DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act
PL 116-116 (H.R.504), enacted 03/02/2020

[116th Congress Public Law 116]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 109]]

                          DHS FIELD ENGAGEMENT 
                           ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

[[Page 134 STAT. 110]]

Public Law 116-116
116th Congress

                                 An Act


 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of 
Homeland Security to develop an engagement strategy with fusion centers, 
      and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Mar. 2, 2020 -  [H.R. 504]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: DHS Field 
Engagement Accountability Act. 6 USC 101 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Field Engagement Accountability 
Act''.
SEC. 2. ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY WITH FUSION CENTERS.

    Section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) is 
amended by--
            (1) redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections (k) 
        and (l), respectively; and
            (2) inserting after subsection (i) the following:

    ``(j) <<NOTE: Deadlines.>>  Fusion Center Information Sharing 
Strategy.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the 
DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act, and not less frequently than 
once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall develop or update a 
strategy for Department engagement with fusion 
centers. <<NOTE: Consultation.>>  Such strategy shall be developed and 
updated in consultation with the heads of intelligence components of the 
Department, the Chief Privacy Officer, the Officer for Civil Rights and 
Civil Liberties, officials of fusion centers, officers designated as 
Homeland Security Advisors, and the heads of other relevant agencies, as 
appropriate. Such strategy shall include the following:
            ``(1) Specific goals and objectives for sharing information 
        and engaging with fusion centers--
                    ``(A) through the direct deployment of personnel 
                from intelligence components of the Department;
                    ``(B) through the use of Department unclassified and 
                classified information sharing systems, including the 
                Homeland Security Information Network and the Homeland 
                Secure Data Network, or any successor systems; and
                    ``(C) through any additional means.
            ``(2) The performance metrics to be used to measure success 
        in achieving the goals and objectives referred to in paragraph 
        (1).
            ``(3) <<NOTE: Plan.>>  A 5-year plan for continued 
        engagement with fusion centers.''.

[[Page 134 STAT. 111]]

SEC. 3. <<NOTE: 6 USC 124h note.>>  OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND 
                    ANALYSIS FIELD PERSONNEL SUPPORT TO FUSION 
                    CENTERS.

    (a) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  Performance Metrics.--Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary 
for Intelligence and Analysis shall--
            (1) consider the effectiveness of existing processes to 
        identify and prepare field personnel for deployment to support 
        fusion centers and internal mechanisms to ensure oversight and 
        accountability of such field personnel, including field 
        personnel assigned to one center and field personnel assigned to 
        multiple centers; and
            (2) <<NOTE: Publication.>>  publish and disseminate 
        performance metrics, taking into account, as appropriate, 
        regional and threat diversity, for--
                    (A) field personnel from the Office of Intelligence 
                and Analysis assigned to an individual fusion center;
                    (B) field personnel from the Office of Intelligence 
                and Analysis assigned to multiple fusion centers; and
                    (C) Regional Directors of the Office of Intelligence 
                and Analysis to ensure accountability for monitoring all 
                field personnel under the supervision of such Regional 
                Directors.

    (b) <<NOTE: Consultation.>>  Training.--In consultation with the 
Chief Information Officer, the Under Secretary for Intelligence and 
Analysis shall develop and implement a formalized training module for 
fusion center personnel regarding the classified Homeland Secure Data 
Network, or any successor system.

    (c) Fusion Center Defined.--In this section, the term ``fusion 
center'' has the meaning given such term in section 210A(k) of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002, as so redesignated by section 2.
SEC. 4. <<NOTE: Consultations. 6 USC 121 note.>>  DHS COMPONENT 
                    USAGE OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY INFORMATION 
                    NETWORK.

    (a) <<NOTE: Deadline.>>  In General.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Information Officer, in 
consultation with the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, and 
in accordance with the functions and responsibilities assigned to the 
Under Secretary under title II of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 121 et seq.), shall--
            (1) develop policies and metrics to ensure effective use by 
        components of the Department of the unclassified Homeland 
        Security Information Network (referred to in this section as 
        ``HSIN''), or any successor system; and
            (2) develop policies for posting unclassified products on 
        HSIN, or any successor system.

    (b) Technical Enhancements.--The Chief Information Officer, in 
consultation with the Chief Intelligence Officer, shall assess and 
implement, as appropriate, technical enhancements to HSIN to improve 
usability, including search functionality, data analysis, and 
collaboration capabilities.
SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, 
the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of

[[Page 134 STAT. 112]]

Representatives, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of 
the House of Representatives that describes the implementation of--
            (1) the fusion center information sharing strategy required 
        under section 210A(j) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as 
        added by section 2, based on performance metrics developed 
        pursuant to such strategy;
            (2) the deployment of field personnel to fusion centers (as 
        such term is defined in section 210A of the Homeland Security 
        Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h)), in accordance with section 3, 
        based on performance metrics developed pursuant to such section; 
        and
            (3) policies that seek to ensure the effective use of the 
        Homeland Security Information Network, in accordance with 
        section 4, based on the metrics developed pursuant to such 
        section.

    Approved March 2, 2020.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 504:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SENATE REPORTS: No. 116-16 (Comm. on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD:
                                                        Vol. 165 (2019):
                                    Jan. 29, considered and passed 
                                        House.
                                    July 25, considered and passed 
                                        Senate, amended.
                                                        Vol. 166 (2020):
                                    Feb. 10, House concurred in Senate 
                                        amendment.

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