IB 

Union Calendar No. 245 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3503 

[Report No. 114–322] 

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 

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 11, 2015] 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3503 RH

A BILL 

To require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, 

and for other purposes. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3503 RH

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 ‘‘Department of Home5 land Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FUSION CENTER PERSONNEL NEEDS ASSESSMENT. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of 

9 Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland 

10 Security, in coordination with the appropriate components 

11 and offices of the Department and the Homeland Security 

12 Advisors of the States, shall, in consultation with the prin13 cipal officials of the fusion centers in the National Network 

14 of Fusion Centers, conduct a needs assessment of Depart15 ment personnel assigned to fusion centers pursuant to sub16 section (c) of section 210A of the Homeland Security Act 

17 of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), including an assessment of whether 

18 deploying additional Department personnel to such fusion 

19 centers would enhance the Department’s mission under sec20 tion 101(b) of such Act and the National Network of Fusion 

21 Centers. The assessment required under this subsection shall 

22 include the following: 

23 (1) Information on the current deployment of the 

24 Department’s personnel to each fusion center. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3503 RH

1 (2) Information on the roles and responsibilities 

2 of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis’ intelligence 

3 officers, intelligence analysts, senior reports officers, 

4 reports officers, and regional directors deployed to fu5 sion centers. 

6 (3) Information on Federal resources, in addi7 tion to personnel, provided to each fusion center. 

8 (4) An assessment of whether deploying addi9 tional personnel, as described in paragraph (2), 

10 would enhance intelligence and information sharing 

11 between the Department and Federal, State, local, 

12 tribal, and territorial partners. 

13 (5) An assessment of fusion centers located in ju14 risdictions along land and maritime borders of the 

15 United States, and the degree to which deploying per16 sonnel, as appropriate, from the U.S. Customs and 

17 Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs 

18 Enforcement, and the Coast Guard to such fusion cen19 ters would enhance the integrity and security at such 

20 borders by helping Federal, State, local, and tribal 

21 law enforcement authorities to identify, investigate, 

22 and interdict persons, weapons, and related contra23 band that pose a threat to homeland security. 

24 (6) An assessment of fusion centers located in ju25 risdictions with large and medium hub airports, and 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3503 RH

1 the degree to which deploying, as appropriate, per2 sonnel from the Transportation Security Administra3 tion to such fusion centers would enhance the integ4 rity and security of aviation security. 

5 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the comple6 tion of the assessment required under subsection (a), the 

7 Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the Depart8 ment of Homeland Security, in coordination with the ap9 propriate components and offices of the Department of 

10 Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on 

11 Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 

12 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af13 fairs of the Senate such assessment, together with a report 

14 on the following: 

15 (1) The number of personnel assigned to fusion 

16 centers from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of 

17 the Department of Homeland Security, including a 

18 breakdown of the types of positions assigned and the 

19 methodology for determining the fusion centers to 

20 which such personnel are assigned. 

21 (2) The number of personnel assigned to the Na22 tional Network of Fusion Centers from components 

23 and offices of the Department of Homeland Security 

24 and the methodology for determining the fusion cen25 ters to which such personnel are assigned. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 3503 RH

1 (3) An implementation plan for determining 

2 how the Department’s personnel resources will be allo3 cated to fusion centers in the future. 

4 SEC. 3. PROGRAM FOR STATE AND LOCAL ANALYST CLEAR5 ANCES. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Intelligence 

7 and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, in 

8 collaboration with the Chief Security Officer of the Depart9 ment, shall establish a program to provide eligibility for 

10 access to information classified as Top Secret pursuant to 

11 Executive Order 13526 (50 U.S.C. 3161 note) for State and 

12 local analysts located in fusion centers. 

13 (b) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the estab14 lishment of the program required under subsection (a), the 

15 Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the Depart16 ment of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee 

17 on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 

18 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

19 Affairs of the Senate a report on the following: 

20 (1) The effects of such program on the Depart21 ment’s ability to sponsor such Top Secret clearances 

22 for State and local analysts located in designated fu23 sion centers. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 3503 RH

1 (2) The effects of such program on enhancing in2 formation sharing with State, local, tribal, and terri3 torial partners. 

4 (3) The cost for providing additional training 

5 and providing such Top Secret clearances for State 

6 and local analysts. 

7 (4) The effect of such program on increasing the 

8 situational awareness of key stakeholders of the fusion 

9 centers, including Federal, State, local, tribal, and 

10 territorial law enforcement and emergency response 

11 providers. 

12 SEC. 4. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT. 

13 The Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of 

14 the Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration 

15 with the Chief Information Officer of the Department and 

16 representatives from the National Network of Fusion Cen17 ters, shall conduct an assessment of information systems (as 

18 such term is defined in section 3502 of title 44, United 

19 States Code) used to share homeland security information 

20 between the Department and fusion centers in the National 

21 Network of Fusion Centers and make upgrades to such sys22 tems, as appropriate. Such assessment shall include the fol23 lowing: 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 3503 RH

1 (1) An evaluation of the accessibility and ease of 

2 use of such systems by fusion centers in the National 

3 Network of Fusion Centers. 

4 (2) A review to determine how to establish im5 proved interoperability of departmental information 

6 systems with existing information systems used by fu7 sion centers in the National Network of Fusion Cen8 ters. 

9 (3) An evaluation of participation levels of de10 partmental components and offices of information 

11 systems used to share homeland security information 

12 with fusion centers in the National Network of Fusion 

13 Centers. 

14 SEC. 5. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. 

15 Not later than one year after the date of the enactment 

16 of this Act, the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis 

17 of the Department of Homeland Security shall enter into 

18 a memorandum of understanding with each fusion center 

19 in the National Network of Fusion Centers regarding the 

20 type of information fusion centers will provide to the De21 partment and whether such information may be subject to 

22 public disclosure. 

23 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

24 In this Act: 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
9 

•HR 3503 RH

1 (1) FUSION CENTER.—The term ‘‘fusion center’’ 

2 has the meaning given such term in subsection (j) of 

3 section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 

4 (6 U.S.C. 124h). 

5 (2) NATIONAL NETWORK OF FUSION CENTERS.— 

6 The term ‘‘National Network of Fusion Centers’’ 

7 means a decentralized arrangement of fusion centers 

8 intended to enhance individual State and urban area 

9 fusion centers’ ability to leverage the capabilities and 

10 expertise of all such fusion centers for the purpose of 

11 enhancing analysis and homeland security informa12 tion sharing nationally. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 245 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3503 

[Report No. 114–322] 

A BILL 

To require an assessment of fusion center personnel 

needs, and for other purposes. 

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