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PUBLIC LAW 116–116—MAR. 2, 2020
DHS FIELD ENGAGEMENT
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
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134 STAT. 110
PUBLIC LAW 116–116—MAR. 2, 2020
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘DHS Field Engagement Account-
ability 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) 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. 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 Home-
land 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) A 5-year plan for continued engagement with fusion
centers.’’.
Plan.
Consultation.
Deadlines.
DHS Field
Engagement
Accountability
Act.
6 USC 101 note.
Mar. 2, 2020
[H.R. 504]
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134 STAT. 111
PUBLIC LAW 116–116—MAR. 2, 2020
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS FIELD PERSONNEL
SUPPORT TO FUSION CENTERS.
(a) 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 iden-
tify and prepare field personnel for deployment to support
fusion centers and internal mechanisms to ensure oversight
and accountability of such field personnel, including field per-
sonnel assigned to one center and field personnel assigned
to multiple centers; and
(2) 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) 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. DHS COMPONENT USAGE OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY
INFORMATION NETWORK.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Chief Information Officer, in consulta-
tion 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
Deadline.
Consultations.
6 USC 121 note.
Consultation.
Publication.
Deadline.
6 USC 124h note.
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134 STAT. 112
PUBLIC LAW 116–116—MAR. 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.
Æ
Representatives, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intel-
ligence 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.
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