‘‘(3) locally governed multijurisdictional coun-
cils of governments and regional planning commis-
sions; and 
‘‘(4) appropriate private sector sources. 
‘‘SEC. 525. SYSTEM ASSESSMENT AND VALIDATION FOR 
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Under Secretary for Emergency Management and in 
coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and 
Technology, shall establish a System Assessment and Vali-
dation for Emergency Responders Program to provide 
high quality, impartial, and operationally relevant evalua-
tions and validations of critical emergency response pro-
vider-related equipment and systems and provide such 
evaluations and validations to emergency response pro-
viders in an operationally useful form. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The program established 
under subsection (a) shall— 
‘‘(1) provide impartial, practitioner relevant, 
and operationally oriented assessments and valida-
tions of emergency response provider equipment and 
systems that have not previously third-party certified 
to a national voluntary census standard adopted by 
the Department, including— 
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‘‘(A) commercial, off-the-shelf emergency 
response provider equipment and systems in all 
equipment list categories of the Standardized 
Equipment List published by the Interagency 
Board for Equipment Standardization and 
Interoperability; and 
‘‘(B) such other equipment or systems as 
the Secretary determines are appropriate; 
‘‘(2) provide information that enables decision- 
makers and emergency response providers to better 
select, procure, use, and maintain emergency re-
sponse provider equipment or systems; 
‘‘(3) assess and validate the performance of 
products within a system and systems within sys-
tems; and 
‘‘(4) provide information and feedback to emer-
gency response providers through a well-maintained, 
Internet-accessible database. 
‘‘(c) ASSESSMENT AND VALIDATION PROCESS.—The 
assessment and validation of emergency response provider 
equipment and systems shall utilize multiple evaluation 
techniques, including— 
‘‘(1) operational assessments of equipment per-
formance on vehicle platforms; 
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‘‘(2) technical assessments on a comparative 
basis of system component performance across 
makes and models under controlled conditions; and 
‘‘(3) integrative assessments on an individual 
basis of system component interoperability and com-
patibility with other system components. 
‘‘(d) COORDINATION.—In assessing and validating 
personnel protective equipment under this section, the 
Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate with 
the Director of the National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health. 
‘‘SEC. 526. NATIONAL HOMELAND SECURITY ACADEMY. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall establish the National Home-
land Security Academy (referred to in this sec-
tion as the ‘Academy’) within the Office of 
Training and Exercises of the Department; and 
‘‘(B) may enter into cooperative agree-
ments with other agencies or entities to utilize 
space and provide for the lease of real property 
for the Academy or any component of the Acad-
emy. 
‘‘(2) COMPOSITION.—The Academy shall con-
sist of— 
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‘‘(A) the National Homeland Security 
Education and Strategy Center (referred to in 
this section as the ‘Strategy Center’) to provide 
fundamental instruction and develop a home-
land security curriculum focusing primarily on 
the Federal Government’s overall strategy, 
goals, methods, and techniques; 
‘‘(B) a communications network capable of 
delivering distance learning opportunities, at 
the direction of the Strategy Center; 
‘‘(C) the programs of the Office of State 
and Local Government Coordination and Pre-
paredness’ Center for Homeland Defense and 
Security located at the Naval Postgraduate 
School, and such programs shall be incor-
porated into the Academy in a manner to be de-
termined by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(D) the National Homeland Security 
Education Network, which— 
‘‘(i) shall be composed of representa-
tives from all of the academies and train-
ing centers within the jurisdiction of the 
Department; 
‘‘(ii) shall work with the Academy to 
develop a standardized homeland security 
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curriculum to be incorporated, as appro-
priate, at each academy and training cen-
ter to ensure that the focus of the indi-
vidual centers is coordinated with the cen-
tralized educational strategies and goals of 
the Academy; and 
‘‘(iii) shall not affect the respective 
missions and goals of the participating 
academies and training centers. 
‘‘(3) MISSION.—The mission of the Academy 
shall be to— 
‘‘(A) establish an educational system to— 
‘‘(i) cultivate leaders in homeland se-
curity; and 
‘‘(ii) ensure that Federal, State, local, 
tribal, and private sector officials get the 
full range of skills needed to provide robust 
homeland security; 
‘‘(B) provide strategic education and train-
ing to carry out the missions of the Department 
of Homeland Security; 
‘‘(C) provide cross-disciplinary and joint 
education and training to Federal, State, and 
local government officials responsible for the di-
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rect application and execution of vital homeland 
security missions; and 
‘‘(D) focus primarily on shorter-term class-
es and exercises to maximize participation by 
the homeland security community. 
‘‘(4) ENROLLMENT TARGET.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Strategy Center 
shall have an initial annual enrollment target of 
1,000 resident students, as described in sub-
section (b)(3)(A). 
‘‘(B) NON-RESIDENT STUDENTS.—The en-
rollment target under subparagraph (A) does 
not include non-resident students, including 
students who participate in electronic learning 
systems. 
