Securing Department of Homeland Security Firearms Act of 2017

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to achieve security of sensitive assets among the components of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing Department of Homeland Security Firearms Act of 2017 Securing DHS Firearms Act of 2017 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Department The term Department (2) Lost The term lost (3) Sensitive assets The term sensitive assets (A) that the Department of Homeland Security issues to a Department employee; and (B) that either the Under Secretary for Management of the Department or a component head determines requires special control and accounting. (4) Under Secretary for Management The term Under Secretary for Management 3. Inclusion of securing firearms and other sensitive assets in responsibilities of under secretary for management Section 701 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 341 (1) in subsection (a)(6), by inserting (including firearms and other sensitive assets) equipment (2) by redesignating the second subsection (e) (relating to the definition of interoperable communications) as subsection (f); and (3) by amending such redesignated subsection (f) to read as follows: (f) Definitions In this section: (1) Interoperable communications The term interoperable communications 6 U.S.C. 194(g) (2) Sensitive assets The term sensitive assets (A) that the Department of Homeland Security issues to a Department employee; and (B) that either the Under Secretary for Management of the Department or a component head determines requires special control and accounting. . 4. Management directive (a) Safeguarding firearms and sensitive assets directive (1) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Management shall develop and disseminate a Department-wide directive for achieving adequate security over firearms and other sensitive assets across the Department. (2) Contents The directive required under subsection (a) shall, at a minimum, include the following: (A) Descriptions of what equipment, in addition to firearms, is classified as a sensitive asset for the purpose of carrying out this Act. (B) Requirements for securing Department-issued firearms and other sensitive assets. (C) A classification system for all categories of Department-issued badges and corresponding requirements for safeguarding such assets. (D) Reporting requirements for lost firearms and other sensitive assets, including timelines for such reporting, to supervisors, local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center, and Department headquarters. (E) Recordkeeping requirements for lost firearms and other sensitive assets in inventory systems, including a timeline for recording such losses. (3) Review and update of directive Not later than one year after the issuance of the directive required under subsection (a) the Under Secretary for Management shall review and update, as necessary, such directive, including adding a requirement relating to recording in the inventory systems maintained by each component of the Department the acceptance or transfer of a firearm or other sensitive asset by such component. (b) Personal property asset management program manual Together with the issuance of the directive pursuant to subsection (a), the Under Secretary for Management shall disseminate a revised version of the Personal Property Asset Management Program Manual that includes the following: (1) Requirements for component heads to develop procedures to safeguard firearms and other sensitive assets during on and off-duty time. (2) Requirements for the issuance of safety locking devices and policies on the use of such assets, as applicable. (3) Requirements for initial, recurrent, and remedial training on safeguarding such assets. (4) Examples, with detail, of how to report and record lost sensitive assets across components of the Department, and an enforcement mechanism to ensure supervisors maintain such records. (5) A requirement that the file maintained on a lost firearm or other sensitive asset contains both the corresponding police report and the Department report detailing the circumstances surrounding such loss, including information on adherence to safeguarding procedures. 5. Component responsibilities Department component heads shall— (1) comply with Federal law, Federal regulations, executive branch guidance, and Department policy, including directives required by this Act, relating to the management and oversight of securing firearms and other sensitive assets; (2) review the need for non-law enforcement badges; (3) require component personnel to safeguard firearms and other sensitive assets in accordance with the directive issued by the Under Secretary for Management under section 4; (4) require that component personnel adhere to the procedures and timelines for properly reporting to supervisors lost firearms and other sensitive assets; (5) require that lost firearms and other sensitive assets are reported to local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Crime Information Center, and Department headquarters in the timeframe established in such directive; and (6) require that lost firearms and other sensitive assets are recorded in inventory systems in the timeframe established by such directive. 6. Inspector general review The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall, on an ongoing basis, review implementation of this Act and, not later than 180 days after issuance of the directive under section 4, submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a review of the progress and effectiveness of such directive, including an assessment of the adequacy of such directive, as well as the level of compliance among the components of the Department to achieve adequate security of sensitive assets across Department components. January 9, 2018 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Securing Department of Homeland Security Firearms Act of 2017 or the Securing DHS Firearms Act of 2017 (Sec. 3) This bill makes the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for the security of DHS firearms and other sensitive assets."Sensitive assets" are defined as any asset, regardless of value, that DHS issues to a DHS employee and that the Under Secretary or a component head determines requires special control and accounting. (Sec. 4) The Under Secretary shall develop and disseminate a directive for achieving adequate security over such assets across DHS, which shall include: (1) descriptions of what equipment is classified as a sensitive asset, (2) requirements for securing such assets, (3) a classification system for all categories of DHS-issued badges and corresponding requirements for safeguarding such assets, and (4) reporting and record keeping requirements for lost assets (defined to include loss by theft). The Under Secretary shall update such directive within one year, including by adding a requirement relating to recording in the inventory systems maintained by each DHS component the acceptance or transfer of a sensitive asset. The Under Secretary shall disseminate a revised version of the Personal Property Asset Management Program Manual that includes: requirements for component heads to develop procedures to safeguard firearms and other sensitive assets during on- and off-duty time; requirements for the issuance of safety locking devices and policies on the use of such assets; requirements for training on safeguarding such assets; instructions for reporting and recording lost sensitive assets and an enforcement mechanism to ensure that supervisors maintain such records; and a requirement that a file on a lost asset contain the DHS report and the corresponding police report. (Sec. 5) DHS components must: comply with federal law, executive branch guidance, and DHS policy regarding the management and oversight of securing sensitive assets; review the need for non-law enforcement badges; require personnel to comply with requirements for safeguarding sensitive assets and reporting on lost assets; and require that lost assets are reported to local law enforcement, the National Crime Information Center, and DHS headquarters and recorded in inventory systems in the time frame established by the security directive. (Sec. 6) The Inspector General of DHS shall, on an ongoing basis, review implementation of this bill and report to Congress on the progress and effectiveness of the directive for safeguarding firearms and sensitive assets.