IB 

Union Calendar No. 247 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3598 

[Report No. 114–324] 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance the partnership 

between the Department of Homeland Security and the National Network 

of Fusion Centers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 

Mr. BARLETTA (for himself and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

NOVEMBER 2, 2015 

Additional sponsor: Mr. MCCAUL

NOVEMBER 2, 2015 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 24, 2015] 


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A BILL 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance 

the partnership between the Department of Homeland 

Security and the National Network of Fusion Centers, 

and for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Fusion Center Enhance5 ment Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUSION 

7 CENTER PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 210A of the Homeland Se9 curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) is amended— 

10 (1) by amending the section heading to read as 

11 follows: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 210A. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FU13 SION CENTER PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE.’’; 

14 (2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

15 following new sentence: ‘‘Beginning on the date of the 

16 enactment of the Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 

17 2015, such Initiative shall be known as the ‘Depart18 ment of Homeland Security Fusion Center Partner19 ship Initiative’.’’; 

20 (3) by amending subsection (b) to read as fol21 lows: 

22 ‘‘(b) INTERAGENCY SUPPORT AND COORDINATION.— 

23 Through the Department of Homeland Security Fusion 

24 Center Partnership Initiative, in coordination with prin25 cipal officials of fusion centers in the National Network of 


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1 Fusion Centers and the officers designated as the Homeland 

2 Security Advisors of the States, the Secretary shall— 

3 ‘‘(1) coordinate with the heads of other Federal 

4 departments and agencies to provide operational and 

5 intelligence advice and assistance to the National Net6 work of Fusion Centers; 

7 ‘‘(2) support the integration of fusion centers 

8 into the information sharing environment; 

9 ‘‘(3) support the maturation and sustainment of 

10 the National Network of Fusion Centers; 

11 ‘‘(4) reduce inefficiencies and maximize the effec12 tiveness of Federal resource support to the National 

13 Network of Fusion Centers; 

14 ‘‘(5) provide analytic and reporting advice and 

15 assistance to the National Network of Fusion Centers; 

16 ‘‘(6) review information within the scope of the 

17 information sharing environment, including home18 land security information, terrorism information, 

19 and weapons of mass destruction information, that is 

20 gathered by the National Network of Fusion Centers 

21 and incorporate such information, as appropriate, 

22 into the Department’s own such information; 

23 ‘‘(7) provide for the effective dissemination of in24 formation within the scope of the information sharing 


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1 environment to the National Network of Fusion Cen2 ters; 

3 ‘‘(8) facilitate close communication and coordi4 nation between the National Network of Fusion Cen5 ters and the Department and other Federal depart6 ments and agencies; 

7 ‘‘(9) provide the National Network of Fusion 

8 Centers with expertise on Department resources and 

9 operations; 

10 ‘‘(10) coordinate the provision of training and 

11 technical assistance to the National Network of Fu12 sion Centers and encourage such fusion centers to 

13 participate in terrorism threat-related exercises con14 ducted by the Department; 

15 ‘‘(11) ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, 

16 that support for the National Network of Fusion Cen17 ters is included as a national priority in applicable 

18 homeland security grant guidance; 

19 ‘‘(12) ensure that each fusion center in the Na20 tional Network of Fusion Centers has a privacy pol21 icy approved by the Chief Privacy Officer of the De22 partment and a civil rights and civil liberties policy 

23 approved by the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil 

24 Liberties of the Department; 


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1 ‘‘(13) coordinate the nationwide suspicious activ2 ity report initiative to ensure information gathered 

3 by the National Network of Fusion Centers is incor4 porated as appropriate; 

5 ‘‘(14) lead Department efforts to ensure fusion 

6 centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers are 

7 the primary focal points for the sharing of homeland 

8 security information, terrorism information, and 

9 weapons of mass destruction information with State 

10 and local entities to the greatest extent practicable; 

11 ‘‘(15) develop and disseminate best practices on 

12 the appropriate levels for staffing at fusion centers in 

13 the National Network of Fusion Centers of qualified 

14 representatives from State, local, tribal, and terri15 torial law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, and 

16 emergency management services, and public health 

17 disciplines, as well as the private sector; and 

18 ‘‘(16) carry out such other duties as the Sec19 retary determines appropriate.’’; 

20 (4) in subsection (c)— 

21 (A) by striking so much as precedes para22 graph (3)(B) and inserting the following: 

23 ‘‘(c) RESOURCE ALLOCATION.— 

24 ‘‘(1) INFORMATION SHARING AND PERSONNEL AS25 SIGNMENT.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Under 

2 Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis shall en3 sure that, as appropriate— 

4 ‘‘(i) fusion centers in the National Net5 work of Fusion Centers have access to home6 land security information sharing systems; 

7 and 

8 ‘‘(ii) Department personnel are de9 ployed to support fusion centers in the Na10 tional Network of Fusion Centers. 

11 ‘‘(B) PERSONNEL ASSIGNMENT.—Depart12 ment personnel referred to in subparagraph 

13 (A)(ii) may include the following: 

14 ‘‘(i) Intelligence officers. 

15 ‘‘(ii) Intelligence analysts. 

16 ‘‘(iii) Other liaisons from components 

17 and offices of the Department, as appro18 priate. 

