Title: Securing the Cities Act of 2017
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
(Securing the Cities Act of 2017
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to establish the Securing the Cities program to enhance the ability of the United States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban areas.
Under such program, the DNDO shall:
The Comptroller General is required to submit an assessment evaluating the effectiveness of the program.
The DNDO shall report to Congress on the feasibility of developing model exercises to test the preparedness of jurisdictions participating in the program in meeting the challenges that may be posed by a range of nuclear and radiological threats.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 655 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 655

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Securing 
   the Cities program to enhance the ability of the United States to 
detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence events 
utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk 
 to homeland security in high-risk urban areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 24, 2017

    Mr. Donovan (for himself, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. King of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Securing 
   the Cities program to enhance the ability of the United States to 
detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence events 
utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk 
 to homeland security in high-risk urban areas, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing the Cities Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. SECURING THE CITIES PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Title XIX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 591 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 1908. SECURING THE CITIES PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Director for Domestic Nuclear Detection 
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 consequence events utilizing nuclear or other 
radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in 
high-risk urban areas. Through the STC program the Director shall--
            ``(1) assist State, local, tribal, and territorial 
        governments in designing and implementing, or enhancing 
        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 control;
            ``(3) provide resources to enhance detection, analysis, 
        communication, and coordination to better integrate State, 
        local, tribal, and territorial assets into Federal operations;
            ``(4) facilitate alarm adjudication and provide subject 
        matter expertise and technical assistance on 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 governments, in a manner that ensures 
        transparency with the jurisdictions served by such program;
            ``(6) provide augmenting resources, as appropriate, 
        enabling State, local, tribal, and territorial governments to 
        sustain and refresh their capabilities developed under the STC 
        program; and
            ``(7) provide any other assistance the Director determines 
        appropriate.
    ``(b) Designation of Jurisdictions.--In carrying out the program 
under subsection (a), the Director shall designate jurisdictions from 
among high-risk urban areas under section 2003, and other cities and 
regions, as appropriate.
    ``(c) Congressional Notification.--The Director shall notify the 
Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
not later than three days before the designation of new jurisdictions 
under subsection (b) or other changes to participating 
jurisdictions.''.
    (b) GAO Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate an assessment, including an evaluation of 
the effectiveness, of the Securing the Cities program under section 
1908 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a) 
of this section.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the 
item relating to section 1907 the following new item:

``Sec. 1908. Securing the Cities program.''.

SEC. 3. MODEL EXERCISES.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Director for Domestic Nuclear Detection of the Department of 
Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate on the feasibility of the 
Director developing model exercises to test the preparedness of 
jurisdictions participating in the Securing the Cities program under 
section 1908 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by section 
2 of this Act) in meeting the challenges that may be posed by a range 
of nuclear and radiological threats.

SEC. 4. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

    No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act. Such requirements shall 
be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized.
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