IB 
Union Calendar No. 247 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3598 
[Report No. 114–324] 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance the partnership 
between the Department of Homeland Security and the National Network 
of Fusion Centers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 
Mr. BARLETTA (for himself and Mr. KING of New York) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
NOVEMBER 2, 2015 
Additional sponsor: Mr. MCCAUL 
NOVEMBER 2, 2015 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on September 24, 2015] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance 
the partnership between the Department of Homeland 
Security and the National Network of Fusion Centers, 
and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Fusion Center Enhance-
ment Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUSION 
CENTER PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 210A of the Homeland Se-
curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) is amended— 
(1) by amending the section heading to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 210A. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FU-
SION CENTER PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE.’’; 
(2) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
following new sentence: ‘‘Beginning on the date of the 
enactment of the Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 
2015, such Initiative shall be known as the ‘Depart-
ment of Homeland Security Fusion Center Partner-
ship Initiative’.’’; 
(3) by amending subsection (b) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(b) INTERAGENCY SUPPORT AND COORDINATION.— 
Through the Department of Homeland Security Fusion 
Center Partnership Initiative, in coordination with prin-
cipal officials of fusion centers in the National Network of 
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Fusion Centers and the officers designated as the Homeland 
Security Advisors of the States, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) coordinate with the heads of other Federal 
departments and agencies to provide operational and 
intelligence advice and assistance to the National Net-
work of Fusion Centers; 
‘‘(2) support the integration of fusion centers 
into the information sharing environment; 
‘‘(3) support the maturation and sustainment of 
the National Network of Fusion Centers; 
‘‘(4) reduce inefficiencies and maximize the effec-
tiveness of Federal resource support to the National 
Network of Fusion Centers; 
‘‘(5) provide analytic and reporting advice and 
assistance to the National Network of Fusion Centers; 
‘‘(6) review information within the scope of the 
information sharing environment, including home-
land security information, terrorism information, 
and weapons of mass destruction information, that is 
gathered by the National Network of Fusion Centers 
and incorporate such information, as appropriate, 
into the Department’s own such information; 
‘‘(7) provide for the effective dissemination of in-
formation within the scope of the information sharing 
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environment to the National Network of Fusion Cen-
ters; 
‘‘(8) facilitate close communication and coordi-
nation between the National Network of Fusion Cen-
ters and the Department and other Federal depart-
ments and agencies; 
‘‘(9) provide the National Network of Fusion 
Centers with expertise on Department resources and 
operations; 
‘‘(10) coordinate the provision of training and 
technical assistance to the National Network of Fu-
sion Centers and encourage such fusion centers to 
participate in terrorism threat-related exercises con-
ducted by the Department; 
‘‘(11) ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, 
that support for the National Network of Fusion Cen-
ters is included as a national priority in applicable 
homeland security grant guidance; 
‘‘(12) ensure that each fusion center in the Na-
tional Network of Fusion Centers has a privacy pol-
icy approved by the Chief Privacy Officer of the De-
partment and a civil rights and civil liberties policy 
approved by the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil 
Liberties of the Department; 
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‘‘(13) coordinate the nationwide suspicious activ-
ity report initiative to ensure information gathered 
by the National Network of Fusion Centers is incor-
porated as appropriate; 
‘‘(14) lead Department efforts to ensure fusion 
centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers are 
the primary focal points for the sharing of homeland 
security information, terrorism information, and 
weapons of mass destruction information with State 
and local entities to the greatest extent practicable; 
‘‘(15) develop and disseminate best practices on 
the appropriate levels for staffing at fusion centers in 
the National Network of Fusion Centers of qualified 
representatives from State, local, tribal, and terri-
torial law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, and 
emergency management services, and public health 
disciplines, as well as the private sector; and 
‘‘(16) carry out such other duties as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)— 
(A) by striking so much as precedes para-
graph (3)(B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(c) RESOURCE ALLOCATION.— 
‘‘(1) INFORMATION SHARING AND PERSONNEL AS-
SIGNMENT.— 
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‘‘(A) INFORMATION
SHARING.—The Under 
Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis shall en-
sure that, as appropriate— 
‘‘(i) fusion centers in the National Net-
work of Fusion Centers have access to home-
land security information sharing systems; 
and 
‘‘(ii) Department personnel are de-
ployed to support fusion centers in the Na-
tional Network of Fusion Centers. 
‘‘(B) PERSONNEL
ASSIGNMENT.—Depart-
ment personnel referred to in subparagraph 
(A)(ii) may include the following: 
‘‘(i) Intelligence officers. 
