Senate
                minority leader;
                    (D) 1 member shall be appointed by the Speaker of
                the House of Representatives;
                    (E) 1 member shall be appointed by the minority
                leader of the House of Representatives;
                    (F) 1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of
                the Homeland Security Committee of the House of
                Representatives;
                    (G) 1 member shall be appointed by the ranking
                minority member of the Homeland Security Committee of
                the House of Representatives;
                    (H) 1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of
                the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the
                House of Representatives;
                    (I) 1 member shall be appointed by the ranking
                minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on
                Intelligence of the House of Representatives;
                    (J) 1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of
                the Judiciary Committee of the House of
                Representatives;
                    (K) 1 member shall be appointed by the ranking
                minority member of the Judiciary Committee of the House
                of Representatives;
                    (L) 1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of
                the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
                Committee of the Senate;
                    (M) 1 member shall be appointed by the ranking
                minority member of the Homeland Security and
                Governmental Affairs Committee of the Senate;
                    (N) 1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of
                the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate;
                    (O) 1 member shall be appointed by the ranking
                minority member of the Select Committee on Intelligence
                of the Senate;
                    (P) 1 member shall be appointed by the Chairman of
                the Judiciary Committee of the Senate; and
                    (Q) 1 member shall be appointed by the ranking
                minority member of the Judiciary Committee of the
                Senate.
            (2) Qualifications.--It is the sense of Congress that
        individuals appointed to the Commission should be prominent
        United States citizens, with national recognition and
        significant depth of experience in such professions as law
        enforcement, the armed services, sociology, psychology,
        technology and social networking, law, public administration,
        intelligence, corrections, and foreign affairs.
            (3) Deadline for appointment.--All members of the
        Commission shall be appointed on or before 6 months after the
        date of the enactment of this Act.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--The Commission shall meet and begin
        the operations of the Commission as soon as practicable.
            (2) Subsequent meetings.--After its initial meeting, the
        Commission shall meet upon the call of the Chairman or a
        majority of its members.
            (3) Quorum.--Eleven members of the Commission shall
        constitute a quorum.
    (e) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its
powers, and shall be filled in the same manner in which the original
appointment was made.
    (f) Powers of Commission.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) Hearings and evidence.--The Commission or, on
                the authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or
                member thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out
                this section hold hearings and sit and act at such
                times and places, take such testimony, receive such
                evidence, and administer such oaths as may be
                authorized by the Commission.
                    (B) Contracting.--The Commission may, to such
                extent and in such amounts as are provided in
                appropriation Acts, enter into contracts to enable the
                Commission to discharge its duties under this section.
            (2) Information from federal agencies.--
                    (A) In general.--The Commission may secure directly
                from any executive department, bureau, agency, board,
                commission, office, independent establishment, or
                instrumentality of the Government, information,
                suggestions, estimates, and statistics for the purposes
                of this section. The head of each department, bureau,
                agency, board, commission, office, independent
                establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent
                authorized by law, furnish such information,
                suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the
                Commission, upon request made by the chairman, the
                chairman of any subcommittee created by a majority of
                the Commission, or any member designated by a majority
                of the Commission.
                    (B) Receipt, handling, storage, and
                dissemination.--Information shall only be received,
                handled, stored, and disseminated by members of the
                Commission and its staff consistent with all applicable
                statutes, regulations, and Executive orders.
    (g) Assistance From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) General services administration.--The Administrator of
        General Services shall provide to the Commission on a
        reimbursable basis administrative support and other services
        for the performance of the Commission's functions.
            (2) Other departments and agencies.--In addition to the
        assistance prescribed in paragraph (1), departments and
        agencies of the United States may provide to the Commission
        such services, funds, facilities, staff, and support services
        as they may determine advisable and as may be authorized by
        law.
    (h) Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or
donations of services or property.
    (i) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as departments
and agencies of the United States.
    (j) Nonapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the
Commission.
    (k) Public Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission shall hold public hearings
        and meetings to the extent appropriate.
