A House subcommittee on Thursday agreed to several homeland security bills including a measure establishing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) intelligence and information sharing functions of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) intelligence office.
The CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2015 (H.R. 2200), offered by Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), would authorize the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis to support analysis of terrorists and their plans to conduct attacks involving CBRN materials against the United States and share the information and analytical support to state, local, tribal and other national stakeholders.
The State Wide Interoperable Communications Enhancement Act (H.R. 2206), would require recipients of State Homeland Security Grant Program funding to preserve and strengthen interoperable communications capabilities. The bill was authored by Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.).
The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications also approved the First Responder Anthrax Preparedness Act (H.R. 1300), which directs DHS to make anthrax vaccines and antimicrobials with short shelf lives, from the strategic national stockpile, to emergency response providers. The bill, authored by Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), would also require the DHS intelligence office to support analysis and risks of threats posed by anthrax from acts of terror and to share the information with relevant stakeholders.
All the bills were approved by voice vote.