19 ‘‘(C) MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING.— 

20 The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Anal21 ysis shall negotiate memoranda of understanding 

22 between the Department and a State or local 

23 government, in coordination with the appro24 priate representatives from fusion centers in the 

25 National Network of Fusion Centers, regarding 


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1 the exchange of information between the Depart2 ment and such fusion centers. Such memoranda 

3 shall include the following: 

4 ‘‘(i) The categories of information to be 

5 provided by each entity to the other entity 

6 that are parties to any such memoranda. 

7 ‘‘(ii) The contemplated uses of the ex8 changed information that is the subject of 

9 any such memoranda. 

10 ‘‘(iii) The procedures for developing 

11 joint products. 

12 ‘‘(iv) The information sharing dispute 

13 resolution processes. 

14 ‘‘(v) Any protections necessary to en15 sure the exchange of information accords 

16 with applicable law and policies. 

17 ‘‘(2) SOURCES OF SUPPORT.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Information shared 

19 and personnel assigned pursuant to paragraph 

20 (1) may be shared or provided, as the case may 

21 be, by the following Department components and 

22 offices, in coordination with the respective com23 ponent or office head and in consultation with 

24 the principal officials of fusion centers in the 

25 National Network of Fusion Centers: 


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1 ‘‘(i) The Office of Intelligence and 

2 Analysis. 

3 ‘‘(ii) The Office of Infrastructure Pro4 tection. 

5 ‘‘(iii) The Transportation Security Ad6 ministration. 

7 ‘‘(iv) U.S. Customs and Border Protec8 tion. 

9 ‘‘(v) U.S. Immigration and Customs 

10 Enforcement. 

11 ‘‘(vi) The Coast Guard. 

12 ‘‘(vii) Other components or offices of 

13 the Department, as determined by the Sec14 retary. 

15 ‘‘(B) COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL

16 AGENCIES.—The Under Secretary for Intelligence 

17 and Analysis shall coordinate with appropriate 

18 officials throughout the Federal Government to 

19 ensure the deployment to fusion centers in the 

20 National Network of Fusion Centers of represent21 atives with relevant expertise of other Federal de22 partments and agencies. 

23 ‘‘(3) RESOURCE ALLOCATION CRITERIA.— 

24 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

25 make available criteria for sharing information 


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1 and deploying personnel to support a fusion cen2 ter in the National Network of Fusion Centers 

3 pursuant to paragraph (1).’’; and 

4 (B) in paragraph (4)(B), in the matter pre5 ceding clause (i), by inserting ‘‘in which such fu6 sion center is located’’ after ‘‘region’’; 

7 (5) in subsection (d)— 

8 (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

9 the end; 

10 (B) in paragraph (4)— 

11 (i) by striking ‘‘government’’ and in12 serting ‘‘governments’’; and 

13 (ii) by striking the period at the end 

14 and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

15 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

16 paragraph: 

17 ‘‘(5) utilize Department information, including 

18 information held by components and offices, to de19 velop analysis focused on the mission of the Depart20 ment under section 101(b).’’; 

21 (6) in subsection (e)— 

22 (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 

23 follows: 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To the greatest extent prac25 ticable, the Secretary shall make it a priority to alloVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:44 Nov 02, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3598.RH H3598

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1 cate resources, including deployed personnel, under 

2 this section from U.S. Customs and Border Protec3 tion, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 

4 and the Coast Guard to support fusion centers in the 

5 National Network of Fusion Centers located in juris6 dictions along land or maritime borders of the United 

7 States in order to enhance the integrity of and secu8 rity at such borders by helping Federal, State, local, 

9 tribal, and territorial law enforcement authorities to 

10 identify, investigate, and otherwise interdict persons, 

11 weapons, and related contraband that pose a threat to 

12 homeland security.’’; and 

13 (B) in paragraph (2), in the matter pre14 ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘partici15 pating State, local, and regional’’; 

16 (7) in subsection (j)— 

17 (A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

18 the end; 

19 (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as 

20 paragraph (6); and 

21 (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the fol22 lowing new paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(5) the term ‘National Network of Fusion Cen24 ters’ means a decentralized arrangement of fusion 

25 centers intended to enhance individual State and 


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1 urban area fusion centers’ ability to leverage the ca2 pabilities and expertise of all fusion centers for the 

3 purpose of enhancing analysis and homeland security 

4 information sharing nationally; and’’; and 

5 (8) by striking subsection (k). 

6 (b) ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.—Not later than one 

7 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and annu8 ally thereafter through 2022, the Under Secretary for Intel9 ligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Secu10 rity shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security 

11 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

12 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 

13 on the efforts of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of 

14 the Department and other relevant components and offices 

15 of the Department to enhance support provided to fusion 

16 centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers, includ17 ing meeting the requirements specified in section 210A of 

18 the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), as 

19 amended by subsection (a) of this section. 

20 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in 

21 section 1(b) of such Act is amended by striking the item 

22 relating to section 210A and inserting the following new 

23 item: 

‘‘Sec. 210A. Department of Homeland Security Fusion Centers Initiative.’’. 

24 (d) REFERENCE.—Any reference in any law, rule, or 

25 regulation to the ‘‘Department of Homeland Security State, 


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1 Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative’’ shall be 

2 deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Department of Homeland 

3 Security Fusion Center Initiative’’. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 247 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3598 

[Report No. 114–324] 

A BILL 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 

of Fusion Centers, and for other purposes. of Homeland Security and the National Network enhance the partnership between the Department 

NOVEMBER 2, 2015 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS