I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3503 
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 
A BILL 
To require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Home-
land Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FUSION CENTER PERSONNEL NEEDS ASSESSMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Home-
land Security, in coordination with the appropriate compo-
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nents and offices of the Department and the Homeland 
Security Advisors of the States, shall, in consultation with 
the principal officials of the fusion centers in the National 
Network of Fusion Centers, conduct a needs assessment 
of Department personnel assigned to fusion centers pursu-
ant to subsection (c) of section 210A of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), including an assess-
ment of whether deploying additional Department per-
sonnel to such fusion centers would enhance the Depart-
ment’s mission under section 101(b) of such Act and the 
National Network of Fusion Centers. The assessment re-
quired under this subsection shall include the following: 
(1) Information on the current deployment of 
the Department’s personnel to each fusion center. 
(2) Information on the roles and responsibilities 
of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis’ intel-
ligence officers, intelligence analysts, senior reports 
officers, reports officers, and regional directors de-
ployed to fusion centers. 
(3) Information on Federal resources, in addi-
tion to personnel, provided to each fusion center. 
(4) An assessment of whether deploying addi-
tional personnel, as described in paragraph (2), 
would enhance intelligence and information sharing 
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between the Department and Federal, State, local, 
tribal, and territorial partners. 
(5) An assessment of fusion centers located in 
jurisdictions along land and maritime borders of the 
United States, and the degree to which deploying 
personnel, as appropriate, from the U.S. Customs 
and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement, and the Coast Guard to such fu-
sion centers would enhance the integrity and secu-
rity at such borders by helping Federal, State, local, 
and tribal law enforcement authorities to identify, 
investigate, and interdict persons, weapons, and re-
lated contraband that pose a threat to homeland se-
curity. 
(6) An assessment of fusion centers located in 
jurisdictions with large and medium hub airports, 
and the degree to which deploying, as appropriate, 
personnel from the Transportation Security Admin-
istration to such fusion centers would enhance the 
integrity and security of aviation security. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the com-
pletion of the assessment required under subsection (a), 
the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the 
Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with 
the appropriate components and offices of the Department 
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of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate such assessment, together with a re-
port on the following: 
(1) The number of personnel assigned to fusion 
centers from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis 
of the Department of Homeland Security, including 
a breakdown of the types of positions assigned and 
the methodology for determining the fusion centers 
to which such personnel are assigned. 
(2) The number of personnel assigned to the 
National Network of Fusion Centers from compo-
nents and offices of the Department of Homeland 
Security and the methodology for determining the 
fusion centers to which such personnel are assigned. 
(3) An implementation plan for determining 
how the Department’s personnel resources will be al-
located to fusion centers in the future. 
SEC. 3. PROGRAM FOR STATE AND LOCAL ANALYST CLEAR-
ANCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Intel-
ligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Se-
curity, in collaboration with the Chief Security Officer of 
the Department, shall establish a program to provide eligi-
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bility for access to information classified as Top Secret 
pursuant to Executive Order 13526 (50 U.S.C. 3161 note) 
for State and local analysts located in fusion centers. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the es-
tablishment of the program required under subsection (a), 
the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the 
Department of Homeland Security shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the 
following: 
(1) The effects of such program on the Depart-
ment’s ability to sponsor such Top Secret clearances 
for State and local analysts located in designated fu-
sion centers. 
(2) The effects of such program on enhancing 
information sharing with State, local, tribal, and ter-
ritorial partners. 
(3) The cost for providing additional training 
and providing such Top Secret clearances for State 
and local analysts. 
(4) The effect of such program on increasing 
the situational awareness of key stakeholders of the 
fusion centers, including Federal, State, local, tribal, 
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