IB 
Union Calendar No. 716 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6198 
[Report No. 115–923, Part I] 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Countering 
Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2018 
Mr. DONOVAN (for himself and Mr. MCCAUL) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 
Reported from the Committee on Homeland Security with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
SEPTEMBER 7, 2018 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 22, 2018] 
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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 ‘‘Countering Weapons 
of Mass Destruction Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. COUNTERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OF-
FICE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title XIX of the Homeland Secu-
rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 591 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in the title heading, by striking ‘‘DOMES-
TIC NUCLEAR DETECTION OFFICE’’ and 
inserting 
‘‘COUNTERING WEAPONS OF 
MASS DESTRUCTION OFFICE’’; 
(2) by striking section 1901 and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 1900. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this title: 
‘‘(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘Assist-
ant Secretary’ means the Assistant Secretary for the 
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. 
‘‘(2) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The term ‘in-
telligence community’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 
1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)). 
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‘‘(3) OFFICE.—The term ‘Office’ means the 
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office estab-
lished under section 1901(a). 
‘‘(4) WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.—The term 
‘weapon of mass destruction’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 101 of the Foreign Intelligence 
Surveillance Act of 1978 (50 U.S.C. 1801). 
‘‘Subtitle A—Countering Weapons of 
Mass Destruction Office 
‘‘SEC. 1901. COUNTERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION 
OFFICE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the De-
partment a Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Of-
fice. 
‘‘(b) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The Office shall be 
headed by an Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weap-
ons of Mass Destruction Office, who shall be appointed by 
the President. 
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Assistant Secretary 
shall serve as the Secretary’s principal advisor on— 
‘‘(1) weapons of mass destruction matters and 
strategies; and 
‘‘(2) coordinating efforts to counter weapons of 
mass destruction. 
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‘‘(d) DETAILS.—The Secretary may request that the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary 
of State, the Attorney General, the Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, and the directors of other Federal agencies, in-
cluding elements of the intelligence community, provide for 
the reimbursable detail of personnel with relevant expertise 
to the Office.’’; 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle B—Mission of the Office 
‘‘SEC. 1921. MISSION OF THE OFFICE. 
‘‘The Office shall be responsible for coordinating with 
other Federal efforts and developing departmental strategy 
and policy to plan for, detect, and protect against the im-
portation, possession, storage, transportation, development, 
or use of unauthorized chemical, biological, radiological, or 
nuclear materials, devices, or agents in the United States 
and to protect against an attack using such materials, de-
vices, or agents against the people, territory, or interests 
of the United States. 
‘‘SEC. 1922. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER DEPARTMENT ENTI-
TIES AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The authority of the Assistant 
Secretary under this title shall neither affect nor diminish 
the authority or the responsibility of any officer of the De-
partment or of any officer of any other department or agen-
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cy of the United States with respect to the command, con-
trol, or direction of the functions, personnel, funds, assets, 
and liabilities of any entity within the Department or any 
Federal department or agency. 
‘‘(b) FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.— 
Nothing in this title or any other provision of law may 
be construed to affect or reduce the responsibilities of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Adminis-
trator or the Agency, including the diversion of any asset, 
function, or mission of the Agency or the Administrator of 
the Agency.’’; 
(4) by striking section 1905; 
(5) by redesignating sections 1902, 1903, 1904, 
1906, and 1907 as sections 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 
and 1927, respectively, and transferring such sections 
to appear after section 1922, as added by paragraph 
(3); 
(6) in section 1923, as so redesignated— 
(A) in the section heading by striking 
‘‘MISSION
OF
OFFICE’’ and inserting ‘‘RE-
SPONSIBILITIES’’; and 
(B) in subsection (a)(11), by striking ‘‘Do-
mestic Nuclear Detection Office’’ and inserting 
‘‘Office’’; 
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(7) in section 1925, as so redesignated, in sub-
section (a), in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘section 
1902’’ and inserting ‘‘section 1923’’; 
(8) in section 1926, as so redesignated— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Director for Domestic 
Nuclear Detection’’ and inserting ‘‘Assistant 
Secretary’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘paragraphs (6) and 
(7) of section 1902(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘sec-
tion 1923’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘para-
graphs (6) and (7) of section 1902(a)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘section 1923’’; 
(9) in section 1927, as so redesignated— 
(A) in subsection (a)(1)(C), in the matter 
preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘Director of the 
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’; and 
(B) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘section 
1902’’ and inserting ‘‘section 1923’’; and 