            (2) Protection of information.--Any public hearings of the
        Commission shall be conducted in a manner consistent with the
        protection of information provided to or developed for or by
        the Commission as required by any applicable statute,
        regulation, or Executive order.
    (l) Staff of Commission.--
            (1) Appointment and compensation.--The chairman of the
        Commission, in consultation with the vice chairman and in
        accordance with rules agreed upon by the Commission, may
        appoint and fix the compensation of a staff director and such
        other personnel as may be necessary to enable the Commission to
        carry out its functions, without regard to the provisions of
        title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the
        competitive service, and without regard to the provisions of
        chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title
        relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates,
        except that no rate of pay fixed under this subsection may
        exceed the equivalent of that payable for a position at level V
        of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United
        States Code.
            (2) Personnel as federal employees.--
                    (A) In general.--The executive director and any
                employees of the Commission shall be employees under
                section 2105 of title 5, United States Code, for
                purposes of chapters 63, 81, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, and 90
                of that title.
                    (B) Members of commission.--Subparagraph (A) shall
                not be construed to apply to members of the Commission.
            (3) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be
        detailed to the Commission without reimbursement from the
        Commission, and such detailee shall retain the rights, status,
        and privileges of his or her regular employment without
        interruption.
            (4) Consultant services.--The Commission may procure the
        services of experts and consultants in accordance with section
        3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not to exceed
        the daily rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV
        of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
        States Code.
            (5) Emphasis on security clearances.--Emphasis shall be
        made to hire employees and retain contractors and detailees
        with active security clearances.
    (m) Compensation and Travel Expenses.--
            (1) Compensation.--Each member of the Commission may be
        compensated at not to exceed the daily equivalent of the annual
        rate of basic pay in effect for a position at level IV of the
        Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States
        Code, for each day during which that member is engaged in the
        actual performance of the duties of the Commission.
            (2) Travel expenses.--While away from their homes or
        regular places of business in the performance of services for
        the Commission, members of the Commission shall be allowed
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in
        the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the
        Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b)
        of title 5, United States Code.
    (n) Security Clearances for Commission Members and Staff.--The
appropriate Federal agencies or departments shall cooperate with the
Commission in expeditiously providing to the Commission members and
staff appropriate security clearances to the extent possible pursuant
to existing procedures and requirements, except that no person shall be
provided with access to classified information under this section
without the appropriate security clearances.
    (o) Reports of Commission.--
            (1) Interim reports.--The Commission may submit to the
        President and Congress interim reports containing such
        findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective
        measures as have been agreed to by a majority of Commission
        members.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than 24 months after the date
        of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to
        the President and Congress a final report containing such
        findings, conclusions, and recommendations for corrective
        measures as have been agreed to by a majority of Commission
        members.
            (3) Public availability.--The Commission shall release
        public versions of the reports required under this subsection.
    (p) Termination.--The Commission, and all the authorities under
this section, shall terminate 60 days after the date on which the final
report is submitted under subsection (o)(2).
    (q) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
        the Commission $9,000,000 for the activities of the Commission
        under this section.
            (2) Duration of availability.--Amounts made available to
        the Commission under paragraph (1) shall remain available until
        the earlier of the expenditure of the amounts or the
        termination of the Commission.
    (r) Radicalization Defined.--In this section the term
``radicalization'' means the process of adopting an extremist belief
system, including the willingness to use, support, or facilitate
violence, as a method to effect societal change.

SEC. 3. EVALUATION OF PROTECTED CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION
              INCENTIVES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall work with
the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE),
led by the University of Southern California, to evaluate the
feasibility and practicality of creating further incentives for private
sector critical infrastructure stakeholders to participate in the
sharing of Protected Critical Infrastructure Information.
    (b) Included Incentives.--Incentives evaluated under this section
shall include, but not be limited to, tax incentives, grant eligibility
incentives, and certificates of compliance and other non-monetary
incentives.
    (c) Recommendations.--The evaluation shall also include
recommendations on the structure and thresholds of any incentive
program.
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