Draft Homeland Security bill directs management changes

The House Homeland Security Committee's first-ever authorization bill for the Homeland Security Department includes a myriad of provisions to bolster homeland security activities between federal agencies as well as state and local officials, according to a copy obtained by CongressDaily.

But a review of the measure found that months of negotiations between Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox, R-Calif., and ranking member Jim Turner, D-Texas, failed to produce compromises on several issues.

Committee members received a copy of the legislation Thursday for their review, according to a committee memo. Prior to the July Fourth recess, Cox's senior adviser said the committee would introduce the bill "very soon" and mark it up this month.

Democrats on the panel, led by Turner, have publicly called for more substantive provisions on rail, port and aviation security and will presumably cry foul when the committee meets to vote on the measure.

Cox and Turner did reach agreement on language for overall management of the department as well as certain cybersecurity, science and technology, intelligence, border security and emergency preparedness provisions.

To enhance information sharing between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the committee directs the Homeland Security secretary to head up an interagency board to oversee requirements for all terrorism-related information.

The board must establish procedures for relevant Homeland officials to receive and disseminate intelligence data "automatically" and "immediately."

The provision also says other federal law enforcement agencies that receive terrorist threat information must deliver the data to the appropriate Homeland Security official, in addition to unloading it into the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, known as TTIC. Lawmakers have expressed concern that Homeland officials do not have adequate or timely access to TTIC data because the CIA houses the center.

The bill also instructs Homeland Security officials, when possible, to provide more specific information about possible terrorist threats on a state, local or regional level, rather than using the existing color-coded advisory system.

Lawmakers have complained the warnings, which range from low (green) to severe (red), provide little relevant information to the public about a potential terrorist attack.

The bill directs Homeland Security Secretary Ridge to develop national strategies on biodefense and mitigating radiological and nuclear threats one year after enactment.

It includes several technology provisions, including language to elevate cybersecurity activities at the department to garner more attention and resources to cyber threats as well as a new geospatial data program and public safety interoperability initiative.

The panel also authorized similar funding levels for fiscal 2005 made by the House Appropriations Committee, including $854 million for the information analysis and infrastructure protection division, $1.1 billion for the science and technology directorate, $20 billion for border and transportation security and $5.4 billion for emergency preparedness.