Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Fiscal Year 2020 Agency Report

Please provide a summary of your agency’s activities undertaken to carry out the provisions of 

OMB Circular A-119, “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary 

Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities” and the National Technology 

Transfer and Advance Act (NTTAA). The summary should contain a link to the agency’s 

standards-specific website(s) where information about your agency’s standards and 

conformity assessment related activities are available.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) standards policy was established as part of the 

Homeland Security Act of 2002, incorporating the National Technology Transfer and 

Advancement Act of 1995 and the Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119. 

Implementation of the Circular was delegated to the Under Secretary for Science and 

Technology by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

A summary of DHS Components that were active in FY2020 in carrying out the provisions of 

OMB Circular A-119 include the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD), 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), as well as the 

Science & Technology Directorate (S&T), which executes the duties of the Department’s 

Standards Executive. For more information about DHS, see www.dhs.gov.

Specific Component-level responses are summarized below:

• In 2020, OMB Circular A-119 directs that “agencies must consult with voluntary consensus 

standards bodies in the development of standards when consultation and participation is in the 

public interest and is compatible with their missions, authorities, priorities, and budgetary 

resources.” To this end, CWMD continued to sponsor and participate in the development and 

maintenance of American National Standard Institute (ANSI) voluntary consensus standards for 

radiation and nuclear detections systems used in homeland security. In 2020 CWMD sponsored 

the publication of a revision to ANSI N42.42 American National Standard Data Format for 

Radiation Detectors Used for Homeland Security and of amendments to ANSI N42.32 American 

National Standard Performance Criteria for Alarming Personal Radiation Detectors for Homeland 

Security and ANSI N42.34 American National Standard Performance Criteria for Handheld 

Instruments for the Detection and Identification of Radionuclides. As directed by the Safe Port 

Act of 2006, CWMD chaired the interagency Technical Capability Standard (TCS) Working Group 

to produce government-unique standards and completed the publication of a new Technical 

Capability Standard for Radiation Portal Monitor Systems with Energy Analysis Capability and a 

revision to the Technical Capability Standard for Handheld Instruments Used for the Detection 

and Identification of Radionuclides. The Standards Program established a CWMD webpage to 

provide open access to the DHS Technical Capability Standards for the general public. CWMD 

also participated with the U.S. Committee for International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 

international standards for radiation detection systems. In 2020 the IEC published: a new 

standard for Mobile Radiation Detection Systems, a revision to the standard for Spectroscopic 

Personal Radiation Detectors, and an amendment to the standard for Data Format.

• CWMD sponsored ANSI Series N42 standards for radiation detection for homeland security are 

available at: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/browse/standards/get-program/page
• DHS Technical Capability Standards are available at: 

https//:www.dhs.gov/publication/technical-capability-standards-radiological-detection.

• FEMA provides subject matter experts to participate on design standards committees and the 

update cycles of the I-Codes. These standards include: ICC 500, Standard for the Design and 

Construction of Storm Shelters; ICC 600, Standard for Residential Construction in High Wind 

Regions; ASCE 7, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other 

Structures; ASCE/SEI/AMS Wind Speed Estimation Standard; ASCE 24, Flood Resistant Design 

and Construction; ASCE/SEI 41, Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit of Existing Buildings; ICC 605, 

Standard for Residential Construction in Regions with Seismic Hazard; ASTM E3075, Standard 

Test Method for Water Immersion and Drying for Evaluation of Flood Damage Resistance; ASTM 

Flood Damage Resistance Rating of Materials and Assemblies; and ICC 1300, Standard for the 

Vulnerability-Based Seismic Assessment and Retrofit of One- and Two-Family Dwellings.

• The Coast Guard supports the provisions of OMB Circular A-119 and maintains one of the most 

robust standards programs in the Federal Government to meet our regulatory and research and 

development objectives. The Coast Guard remains committed to developing and adopting 

nationally and internationally recognized standards as a means to improve maritime safety, 

security, and marine environmental protection, and to promote the competitiveness of U.S. 

businesses in the global marketplace. Incorporating voluntary consensus standards helps the 

Coast Guard fulfill its regulatory functions more efficiently, develop the Government/industry 

partnerships crucial to stewardship, and gain valuable public feedback necessary for effective 

policy development. The Coast Guard aggressively supports a broad group of standards 

development organizations through funding, active engagement, and membership on numerous 

committees. This vigorous participation helps us raise and resolve genuine issues related to 

public safety, national security, and preservation of the marine environment with our industry 

partners.

The Coast Guard participates in the DHS Standards Council and the Interagency Council on 

Standards Policy. We also regularly collaborate with the National Institute for Standards and 

Technology Standards Directorate on training and conformity assessment issues. Visit our 

Director of Commercial Regulations & Standards website at http://www.dco.uscg.mil/OurOrganization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Commercial-Regulationsstandards-CG-5PS/ for further information.

• The DHS Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) delivers effective and innovative insight, 

methods, and solutions for the critical needs of the homeland security enterprise – working to 

meet the requirements of other DHS Components and DHS stakeholders. In 2020, S&T worked 

to expand the access to standards across the Department through increased collaboration with 

the DHS Library, as well as procuring a subscription to IHS for those in DHS in the National 

Capital Region. S&T is also developing a standards portal, Coordination and Access Portal for 

Standards (CAPS), which will greatly enhance the Department’s standards access and 

collaboration capabilities. Additionally, S&T worked closely with NIST to develop a framework 

and toolkit of training modules, resources, and documents on standards development and 
conformity assessment, as it relates to the DHS mission and their standards needs. The toolkit 

will enable the DHS Standards Executive to tailor and execute a DHS standards training program 

specific to the operational needs of the various DHS components.

The Office of Science and Engineering (OSE) Biometrics and Identity Technology Center (BI-TC) 

also participates as a SME in the International Committee for Information Technology Standards 

(INCITS), specifically the (1) M1 Biometrics Committee and the (2) B10 Identification Cards and 

Related Devices Committee. BI-TC also participates as a SME in the International Organization 

for Standardization (ISO), SC37 Biometrics Subcommittee.

• The DHS Intelligence Training Academy (ITA) designs, develops, assesses, and delivers 

homeland security intelligence training through a diverse set of training, education, and 

professional development programs for the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE) and DHS 

Intelligence Enterprise (IE). Since inception, the ITA has delivered 901 training programs and 

trained 16,730 students across the HSE, IE, and Intelligence Community (IC). In FY2020, ITA 

renewed its accreditation to Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) standards.

2. Please list the government-unique standards (GUS) your agency began using in lieu of 

voluntary consensus standards during FY 2020. Please note that GUS which are still in effect 

from previous years should continue to be listed, thus the total number in your agency's 

report will include all GUS currently in use (previous years and new as of this FY): 0