DHS Biodetection Improvement Act
Officially: “DHS Biodetection Improvement Act” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the DHS Biodetection Improvement Act.
Show official text
1. Short title This Act may be cited as the DHS Biodetection Improvement Act .
2DHS utilization of Department of Energy national laboratories and sites for certain biodetection research and development relating to the missions of the DHS
This section would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to assess how the Department of Homeland Security has used Department of Energy national laboratories and sites for research and development in carrying out DHS missions, following section 309 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Within 180 days after enactment, the Secretary would have to send that assessment, along with a strategy for coordinating biodetection research and development with the Department of Energy national laboratories and sites, to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The strategy would have to identify biodetection technologies that can, either individually or together, meet DHS's biodetection mission needs, drawing on DHS capabilities analysis and requirements documents and on studies produced by the Comptroller General, such as the National Re-Assessment of the BioWatch Collector Network to Increase the Fraction of Population Covered (which the bill itself says DHS's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office developed in November 2021), and other such future studies as applicable. It would also have to include an acquisition and procurement plan, following federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and DHS acquisition directives, to acquire and provide those technologies to existing BioWatch jurisdictions. The strategy would further have to provide for periodic outside evaluations to find gaps and potential failure points in the technologies and to recommend contingency plans if the technologies do not work as expected, and it would have to cover assisting, where appropriate and in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal governments, colleges and universities, and private companies, in defining program and technical requirements for future DHS environmental biodetection programs, including any related transformational research and development effort. Within one year after enactment, the Secretary would have to give the same two committees an update on the assessment and strategy, including any challenges to putting the strategy into effect.
Show official text
2. DHS utilization of Department of Energy national laboratories and sites for certain biodetection research and development relating to the missions of the DHS (a) In general The Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct an assessment of how the Department of Homeland Security has utilized Department of Energy national laboratories and sites regarding research and development in carrying out the missions of the Department of Homeland Security, in accordance with section 309 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 189 ). (b) Strategy on biodetection research and development Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate the assessment required under subsection (a), together with a strategy for how the Department of Homeland Security will conduct research and development in coordination with Department of Energy national laboratories and sites to address biodetection research and development of the Department of Homeland Security, including the following: (1) Identifying biodetection technologies that can, either individually or together, meet the biodetection mission needs as outlined in Department of Homeland Security capabilities analysis and requirements documents and informed by studies produced by the Comptroller General of the United States, such as the National Re-Assessment of the BioWatch Collector Network to Increase the Fraction of Population Covered, as developed by the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office of the Department in November 2021, and other such future studies as applicable. (2) Developing an acquisition and procurement plan to acquire and provide, in accordance with Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and Department of Homeland Security acquisition and procurement management directives, the biodetection technologies referred to in paragraph (1) to existing BioWatch jurisdictions. (3) Conducting periodic external evaluations to identify gaps and potential failure points with respect to such biodetection technologies, and recommending contingency plans in the event such biodetection technologies do not perform as expected or intended. (4) Assisting, as appropriate and in partnership with Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments, institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )), and the private sector, with the development of clearly defined program and technical requirements for future Department of Homeland Security environmental biodetection programs, including any related transformational program of research and development. (c) Reports to Congress Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate an update of the assessment and strategy required under this section, including any challenges to implementing such strategy.
Where it is
In the House.