DHS Interoperable Communications Act
Latest action · Jul 9, 2014 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 24, 2014
- Passed HouseJul 8, 2014
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act or the DHS Interoperable Communications Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include among the responsibilities of the Under Secretary for Management responsibilities with respect to policies and directives to achieve and maintain interoperable communications among the components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Requires such Under Secretary to submit to the House and Senate homeland security committees a strategy, which shall be updated as necessary, for achieving and maintaining interoperable communications, including for daily operations, planned events, and emergencies, with corresponding milestones, that includes:
- an assessment of interoperability gaps in radio communications among the DHS components, as of this Act's enactment date;
- information on DHS efforts and activities, including current and planned policies, directives, and training, since November 1, 2012, to achieve and maintain interoperable communications, and planned efforts and activities to achieve and maintain interoperable communications;
- an assessment of obstacles and challenges to achieving and maintaining interoperable communications;
- information on, and an assessment of, the adequacy of mechanisms available to the Under Secretary to enforce and compel compliance with interoperable communications policies and directives of DHS;
- guidance provided to DHS components to implement interoperable communications policies and directives;
- the total amount of funds expended by DHS since November 1, 2012, and projected future expenditures, to achieve interoperable communications; and
- dates upon which DHS-wide interoperability is projected to be achieved for voice, data, and video communications, respectively, and interim milestones.
Directs the Under Secretary to submit information on any intra-agency effort or task force that has been delegated responsibilities by the Under Secretary relating to achieving and maintaining interoperable communications within a specified time frame, and on who, within each component, is responsible for implementing policies and directives issued by the Under Secretary to achieve and maintain interoperable communications.
Directs the Under Secretary to report on the status of efforts since the issuance of the strategy to implement such strategy, including: (1) progress on each interim milestone; (2) information on any policies, directives, guidance, and training established by the Under Secretary; (3) an assessment of the level of compliance, adoption, and participation among the DHS components with the policies, directives, guidance, and training established by the Under Secretary; and (4) information on any additional resources or authorities needed by the Under Secretary.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 370 | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed393–0 | Jul 8, 2014 |
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 24, 2014 to Jun 10, 2014; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-IN | Susan W. Brooks | Original | Mar 24, 2014 |
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Jun 10, 2014 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Homeland Security Committee | Referred Mar 24, 2014Markup Jun 11, 2014Reported Jun 20, 2014 |
| Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee | Referred Mar 25, 2014Markup Mar 27, 2014Reported Mar 27, 2014 | |
| Senate | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Referred Jul 9, 2014 |
Actions 16
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 9, 2014Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Jul 8, 2014Mrs. Brooks (IN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 8, 2014Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5856-5859)
- Jul 8, 2014DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4289.
- Jul 8, 2014At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- Jul 8, 2014Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5861)
- Jul 8, 2014Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 393 - 0 (Roll no. 370). (text: CR H5857)
- Jun 19, 2014Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 113-484.
- Jun 19, 2014Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 360.
- Jun 11, 2014Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 11, 2014Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- Mar 27, 2014Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Mar 27, 2014Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
- Mar 25, 2014Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications.
- Mar 24, 2014Introduced in House
- Mar 24, 2014Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H5856–H5859Text printed H5857Recorded votes H5861enact | Bennie G. Thompson D-MS, Donald M. Payne, Jr. D-NJ, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Susan W. Brooks R-IN | Jul 8, 2014 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Jun 19, 2014H.R. 4289, DHS Interoperable Communications ActAs ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on June 11, 2014
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H2610.
Printed hearings 4
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 113-89 | INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS: ASSESSING PROGRESS SINCE 9/1138 pages | Homeland Security Committee | Nov 18, 2014 |
| S. Hrg. 113-493 | CURRENT NATIONAL PARKS BILLS80 pages | Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Jul 23, 2014 |
| Serial No. 113-70 | BIOWATCH: LESSONS LEARNED AND THE PATH FORWARD63 pages | Homeland Security Committee | Jun 10, 2014 |
| Serial No. 113-67 | PREVENTING WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE, AND MISMANAGEMENT IN HOMELAND SECURITY--A GAO HIGH-RISK LIST REVIEW71 pages | Homeland Security Committee | May 7, 2014 |
Titles 7
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to take administrative action to achieve and maintain interoperable communications capabilities among the components of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- DHS Interoperable Communications Act
- Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act
- DHS Interoperable Communications Act
- Short Titles as Passed House
- DHS Interoperable Communications Act
- Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Emergency Management.
- Administrative law and regulatory procedures
- Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
- Congressional oversight
- Department of Homeland Security
- Emergency communications systems
- Emergency Management
- Government studies and investigations
- Internet and video services
- Internet, web applications, social media
- Telephone and wireless communication
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 9, 2014Referred in Senate
- Jul 8, 2014Engrossed in House
- Jun 19, 2014Reported in House
- Mar 24, 2014Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