(10) by inserting after section 1927, as so redes-
ignated, the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 1928. SECURING THE CITIES PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, through the 
Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass 
Destruction Office, shall establish the ‘Securing the Cities’ 
(‘STC’) program to enhance the ability of the United States 
to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high con-
sequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological mate-
rials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high- 
risk urban areas. Through the STC program the Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(1) assist State, local, tribal, and territorial 
governments in designing and implementing, or en-
hancing existing, architectures for coordinated and 
integrated detection and interdiction of nuclear or 
other radiological materials that are out of regulatory 
control; 
‘‘(2) support the development of a region-wide 
operating capability to detect and report on nuclear 
and other radioactive materials out of regulatory con-
trol; 
‘‘(3) provide resources to enhance detection, anal-
ysis, communication, and coordination to better inte-
grate into Federal operations State, local, tribal, and 
territorial assets; 
‘‘(4) facilitate alarm adjudication and provide 
subject matter expertise and technical assistance on 
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concepts of operations, training, exercises, and alarm 
response protocols; 
‘‘(5) communicate with, and promote sharing of 
information about the presence or detection of nuclear 
or other radiological materials among appropriate 
Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial govern-
ments, in a manner that ensures transparency with 
the jurisdictions served by such program; 
‘‘(6) provide augmenting resources, as appro-
priate, to enable State, local, tribal, and territorial 
governments to sustain and refresh their capabilities 
developed under the STC program; and 
‘‘(7) provide any other assistance the Secretary 
determines appropriate. 
‘‘(b) DESIGNATION OF JURISDICTIONS.—In carrying 
out the STC program under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall designate jurisdictions from among high-risk urban 
areas under section 2003, and other cities and regions, as 
appropriate. 
‘‘(c) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary 
shall notify the Committee on Homeland Security and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
ernmental Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate not later than three days before the designation 
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of a new jurisdiction in accordance with subsection (b) or 
any other change to participating jurisdictions.’’. 
(b) REFERENCES AND CONSTRUCTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any reference in any law, 
regulation, document, paper, or other record of the 
United States to— 
(A) the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office 
shall be deemed to be a reference to the Coun-
tering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office; and 
(B) the Director for Domestic Nuclear De-
tection shall be deemed to be a reference to the 
Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons 
of Mass Destruction Office. 
(2) 
CONSTRUCTION.—Sections 
1923 
through 
1927 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as so re-
designated by subsection (a), shall be construed to 
cover the chemical and biological responsibilities of 
the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of 
Mass Destruction Office. 
(3) AUTHORITY.—The authority of the Director 
of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to make 
grants or enter into cooperative agreements is trans-
ferred to the Assistant Secretary for the Countering 
Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, and such author-
ity shall be construed to include grants for all pur-
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poses of title XIX of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002, as amended by this Act. 
(c) CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER.— 
(1) REPEAL.—Title V of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by 
striking section 516. 
(2) AMENDMENT.—Title XIX of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 591 et seq.), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Subtitle C—Chief Medical Officer 
‘‘SEC. 1931. CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Office a Chief Med-
ical Officer, who shall be appointed by the President. The 
Chief Medical Officer shall report to the Assistant Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—The individual appointed as 
Chief Medical Officer shall be a licensed physician pos-
sessing a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of medi-
cine and public health. 
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Chief Medical Officer 
shall have the responsibility within the Department for 
medical issues related to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, 
and other man-made disasters, including— 
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‘‘(1) serving as the principal advisor on medical 
and public health issues to the Secretary, the Admin-
istrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy, the Assistant Secretary, and other Department of-
ficials; 
‘‘(2) providing operational medical support to 
all components of the Department; 
‘‘(3) as appropriate, providing medical liaisons 
to the components of the Department, on a reimburs-
able basis, to provide subject matter expertise on oper-
ational medical issues; 
‘‘(4) coordinating with Federal, State, local, and 
tribal governments, the medical community, and oth-
ers within and outside the Department, including the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services, with re-
spect to medical and public health matters; and 
‘‘(5) performing such other duties relating to 
such responsibilities as the Secretary may require.’’. 
(3) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con-
tents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 is amended by striking the item relating to sec-
tion 516. 
(d) WORKFORCE HEALTH AND MEDICAL SUPPORT.— 
Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
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