‘‘(ii) Intelligence analysts. 
‘‘(iii) Other liaisons from components 
and offices of the Department, as appro-
priate. 
‘‘(C) MEMORANDA
OF
UNDERSTANDING.— 
The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Anal-
ysis shall negotiate memoranda of understanding 
between the Department and a State or local 
government, in coordination with the appro-
priate representatives from fusion centers in the 
National Network of Fusion Centers, regarding 
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the exchange of information between the Depart-
ment and such fusion centers. Such memoranda 
shall include the following: 
‘‘(i) The categories of information to be 
provided by each entity to the other entity 
that are parties to any such memoranda. 
‘‘(ii) The contemplated uses of the ex-
changed information that is the subject of 
any such memoranda. 
‘‘(iii) The procedures for developing 
joint products. 
‘‘(iv) The information sharing dispute 
resolution processes. 
‘‘(v) Any protections necessary to en-
sure the exchange of information accords 
with applicable law and policies. 
‘‘(2) SOURCES OF SUPPORT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Information shared 
and personnel assigned pursuant to paragraph 
(1) may be shared or provided, as the case may 
be, by the following Department components and 
offices, in coordination with the respective com-
ponent or office head and in consultation with 
the principal officials of fusion centers in the 
National Network of Fusion Centers: 
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‘‘(i) The Office of Intelligence and 
Analysis. 
‘‘(ii) The Office of Infrastructure Pro-
tection. 
‘‘(iii) The Transportation Security Ad-
ministration. 
‘‘(iv) U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion. 
‘‘(v) U.S. Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement. 
‘‘(vi) The Coast Guard. 
‘‘(vii) Other components or offices of 
the Department, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(B) COORDINATION WITH OTHER FEDERAL 
AGENCIES.—The Under Secretary for Intelligence 
and Analysis shall coordinate with appropriate 
officials throughout the Federal Government to 
ensure the deployment to fusion centers in the 
National Network of Fusion Centers of represent-
atives with relevant expertise of other Federal de-
partments and agencies. 
‘‘(3) RESOURCE ALLOCATION CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
make available criteria for sharing information 
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and deploying personnel to support a fusion cen-
ter in the National Network of Fusion Centers 
pursuant to paragraph (1).’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4)(B), in the matter pre-
ceding clause (i), by inserting ‘‘in which such fu-
sion center is located’’ after ‘‘region’’; 
(5) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘government’’ and in-
serting ‘‘governments’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) utilize Department information, including 
information held by components and offices, to de-
velop analysis focused on the mission of the Depart-
ment under section 101(b).’’; 
(6) in subsection (e)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To the greatest extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary shall make it a priority to allo-
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cate resources, including deployed personnel, under 
this section from U.S. Customs and Border Protec-
tion, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 
and the Coast Guard to support fusion centers in the 
National Network of Fusion Centers located in juris-
dictions along land or maritime borders of the United 
States in order to enhance the integrity of and secu-
rity at such borders by helping Federal, State, local, 
tribal, and territorial law enforcement authorities to 
identify, investigate, and otherwise interdict persons, 
weapons, and related contraband that pose a threat to 
homeland security.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘partici-
pating State, local, and regional’’; 
(7) in subsection (j)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as 
paragraph (6); and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) the term ‘National Network of Fusion Cen-
ters’ means a decentralized arrangement of fusion 
centers intended to enhance individual State and 
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urban area fusion centers’ ability to leverage the ca-
pabilities and expertise of all fusion centers for the 
purpose of enhancing analysis and homeland security 
information sharing nationally; and’’; and 
(8) by striking subsection (k). 
(b) ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act and annu-
ally thereafter through 2022, the Under Secretary for Intel-
ligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
on the efforts of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of 
the Department and other relevant components and offices 
of the Department to enhance support provided to fusion 
centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers, includ-
ing meeting the requirements specified in section 210A of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), as 
amended by subsection (a) of this section. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents in 
section 1(b) of such Act is amended by striking the item 
relating to section 210A and inserting the following new 
item: 
‘‘Sec. 210A. Department of Homeland Security Fusion Centers Initiative.’’. 
(d) REFERENCE.—Any reference in any law, rule, or 
regulation to the ‘‘Department of Homeland Security State, 
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Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative’’ shall be 
deemed to be a reference to the ‘‘Department of Homeland 
Security Fusion Center Initiative’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 247 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 3598 
[Report No. 114–324] 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
enhance the partnership between the Department 
of Homeland Security and the National Network 
of Fusion Centers, and for other purposes. 
NOVEMBER 2, 2015 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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