First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act

IIB 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1594 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 15, 2019 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs AN ACT To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a process to review applications for certain grants to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:09 May 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1594.RFS H1594 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 HR 1594 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘First Responder Ac- 2 cess to Innovative Technologies Act’’. 3 SEC. 2. APPROVAL OF CERTAIN EQUIPMENT. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2008 of the Homeland 5 Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 609) is amended— 6 (1) in subsection (f)— 7 (A) by striking ‘‘If an applicant’’ and in- 8 serting the following: 9 ‘‘(1) APPLICATION REQUIREMENT.—If an appli- 10 cant’’; and 11 (B) by adding at the end the following new 12 paragraphs: 13 ‘‘(2) REVIEW PROCESS.—The Administrator 14 shall implement a uniform process for reviewing ap- 15 plications that, in accordance with paragraph (1), 16 contain explanations to use grants provided under 17 section 2003 or 2004 to purchase equipment or sys- 18 tems that do not meet or exceed any applicable na- 19 tional voluntary consensus standards developed 20 under section 647 of the Post-Katrina Emergency 21 Management Reform Act of 2006 (6 U.S.C. 747). 22 ‘‘(3) FACTORS.—In carrying out the review 23 process under paragraph (2), the Administrator 24 shall consider the following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:09 May 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1594.RFS H1594 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 HR 1594 RFS ‘‘(A) Current or past use of proposed 1 equipment or systems by Federal agencies or 2 the Armed Forces. 3 ‘‘(B) The absence of a national voluntary 4 consensus standard for such equipment or sys- 5 tems. 6 ‘‘(C) The existence of an international con- 7 sensus standard for such equipment or systems, 8 and whether such equipment or systems meets 9 such standard. 10 ‘‘(D) The nature of the capability gap 11 identified by the applicant and how such equip- 12 ment or systems will address such gap. 13 ‘‘(E) The degree to which such equipment 14 or systems will serve the needs of the applicant 15 better than equipment or systems that meet or 16 exceed existing consensus standards. 17 ‘‘(F) Any other factor determined appro- 18 priate by the Administrator.’’; and 19 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub- 20 section: 21 ‘‘(g) REVIEW PROCESS.—The Administrator shall 22 implement a uniform process for reviewing applications to 23 use grants provided under section 2003 or 2004 to pur- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:09 May 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1594.RFS H1594 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 HR 1594 RFS chase equipment or systems not included on the Author- 1 ized Equipment List maintained by the Administrator.’’. 2 (b) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT.—Not later than 3 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 4 Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Secu- 5 rity shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 6 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 7 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen- 8 ate a report assessing the implementation of the review 9 process established under paragraph (2) of subsection (f) 10 of section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 11 (as added by subsection (a) of this section), including in- 12 formation on the following: 13 (1) The number of requests to purchase equip- 14 ment or systems that do not meet or exceed any ap- 15 plicable consensus standard evaluated under such re- 16 view process. 17 (2) The capability gaps identified by applicants 18 and the number of such requests granted or denied. 19 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:09 May 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1594.RFS H1594 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 5 HR 1594 RFS (3) The processing time for the review of such 1 requests. 2 Passed the House of Representatives May 14, 2019. Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:09 May 16, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1594.RFS H1594 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS