A House panel on Thursday unanimously approved three homeland security bills including one to improve cyber security risk information sharing with state and local fusion centers and another to make it easier for first responders to obtain technology and equipment.
The Cyber Preparedness Act of 2016 (H.R. 5459) would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to share information with state and local stakeholders on best practices for cyber security, “clarify eligibility” of homeland security and urban area security grant funding for cyber security enhancements, and limit over classifying of cyber risk information “so that it can be shared more broadly with stakeholders who have a need to know,” Rep. Dan Donovan (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee, said during markup of the bill.
The cyber bill was introduced by Donovan and co-sponsored by the panel’s ranking member Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.).
The First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act (H.R. 5460), introduced by Payne and co-sponsored by Donovan, would make it easier for first responders to use certain grants to buy equipment and systems that may not meet national voluntary consensus standards.
Payne said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency reviews requests by grantees to purchase equipment that doesn’t meet the consensus standards but “stakeholders have complained that the process lacks uniformity, predictability and transparency.” And where standards don’t exist, “there is not process to review requests to purchase equipment,” he said.
The first responder bill “requires FEMA to establish a clear, transparent process to review requests to purchase innovative technologies with grant funds,” Payne said.
The cyber and first responder bills were bundled en bloc and approved by voice vote.
The third bill, Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act (H.R. 5346), would make the assistant secretary of Homeland Security for Health Affairs responsible for coordinating DHS’ efforts related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism. The bill was introduced by Rep. David Young (R-Iowa) and approved by voice vote.
Separately, the House passed on Thursday passed 402-15 a counter terrorist bill that bundles three bills the chamber previously approved with bipartisan support. The Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act (H.R. 5471) requires DHS to do more to counter-message terrorist organizations like the Islamic State, allow the department to better use state and local fusion center to reach out to communities to counter radicalization and terrorist recruitment, and establish into law a Counterterrorism Advisory Board and ensure DHS is integrating intelligence, operations, and policy to fight terrorism. The board sets procedures for issuing terrorism alerts within DHS.
The counter terrorism bill was introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House majority leader. The bill bundled three other pieces of legislation in hopes of making it easier to obtain full congressional approval.