276 
tiate a study to assess the university-based centers for home-
land security program authorized by section 308(b)(2) of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 188(b)(2)), 
and provide recommendations to the appropriate congres-
sional committees for appropriate improvements. 
(b) SUBJECT MATTERS.—The study under subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) A review of the Department’s efforts to iden-
tify key areas of study needed to support the home-
land security mission, and criteria that the Depart-
ment utilized to determine those key areas for which 
the Department should maintain, establish, or elimi-
nate university-based centers. 
(2) A review of the method by which university- 
based centers, federally funded research and develop-
ment centers, and Department of Energy national 
laboratories receive tasking from the Department, in-
cluding a review of how university-based research is 
identified, prioritized, and funded. 
(3) A review of selection criteria for designating 
university-based centers and a weighting of such cri-
teria. 
(4) An examination of best practices from other 
agencies efforts to organize and use university-based 
research to support their missions. 
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277 
(5) A review of the Department’s criteria and 
metrics to measure demonstrable progress achieved by 
university-based centers in fulfilling Department 
taskings, and mechanisms for delivering and dissemi-
nating the research results of designated university- 
based centers within the Department and to other 
Federal, State, and local agencies. 
(6) An examination of the means by which aca-
demic institutions that are not designated or associ-
ated with the designated university-based centers can 
optimally contribute to the research mission of the 
Directorate. 
(7) An assessment of the interrelationship be-
tween the different university-based centers. 
(8) A review of any other essential elements of 
the programs determined in the conduct of the study. 
(c) MORATORIUM ON NEW UNIVERSITY-BASED CEN-
TERS.—The Secretary may not designate any new univer-
sity-based centers to research new areas in homeland secu-
rity prior to the completion of the Comptroller General’s 
review. 
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278 
TITLE VIII—IMMUNITY FOR RE-
PORTS OF SUSPECTED TER-
RORIST 
ACTIVITY 
OR 
SUS-
PICIOUS BEHAVIOR AND RE-
SPONSE 
SEC. 801. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘See Something, Say 
Something Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 802. AMENDMENT TO THE HOMELAND SECURITY ACT 
OF 2002. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle H of title VIII of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is 
further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 890C. IMMUNITY FOR REPORTS OF SUSPECTED TER-
RORIST ACTIVITY OR SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR 
AND RESPONSE. 
‘‘(a) IMMUNITY FOR REPORTS OF SUSPECTED TER-
RORIST ACTIVITY
OR SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR
AND RE-
SPONSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any person who, in good 
faith and based on objectively reasonable suspicion, 
makes, or causes to be made, a voluntary report of 
covered activity to an authorized official shall be im-
mune from civil liability under Federal, State, and 
local law for such report. 
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279 
‘‘(2) FALSE REPORTS.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply to any report that the person knew to be false 
or was made with reckless disregard for the truth at 
the time that the person made that report. 
‘‘(b) IMMUNITY FOR RESPONSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any authorized official who 
observes, or receives a report of, covered activity and 
takes reasonable action in good faith to respond to 
such activity shall have qualified immunity from 
civil liability for such action, consistent with applica-
ble law in the relevant jurisdiction. An authorized of-
ficial as defined by section (d)(1)(A) not entitled to 
assert the defense of qualified immunity shall none-
theless be immune from civil liability under Federal, 
State, and local law if such authorized official takes 
reasonable action, in good faith, to respond to the re-
ported activity. 
‘‘(2) SAVINGS
CLAUSE.—Nothing in this sub-
section shall— 
‘‘(A) affect the ability of any authorized of-
ficial to assert any defense, privilege, or immu-
nity that would otherwise be available; and 
‘‘(B) be construed as affecting any such de-
fense, privilege, or immunity. 
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280 
‘‘(c) ATTORNEY FEES AND COSTS.—Any authorized of-
ficial or other person found to be immune from civil liabil-
ity under this section shall be entitled to recover from the 
plaintiff all reasonable costs and attorney fees. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) AUTHORIZED OFFICIAL.—The term ‘author-
ized official’ means— 
‘‘(A) any officer, employee, or agent of the 
Federal government with responsibility for pre-
venting, protecting against, disrupting, or re-
sponding to a ‘covered activity;’ or 
‘‘(B) any Federal, State, or local law en-
forcement officer. 
‘‘(2) COVERED ACTIVITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), the term ‘covered activity’ means any 
suspicious transaction, activity, or occurrence 
indicating that an individual may be engaging, 
or preparing to engage, in a violation of law re-
lating to an act of terrorism (as that term is de-
fined in section 3077 of title 18, United States 
Code). 
‘‘(B) MARITIME-RELATED ACTS.—The term 
includes any act of terrorism directed against a 
vessel, facility (as that term is defined in section 
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