Defeat ISIS and Protect and Secure the United States Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2377
Sponsor: Sen. Reid, Harry [D-NV]
Introduced: 2015-12-09 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Administrative remedies
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Afghanistan
Africa
Alliances
Asia
Aviation and airports
Bank accounts, deposits, capital
Banking and financial institutions regulation
Civil actions and liability
Community life and organization
Computer security and identity theft
Conflicts and wars
Congressional oversight
Crime prevention
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Criminal justice information and records
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Justice
Department of the Treasury
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Disability and paralysis
Egypt
Emergency communications systems
Emergency planning and evacuation
Employee hiring
Europe
European Union
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Firearms and explosives
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign and international banking
Foreign property
France
Fraud offenses and financial crimes
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government studies and investigations
Immigration status and procedures
Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information
Intergovernmental relations
International exchange and broadcasting
International monetary system and foreign exchange
International organizations and cooperation
Iraq
Jordan
Judicial review and appeals
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Lebanon
Licensing and registrations
Middle East
Military command and structure
Military operations and strategy
Military personnel and dependents
Nuclear power
Nuclear weapons
Personnel records
Political movements and philosophies
Public-private cooperation
Radiation
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons
Research administration and funding
Right of privacy
Sanctions
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
State and local government operations
Syria
Terrorism
Transportation employees
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security
Travel and tourism
Tunisia
Turkey
United Nations
Violent crime
Visas and passports
War and emergency powers
Women's rights

Summary:
action_date: 2015-12-09
text: 

Defeat ISIS and Protect and Secure the United States Act of 2015

 
This bill directs the President to designate a person to coordinate federal government and international partner efforts to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 
 
The President may prohibit, or impose strict conditions on, the opening or maintaining in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by a foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for ISIS. 
 
The Director of National Intelligence shall review each intelligence sharing agreement between the United States and a foreign country experiencing a significant ISIS threat or participating in the anti-ISIS coalition. 
 
The President shall: (1) design programs to counter violent extremism abroad; and (2) develop as part of the National Strategy for Counterterrorism a comprehensive strategy to counter ISIS propaganda, including through online activities. 
 
The Department of State shall make counterterrorism funding available for programs that strengthen governance and security in fragile nation states that share a border with a country that ISIS or other violent extremists have threatened to destabilize or delegitimize. 
 
The President may give technical and operational assistance for the European Union and its member states to: (1) improve border management, including migrant screening; and (2) enhance intelligence sharing. 
 
The bill authorizes funds for emergency and life-saving assistance, including care of internally displaced persons in Syria and Iraq and mitigation of the outflow of refugees to Lebanon and Jordan.
 

Visa Waiver Program Security Enhancement Act

 
The Immigration and Nationality Act is amended to revise the visa waiver program, requiring use of machine-readable, electronic passports in order to participate in the program.
 
Federal criminal law is amended to prohibit known or suspected terrorists from purchasing a gun.
 
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall: 
 
 
review training for transportation security officers who operate airport security checkpoints and conduct baggage screening, 
 
review airport security to identify insider threat vulnerabilities in aviation, 
 
convene a working group of private sector screening technology users to foster public-private partnerships, and 
 
encourage maximum coordination with international counterparts. 
 
 
The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall give TSA names and identifying information from the terrorist screening database to permit TSA to administer the credential vetting program for individuals with unescorted access to sensitive transportation environments.
 
DHS shall create a grant program to assist airports in carrying out construction necessary to address attack scenarios and mitigate insider threats.
 
The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 is amended to prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from granting a commercial license to any individual who is: (1) listed in the FBI terrorist screening database; or (2) convicted of any terrorism-related offense under any federal, state, or local law. 
 
The Administrator for Nuclear Security shall develop a strategy to enhance the security of all high activity radiological sources.
 
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended to establish an Office for Community Partnerships to lead DHS efforts to counter violent extremism.
 
The Department of Justice (DOJ), through the Office of Justice Programs, may award grants to local governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to identify causes of violent extremism and related phenomena. 
 
The National Research Council shall study cryptographic technologies and national cryptography policy.
 
DHS shall give technical assistance to state, local, tribal, territorial, private sector, and nongovernmental partners to develop response plans for active shooter incidents in publicly accessible spaces.
 
DOJ may award grants to develop antiterrorism training and technical assistance programs for state, local, and tribal law enforcement.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-12-09
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8548-8558)
action_date: 2015-12-09
text: Introduced in Senate