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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4942 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4942

  To establish a capability and office to promote cooperation between 
   entities of the United States and its allies in the global war on 
terrorism for the purpose of engaging in cooperative endeavors focused 
 on the research, development, and commercialization of high-priority 
technologies intended to detect, prevent, respond to, recover from, and 
 mitigate against acts of terrorism and other high consequence events 
and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local 
                              governments.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2006

  Mr. King of New York (for himself, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. 
 Reichert, and Mr. Pascrell) introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To establish a capability and office to promote cooperation between 
   entities of the United States and its allies in the global war on 
terrorism for the purpose of engaging in cooperative endeavors focused 
 on the research, development, and commercialization of high-priority 
technologies intended to detect, prevent, respond to, recover from, and 
 mitigate against acts of terrorism and other high consequence events 
and to address the homeland security needs of Federal, State, and local 
                              governments.

    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 ``Promoting Antiterrorism Capabilities 
Through International Cooperation Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The development and implementation of technology is 
        critical to combating terrorism and other high consequence 
        events and implementing a comprehensive homeland security 
        strategy.
            (2) The United States and its allies in the global war on 
        terrorism share a common interest in facilitating research, 
        development, testing, and evaluation of technologies that will 
        aid in detecting, preventing, responding to, recovering from, 
        and mitigating against acts of terrorism.
            (3) Certain United States allies in the global war on 
        terrorism, including Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, 
        Australia, and Singapore have extensive experience with, and 
        technological expertise in, homeland security.
            (4) The United States and certain of its allies in the 
        global war on terrorism have a history of successful 
        collaboration in developing mutually beneficial technologies in 
        the areas of defense, agriculture, and telecommunications.
            (5) The United States and its allies in the global war on 
        terrorism will mutually benefit from the sharing of 
        technological expertise to combat domestic and international 
        terrorism.
            (6) The establishment of an office to facilitate and 
        support cooperative endeavors between and among government 
        agencies, for-profit business entities, academic institutions, 
        and nonprofit entities of the United States and its allies will 
        safeguard lives and property worldwide against acts of 
        terrorism and other high consequence events.

SEC. 3. PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACT.

    (a) In General.--The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by 
inserting after section 313 (6 U.S.C. 193) the following new section:

``SEC. 314. PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director 
        selected under subsection (b)(2).
            ``(2) International cooperative activity.--The term 
        `international cooperative activity' includes--
                    ``(A) coordinated research projects, joint research 
                projects, or joint ventures;
                    ``(B) joint studies or technical demonstrations;
                    ``(C) coordinated field exercises, scientific 
                seminars, conferences, symposia, and workshops;
                    ``(D) training of scientists and engineers;
                    ``(E) visits and exchanges of scientists, 
                engineers, or other appropriate personnel;
                    ``(F) exchanges or sharing of scientific and 
                technological information; and
                    ``(G) joint use of laboratory facilities and 
                equipment.
    ``(b) Science and Technology Homeland Security International 
Cooperative Programs Office.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Under Secretary shall establish 
        the Science and Technology Homeland Security International 
        Cooperative Programs Office.
            ``(2) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director, 
        who shall be selected by and shall report to the Under 
        Secretary.
            ``(3) Responsibilities.--
                    ``(A) Development of mechanisms.--The Director 
                shall be responsible for developing, in coordination 
                with the Department of State and other Federal 
                agencies, mechanisms and legal frameworks to allow and 
                to support international cooperative activity in 
                support of homeland security research.
                    ``(B) Priorities.--The Director shall be 
                responsible for developing, in coordination with the 
                Directorate of Science and Technology, the other 
                components of the Department of Homeland Security, and 
                other Federal agencies, strategic priorities for 
                international cooperative activity.
                    ``(C) Activities.--The Director shall facilitate 
                the planning, development, and implementation of 
                international cooperative activity to address the 
                strategic priorities developed under subparagraph (B) 
                through mechanisms the Under Secretary considers 
                appropriate, including grants, cooperative agreements, 
                or contracts to or with foreign public or private 
                entities, governmental organizations, businesses, 
                federally funded research and development centers, and 
                universities.
                    ``(D) Identification of partners.--The Director 
                shall facilitate the matching of United States entities 
                engaged in homeland security research with non-United 
                States entities engaged in homeland security research 
                so that they may partner in homeland security research 
                activities.
            ``(4) Coordination.--The Director shall ensure that the 
        activities under this subsection are coordinated with those of 
        other relevant research agencies, and may run projects jointly 
        with other agencies.
            ``(5) Conferences and workshops.--The Director, 
        periodically, shall hold international homeland security 
        technology workshops and conferences to improve contact among 
        the international community of technology developers and to 
        help establish direction for future technology goals.
    ``(c) Funding.--
            ``(1) Budget allocation.--Not less than 2.5 percent of the 
        research, development, testing, and evaluation budget of the 
        Directorate of Science and Technology for each fiscal year, not 
        including management and administration amounts, shall be 
        allocated for activities under this section.
            ``(2) Equitability.--The Director shall ensure that funding 
        and resources expended in international cooperative activity 
        will be equitably matched by the foreign partner organization 
        through direct funding or funding of complementary activities, 
        or through provision of staff, facilities, material, or 
        equipment.
            ``(3) Foreign partners.--Partners shall include Israel, the 
        United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and other allies 
        in the global war on terrorism, as appropriate. As part of the 
        activities of the Office, and recognizing the importance of 
        preparedness against threats to the Nation's agricultural and 
        public health from exotic diseases, the Director shall work, in 
        conjunction with the portfolio and program managers of the 
        Directorate of Science and Technology, to facilitate 
        development of information sharing and other types of 
        cooperative mechanisms for situational awareness of the 
        genomics and proteomics of exotic animal disease, including 
        with nations in Africa.''.
    (b) Table of Contents Amendment.--The table of contents of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by adding after the item 
relating to section 313 the following new item:

``Sec. 314. Promoting antiterrorism through international cooperation 
                            program.''.
                                 <all>
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