‘‘(5) RESPONSIBILITIES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In addition to pro-
viding traditional course work and hands-on 
training exercises, the Academy shall encourage 
the development and use of modern technology 
to ensure that the training offered at the Acad-
emy, and to organizations and individuals re-
ceiving instruction over electronic learning sys-
tems— 
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‘‘(i) is tailored to the unique needs of 
the individuals and groups that need train-
ing; 
‘‘(ii) efficiently uses such technology; 
and 
‘‘(iii) translates directly into practical 
skills. 
‘‘(B) INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS.—The 
Academy shall develop instructional require-
ments for courses related to its mission that are 
supported with materials that are adequately 
reviewed and continuously updated. 
‘‘(C) CERTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Academy may 
establish certification criteria for students 
in areas related to its mission, in consulta-
tion with the Network established under 
subsection (e). 
‘‘(ii) RECERTIFICATION.—The criteria 
established under clause (i) shall include 
requirements for recertification and ensure 
the availability of needed assessment tools. 
‘‘(D) 
INFORMATION
REPOSITORY.—The 
Academy shall provide a repository of approved 
instructional materials, instructional software, 
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and other materials that are easily accessible by 
participants. 
‘‘(E) COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS.—The 
Academy shall certify, and operate, if necessary, 
a secure, reliable communication system capable 
of delivering instructional materials to partici-
pants at any time and place. 
‘‘(F) INSTRUCTION AND EXPERTISE.—The 
Academy shall certify instructors, experts, coun-
selors, and other individuals who can provide 
answers and advice to students over commu-
nication systems. 
‘‘(6) STRATEGY CENTER.— 
‘‘(A) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Strategy 
Center shall— 
‘‘(i) provide curriculum development 
and classroom instruction for resident stu-
dents that focus on the strategic goals, 
methods, and techniques for homeland se-
curity; 
‘‘(ii) provide instruction— 
‘‘(I) primarily to Federal employ-
ees 
described 
under 
subsection 
(b)(3)(A) with homeland security re-
sponsibilities; and 
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‘‘(II) to small numbers of State 
and local government officials and pri-
vate individuals; and 
‘‘(iii) direct the operation of the Acad-
emy’s electronic learning systems. 
‘‘(B) 
CURRICULUM.—The 
curriculum 
taught at the Strategy Center shall— 
‘‘(i) include basic education about 
homeland security, the Department, and 
the relationship of the directorates within 
the Department; 
‘‘(ii) include the relationship between 
the Department and other Federal, State, 
and local agencies with homeland security 
responsibilities; and 
‘‘(iii) be developed with assistance 
from the National Homeland Security 
Education Network. 
‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR.—The Secretary 
shall appoint an Executive Director for the Acad-
emy, who shall— 
‘‘(A) administer the operations of the 
Academy; 
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‘‘(B) establish an Academic Board, to be 
headed by the Dean of the Academic Board, ap-
pointed under paragraph (2); 
‘‘(C) hire initial staff and faculty, as ap-
propriate and necessary; 
‘‘(D) contract with practitioners and ex-
perts, as appropriate, to supplement academic 
instruction; 
‘‘(E) make recommendations to the Sec-
retary regarding long-term staffing and funding 
levels for the Academy; and 
‘‘(F) report to the Executive Director of 
the Office of State and Local Government Co-
ordination and Preparedness. 
‘‘(2) DEAN
OF
THE
ACADEMIC
BOARD.—The 
Executive Director shall appoint, with the approval 
of the Secretary, a permanent professor to serve as 
Dean of the Academic Board and perform such du-
ties as the Executive Director may prescribe. 
‘‘(3) DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS.—The Execu-
tive Director shall appoint, with the approval of the 
Secretary, a Director of Admissions, who shall— 
‘‘(A) grant admission to the Strategy Cen-
ter to— 
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‘‘(i) new employees of the Depart-
ment, who have clear homeland security re-
sponsibilities; 
‘‘(ii) mid-level executive employees of 
the Department, including employees that 
receive academy or other training, who 
demonstrate a need for cross-disciplinary 
or advanced education and training and 
have been endorsed by the appropriate 
Under Secretary; 
‘‘(iii) other Federal employees with 
homeland security responsibilities who have 
been endorsed by the head of their agency; 
‘‘(iv) State and local employees who— 
‘‘(I) demonstrate a clear respon-
sibility for providing homeland secu-
rity; and 
‘‘(II) possess the nomination of 
the Governor of their State, or Head 
of applicable jurisdiction; and 
‘‘(v) private sector applicants who 
demonstrate a clear responsibility for pro-
viding homeland security; 
‘‘(B) ensure that students from each level 
of government and the private sector are in-
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cluded in all programs and classes, whenever 
appropriate; and 
‘‘(C) perform such duties as the Executive 
Director may prescribe. 
‘‘(c) BOARD OF VISITORS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Before the Academy 
admits any students, the Secretary shall establish a 
Board of Visitors (in this section referred to as the 
‘Board’) to— 
‘‘(A) assist in the development of cur-
riculum and programs at the Academy; and 
‘‘(B) recommend the site for the location 
of the Strategy Center. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) COMPOSITION.—The Board will be 
composed of— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary, or designee, who 
shall serve as chair; 
‘‘(ii) the Executive Director of the 
Academy, or designee, who shall be a non-
voting member; 
‘‘(iii) the Chairman of the Committee 
on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate, or designee; 
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