H. R. 1238 

One Hundred Fifteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE FIRST SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and seventeen 

An Act 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make the Assistant Secretary 

of Homeland Security for Health Affairs responsible for coordinating the efforts 

of the Department of Homeland Security related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism, 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 ‘‘Securing our Agriculture and 

Food Act’’. 

SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND VETERINARY 

DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Title V of the Homeland Security Act of 

2002 (6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

the following new section: 

‘‘SEC. 528. COORDINATION OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 

EFFORTS RELATED TO FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND VETERINARY DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM. 

‘‘(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary, acting through the 

Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, shall carry out a program 

to coordinate the Department’s efforts related to defending the 

food, agriculture, and veterinary systems of the United States 

against terrorism and other high-consequence events that pose a 

high risk to homeland security. 

‘‘(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—The coordination program required 

by subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum, the following: 

‘‘(1) Providing oversight and management of the Department’s responsibilities pursuant to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9–Defense of United States Agriculture and 

Food. 

‘‘(2) Providing oversight and integration of the Department’s activities related to veterinary public health, food 

defense, and agricultural security. 

‘‘(3) Leading the Department’s policy initiatives relating 

to food, animal, and agricultural incidents, and the impact 

of such incidents on animal and public health. 

‘‘(4) Leading the Department’s policy initiatives relating 

to overall domestic preparedness for and collective response 

to agricultural terrorism. 

‘‘(5) Coordinating with other Department components, 

including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as appropriate, 
H. R. 1238—2 

on activities related to food and agriculture security and 

screening procedures for domestic and imported products. 

‘‘(6) Coordinating with appropriate Federal departments 

and agencies. 

‘‘(7) Other activities as determined necessary by the Secretary. 

‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section may be 

construed as altering or superseding the authority of the Secretary 

of Agriculture or the Secretary of Health and Human Services.’’. 

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in section 

1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended— 

(1) by striking the items relating to sections 523, 524, 

525, 526, and 527; and 

(2) by inserting after the item relating to section 522 the 

following: 

‘‘Sec. 523. Guidance and recommendations. 

‘‘Sec. 524. Voluntary private sector preparedness accreditation and certification program. 

‘‘Sec. 525. Acceptance of gifts. 

‘‘Sec. 526. Integrated public alert and warning system modernization. 

‘‘Sec. 527. National planning and education. 

‘‘Sec. 528. Coordination of Department of Homeland Security efforts related to food, 

agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism.’’. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.