I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4889 

To improve communication between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 

State law enforcement agencies. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 28, 2019 

Mr. STEUBE (for himself, Mr. CISNEROS, Mr. BALDERSON, Mr. TURNER, Mr. 

DIAZ-BALART, Mr. YOHO, and Mr. GAETZ) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To improve communication between the Federal Bureau of 

Investigation and State law enforcement agencies. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Threat Information 

5 Protocol for Sharing Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) APPROPRIATE RECIPIENTS.—The term ‘‘ap9 propriate recipients’’, with respect to a State, 

10 means— 


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1 (A) the primary law enforcement agency of 

2 the State; and 

3 (B) the State fusion center (as described 

4 in section 210A of the Homeland Security Act 

5 of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h)). 

6 (2) BUREAU.—The term ‘‘Bureau’’ means the 

7 Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

8 (3) CRIMINAL EVENT.—The term ‘‘criminal 

9 event’’ means a misdemeanor or felony offense under 

10 Federal or State law resulting in a criminal arrest 

11 recorded in the National Crime Information Center 

12 of the Bureau. 

13 (4) NATIONAL TIP LINE.—The term ‘‘national 

14 tip line’’, with respect to the Bureau, means— 

15 (A) the online electronic tip form main16 tained by the Bureau; and 

17 (B) any toll-free telephone number main18 tained by the Bureau. 

19 (5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

20 the several States, the District of Columbia, the 

21 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other terri22 tory or possession of the United States. 

23 SEC. 3. FBI MONTHLY REPORT TO STATES. 

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

25 date of enactment of this Act, and each month thereafter, 


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1 the Director of the Bureau shall submit to the appropriate 

2 recipients for a State a report that describes all informa3 tion received by the Bureau through the national tip line 

4 relating to an individual or threat in the State during the 

5 preceding month. 

6 (b) CONTENTS.—The report submitted to the appro7 priate recipients for a State under subsection (a) shall 

8 contain all information provided to the Bureau through 

9 the national tip line relating to an individual or threat in 

10 the State, including— 

11 (1) the name of each individual identified; 

12 (2) the nature of each threat reported; 

13 (3) the location of each threat reported; 

14 (4) the date on which the Bureau received the 

15 information; and 

16 (5) the action taken by the Bureau, if any. 

17 SEC. 4. PROGRAM INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 

18 (a) ANNUAL REPORTING.—Not later than 1 year 

19 after the date of enactment of this Act, and each year 

20 thereafter, the Director of the Bureau shall submit to 

21 Congress a report detailing, for the preceding year— 

22 (1) the total number of reports received 

23 through the national tip line relating to an indi24 vidual or threat; and 


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1 (2) the total number of reports submitted to the 

2 appropriate recipients for each State under section 

3 3(a). 

4 (b) ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING.—Not later than 

5 September 30 of the year beginning after the date of en6 actment of this Act, and each year thereafter, the Director 

7 of the Bureau shall submit to Congress a report detailing, 

8 for the preceding year— 

9 (1) the total number of criminal events that 

10 took place during the year involving an individual or 

11 threat that had been the subject of a report received 

12 through the national tip line prior to the criminal 

13 event; 

14 (2) any action taken by the Bureau— 

15 (A) after the Bureau received a report de16 scribed in paragraph (1); and 

17 (B) before the related criminal event de18 scribed in paragraph (1) occurred; and 

19 (3) for each criminal event described in para20 graph (1) with respect to which the Bureau did not 

21 take action after receiving the related report and be22 fore the criminal event occurred, the accountability 

23 measures employed by the Bureau to address the 

24 failure to investigate the report, including any disVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:14 Nov 01, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4889.IH H4889

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1 cipline, suspension, or termination of an employee of 

2 the Bureau. 

3 (c) GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE RE4 PORT.— 

5 (1) REVIEW.—Not later than 60 days after the 

6 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller Gen7 eral of the United States shall initiate a review of 

8 the processes and procedures of the Bureau relating 

9 to the operation of the national tip line. 

10 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

11 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller Gen12 eral of the United States shall submit to Congress 

13 a report based on the review conducted under para14 graph (1) that includes— 

15 (A) the manner in which the Bureau cata16 logues or records information upon receipt 

17 through the national tip line; 

18 (B) the manner in which the Bureau evalu19 ates information described in subparagraph (A) 

20 for further review; 

21 (C) the frequency with which the evalua22 tion of information described in subparagraph 

23 (B) leads to further review or investigation by 

24 the Bureau or appropriate recipients for a 

25 State; 


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1 (D) the manner in which the Bureau refers 

2 information to appropriate recipients for a 

3 State for further review or investigation; and 

4 (E) any recommended improvements to the 

5 processes and procedures of the Bureau relating 

6 to the operation of the national tip line. 

Æ 


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