DHS Science and Technology Reform and Improvement Act of 2015
Latest action · Dec 14, 2015 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.
- IntroducedSep 18, 2015
- Passed HouseDec 10, 2015
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
DHS Science and Technology Reform and Improvement Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to declare that the Directorate of Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall be the primary research, development, testing, and evaluation arm of DHS, responsible for coordinating such activities to strengthen the security and resiliency of the United States. The Directorate shall be headed by the DHS Undersecretary for Science and Technology, who shall: (1) serve as the DHS senior scientific advisor, and (2) identify and develop countermeasures to terrorist threats that may serve as the basis for a national strategy.
The Directorate shall: (1) develop and deliver knowledge, analyses, and innovative solutions that are responsive to homeland security capability gaps and threats; (2) seek innovative, system-based solutions to complex homeland security problems and threats; and (3) build partnerships and leverage technology solutions developed by other governmental entities, universities, and the private sector.
The bill expands to duties of the Directorate to include:
- coordinating and integrating all research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation activities of DHS, including through a centralized federal clearinghouse relating to technologies that would further the DHS mission;
- establishing a process that includes Directorate and DHS leadership and through which research and development projects are assessed on a regular basis;
- developing and overseeing the administration of guidelines for periodic review of research and development programs or activities;
- partnering with DHS components and offices to develop and deliver knowledge, analyses, and innovative solutions that are responsive to identified homeland security capability gaps and threats; and
- acting as a coordinating office for technology development and coordinating with organizations that provide venture capital to businesses, particularly small businesses, to assist in the commercialization of innovative homeland security technologies.
DHS must review and revise departmental policies on personnel conflicts of interest to ensure that such policies specifcally address employees of federally-funded research and development centers who are in a position to make or materially influence research findings or agency decision-making.
The criteria for designating colleges or universities as a center for homeland security is modified to require expertise in nuclear explosives countermeasures or detection.
The bill establishes in the Directorate a Test, Evaluation, and Standards Division to serve as an adviser to the DHS Secretary and the DHS Under Secretary of Management on all test and evaluation or standards activities in DHS.
The Directorate shall:
- establish a process to define, identify, prioritize, fund, and task its basic and applied homeland security research and development activities;
- develop and submit to appropriate congressional committees a strategy to guide its activities;
- develop and update, at least once every five years, a five-year research and development plan for its activities;
- establish and utilize a system to track the progress of its research, development, testing, and evaluation activities;
- establish the Homeland Security Science and Technology Fellows Program;
- support research, development, testing, evaluation, and transition of cybersecurity technology;
- establish Integrated Product Teams to assist DHS in identifying, coordinating, and aligning research and development efforts with departmental missions; and
- establish a Homeland Security-STEM internship program to encourage students to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers in homeland security related fields.
The bill extends through FY2020 DHS authority for certain research and development projects.
The bill revises the definition of "incident" used with respect to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center.
The Government Accountability Office shall initiate a study to assess the university-based centers for homeland security program and provide recommendations to the congressional homeland security committees for appropriate improvements.
The Directorate shall utilize, as appropriate, prize authority granted pursuant to current law.
No new funds are authorized to carry out this Act.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
Cosponsors 2
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 18, 2015 to Sep 25, 2015; 1 is an original cosponsor, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-LA | Cedric L. Richmond | Original | Sep 18, 2015 |
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Sep 25, 2015 |
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 Sep 18, 2015Markup Sep 30, 2015Reported Dec 8, 2015 |
| Senate | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Referred Dec 14, 2015 |
Actions 14
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Dec 14, 2015Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Dec 10, 2015Mr. Ratcliffe moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Dec 10, 2015Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H9248-9255)
- Dec 10, 2015DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3578.
- Dec 10, 2015At 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.
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 H9248–H9255Text printed H9248–H9253Recorded votes H9262enact | John Ratcliffe R-TX, Lamar Smith R-TX, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX | Dec 10, 2015 |
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
- Oct 29, 2015H.R. 3578, the DHS Science and Technology Reform and Improvement Act of 2015As ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on September 30, 2015
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 161, no. 135, September 18, 2015, page H6180.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 5388 | Support for Rapid Innovation Act of 2016 | Related bill | Jun 22, 2016 |
| HR 6381 | DHS Reform and Improvement Act | Related bill | Dec 16, 2016 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to strengthen and make improvements to the Directorate of Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- DHS Science and Technology Reform and Improvement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Reported to House
- DHS Science and Technology Reform and Improvement Act of 2015
- Short Titles as Passed House
- DHS Science and Technology Reform and Improvement Act of 2015
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Emergency Management.
- Computer security and identity theft
- Department of Homeland Security
- Emergency Management
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
- Research administration and funding
- Research and development
- Student aid and college costs
- Technology assessment
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Dec 14, 2015Referred in Senate
- Dec 10, 2015Engrossed in House
- Dec 8, 2015Reported in House
- Sep 18, 2015Introduced 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.
