6 U.S.C. § 124h Department of Homeland Security State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 6 U.S.C. § 124h

(a) Establishment

The Secretary, in consultation with the program manager of the information sharing environment established under section 485 of this title, the Attorney General, the Privacy Officer of the Department, the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the Department, and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board established under section 2000ee of title 42, shall establish a Department of Homeland Security State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative to establish partnerships with State, local, and regional fusion centers.

(b) Department support and coordination

Through the Department of Homeland Security State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative, and in coordination with the principal officials of participating State, local, or regional fusion centers and the officers designated as the Homeland Security Advisors of the States, the Secretary shall-

(1) provide operational and intelligence advice and assistance to State, local, and regional fusion centers;

(2) support efforts to include State, local, and regional fusion centers into efforts to establish an information sharing environment;

(3) conduct tabletop and live training exercises to regularly assess the capability of individual and regional networks of State, local, and regional fusion centers to integrate the efforts of such networks with the efforts of the Department;

(4) coordinate with other relevant Federal entities engaged in homeland security-related activities;

(5) provide analytic and reporting advice and assistance to State, local, and regional fusion centers;

(6) review information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, that is gathered by State, local, and regional fusion centers, and to incorporate such information, as appropriate, into the Department's own such information;

(7) provide management assistance to State, local, and regional fusion centers;

(8) serve as a point of contact to ensure the dissemination of information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information;

(9) facilitate close communication and coordination between State, local, and regional fusion centers and the Department;

(10) provide State, local, and regional fusion centers with expertise on Department resources and operations;

(11) provide training to State, local, and regional fusion centers and encourage such fusion centers to participate in terrorism threat-related exercises conducted by the Department; and

(12) carry out such other duties as the Secretary determines are appropriate.

(c) Personnel assignment

(1) In general

The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis shall, to the maximum extent practicable, assign officers and intelligence analysts from components of the Department to participating State, local, and regional fusion centers.

(2) Personnel sources

Officers and intelligence analysts assigned to participating fusion centers under this subsection may be assigned from the following Department components, in coordination with the respective component head and in consultation with the principal officials of participating fusion centers:

(A) Office of Intelligence and Analysis.

(B) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

(C) Transportation Security Administration.

(D) United States Customs and Border Protection.

(E) United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(F) United States Coast Guard.

(G) Other components of the Department, as determined by the Secretary.

(3) Qualifying criteria

(A) In general

The Secretary shall develop qualifying criteria for a fusion center to participate in the assigning of Department officers or intelligence analysts under this section.

(B) Criteria

Any criteria developed under subparagraph (A) may include-