H.R. 3875 (114^th): Department of Homeland Security CBRNE Defense Act of 2015

develop, coordinate, and maintain overall CBRNE strategy and policy for the Department;

develop, coordinate, and maintain for the Department periodic CBRNE risk assessments;

serve as the primary Department representative for coordinating CBRNE activities with other Federal departments and agencies;

provide oversight for the Department’s preparedness for CBRNE threats;

provide support for operations during CBRNE threats or incidents; and

carry out such other responsibilities as the Secretary determines appropriate, consistent with this title.

In general

The Assistant Secretary shall, in coordination with relevant Department components and other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, develop, coordinate, and update periodically terrorism risk assessments of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

Comparison

The Assistant Secretary shall develop, coordinate, and update periodically an integrated terrorism risk assessment that assesses all of the threats referred to in paragraph (1) and, as appropriate, explosives threats, and compares each such threat against one another according to their relative risk.

Inclusion in assessment

Each terrorism risk assessment under this subsection shall include a description of the methodology used for each such assessment.

Updates

Each terrorism risk assessment under this subsection shall be updated not less often than once every 2 years.

Provision to Congress

The Assistant Secretary shall provide a copy of each risk assessment under this subsection to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate not later than 30 days after completion of each such assessment.

assess the proposed methodology to be used for such assessments; and

consider the evolving threat to the United States as indicated by the intelligence community (as such term is defined in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))).

seek input from national stakeholders and other Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial officials involved in efforts to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats;

ensure that written procedures are in place to guide the development of such assessments, including for input, review, and implementation purposes, among relevant Federal partners;

share such assessments with Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial officials with appropriate security clearances and a need for the information in the classified versions of such assessments; and

to the maximum extent practicable, make available an unclassified version of such assessments for Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial officials involved in prevention and preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events.

develop threat-specific risk communication plans, in coordination with appropriate Federal departments and agencies;

develop risk communication messages, including pre-scripted messaging to the extent practicable;

develop clearly defined interagency processes and protocols to assure coordinated risk and incident communications and information sharing during incident response;

engage private and nongovernmental entities in communications planning, as appropriate;

identify ways to educate and engage the public about CBRNE threats and consequences;

develop strategies for communicating using social and new media; and

provide guidance on risk and incident communications for CBRNE events to State, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and other stakeholders, as appropriate.

Development efforts

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this title, the Secretary 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 a report on current and future efforts of the Department to develop the communication strategy required under subsection (a).

Finalization

Not later than 2 years after the date the report required under paragraph (1) is submitted, the Secretary 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 communication strategy required under subsection (a).

support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of terrorist actors, their claims, and their plans to conduct attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials or explosives against the United States;

support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of global infectious diseases, public health, food, agricultural, and veterinary issues;

support homeland security-focused risk analysis and risk assessments of the homeland security hazards described in paragraphs (1) and (2) by providing relevant quantitative and nonquantitative threat information;

leverage existing and emerging homeland security intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts with respect to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack;

share appropriate information regarding such threats to appropriate State, local, tribal, and territorial authorities, as well as other national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders; and

perform other responsibilities, as assigned by the Secretary.

In general

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter for 5 years, the Secretary 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 a report on—

Assessment of implementation

Each report required under paragraph (1) shall also include—

Intelligence community

The term intelligence community has the meaning given such term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).

National biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders

The term national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders means officials from Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial authorities and individuals from the private sector who are involved in efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from a biological attack or other phenomena that may have serious health consequences for the United States, including infectious disease outbreaks.