Homeland Security Act of 2002 Part 17

(a) Seal.--The Department shall have a seal, whose design is subject to the approval of the President.

(b) Partic.i.p.ation of Members of the Armed Forces.--With respect to the Department, the Secretary shall have the same authorities that the Secretary of Transportation has with respect to the Department of Transportation under section 324 of t.i.tle 49, United States Code.

(c) Redelegation of Functions.--Unless otherwise provided in the delegation or by law, any function delegated under this Act may be redelegated to any subordinate.

SEC. 876. [6 U.S.C. 456] MILITARY ACTIVITIES.

Nothing in this Act shall confer upon the Secretary any authority to engage in warfighting, the military defense of the United States, or other military activities, nor shall anything in this Act limit the existing authority of the Department of Defense or the Armed Forces to engage in warfighting, the military defense of the United States, or other military activities.

SEC. 877. [6 U.S.C. 457] REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND PREEMPTION.

(a) Regulatory Authority.--Except as otherwise provided in sections 306(c), 862(c), and 1706(b), this Act vests no new regulatory authority in the Secretary or any other Federal official, and transfers to the Secretary or another Federal official only such regulatory authority as exists on the date of enactment of this Act within any agency, program, or function transferred to the Department pursuant to this Act, or that on such date of enactment is exercised by another official of the executive branch with respect to such agency, program, or function. Any such transferred authority may not be exercised by an official from whom it is transferred upon transfer of such agency, program, or function to the Secretary or another Federal official pursuant to this Act. This Act may not be construed as altering or diminishing the regulatory authority of any other executive agency, except to the extent that this Act transfers such authority from the agency.

(b) Preemption of State or Local Law.--Except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act preempts no State or local law, except that any authority to preempt State or local law vested in any Federal agency or official transferred to the Department pursuant to this Act shall be transferred to the Department effective on the date of the transfer to the Department of that Federal agency or official.

SEC. 878. [6 U.S.C. 458] OFFICE OF COUNTERNARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT.

(a) Office.--There is established in the Department an Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement, which shall be headed by a Director appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(b) a.s.signment of Personnel.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary shall a.s.sign permanent staff to the Office, consistent with effective management of Department resources.

(2) Liaisons.--The Secretary shall designate senior employees from each appropriate subdivision of the Department that has significant counternarcotics responsibilities to act as a liaison between that subdivision and the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement.

(c) Limitation on Concurrent Employment.--The Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement shall not be employed by, a.s.signed to, or serve as the head of, any other branch of the Federal Government, any State or local government, or any subdivision of the Department other than the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement.

(d) Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall direct the Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement-- (1) to coordinate policy and operations within the Department, between the Department and other Federal departments and agencies, and between the Department and State and local agencies with respect to stopping the entry of illegal drugs into the United States; (2) to ensure the adequacy of resources within the Department for stopping the entry of illegal drugs into the United States; (3) to recommend the appropriate financial and personnel resources necessary to help the Department better fulfill its responsibility to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States; (4) within the Joint Terrorism Task Force construct to track and sever connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism; and (5) to be a representative of the Department on all task forces, committees, or other ent.i.ties whose purpose is to coordinate the counternarcotics enforcement activities of the Department and other Federal, State or local agencies.

(e) Savings Clause.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize direct control of the operations conducted by the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security, the Coast Guard, or joint terrorism task forces.

(f) Reports to Congress.-- (1) Annual budget review.--The Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement shall, not later than 30 days after the submission by the President to Congress of any request for expenditures for the Department, submit to the Committees on Appropriations and the authorizing committees of jurisdiction of the House of Representatives and the Senate a review and evaluation of such request. The review and evaluation shall-- (A) identify any request or subpart of any request that affects or may affect the counternarcotics activities of the Department or any of its subdivisions, or that affects the ability of the Department or any subdivision of the Department to meet its responsibility to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States; (B) describe with particularity how such requested funds would be or could be expended in furtherance of counternarcotics activities; and (C) compare such requests with requests for expenditures and amounts appropriated by Congress in the previous fiscal year.

(2) Evaluation of counternarcotics activities.--The Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement shall, not later than February 1 of each year, submit to the Committees on Appropriations and the authorizing committees of jurisdiction of the House of Representatives and the Senate a review and evaluation of the counternarcotics activities of the Department for the previous fiscal year. The review and evaluation shall-- (A) describe the counternarcotics activities of the Department and each subdivision of the Department (whether individually or in cooperation with other subdivisions of the Department, or in cooperation with other branches of the Federal Government or with State or local agencies), including the methods, procedures, and systems (including computer systems) for collecting, a.n.a.lyzing, sharing, and disseminating information concerning narcotics activity within the Department and between the Department and other Federal, State, and local agencies; (B) describe the results of those activities, using quantifiable data whenever possible; (C) state whether those activities were sufficient to meet the responsibility of the Department to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States, including a description of the performance measures of effectiveness that were used in making that determination; and (D) recommend, where appropriate, changes to those activities to improve the performance of the Department in meeting its responsibility to stop the entry of illegal drugs into the United States.

(3) Cla.s.sified or law enforcement sensitive information.--Any content of a review and evaluation described in the reports required in this subsection that involves information cla.s.sified under criteria established by an Executive order, or whose public disclosure, as determined by the Secretary, would be detrimental to the law enforcement or national security activities of the Department or any other Federal, State, or local agency, shall be presented to Congress separately from the rest of the review and evaluation.

SEC. 879. [6 U.S.C. 459] OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.

(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Office of the Secretary an Office of International Affairs. The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall be a senior official appointed by the Secretary.

(b) Duties of the Director.--The Director shall have the following duties: (1) To promote information and education exchange with nations friendly to the United States in order to promote sharing of best practices and technologies relating to homeland security. Such exchange shall include the following: (A) Exchange of information on research and development on homeland security technologies.

(B) Joint training exercises of first responders.

(C) Exchange of expertise on terrorism prevention, response, and crisis management.

(2) To identify areas for homeland security information and training exchange where the United States has a demonstrated weakness and another friendly nation or nations have a demonstrated expertise.

(3) To plan and undertake international conferences, exchange programs, and training activities.

(4) To manage international activities within the Department in coordination with other Federal officials with responsibility for counter-terrorism matters.

SEC. 880. [6 U.S.C. 460] PROHIBITION OF THE TERRORISM INFORMATION AND PREVENTION SYSTEM.

Any and all activities of the Federal Government to implement the proposed component program of the Citizen Corps known as Operation TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System) are hereby prohibited.

SEC. 881. [6 U.S.C. 461] REVIEW OF PAY AND BENEFIT PLANS.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, review the pay and benefit plans of each agency whose functions are transferred under this Act to the Department and, within 90 days after the date of enactment, submit a plan to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the appropriate committees and subcommittees of Congress, for ensuring, to the maximum extent practicable, the elimination of disparities in pay and benefits throughout the Department, especially among law enforcement personnel, that are inconsistent with merit system principles set forth in section 2301 of t.i.tle 5, United States Code.

SEC. 882. [6 U.S.C. 462] OFFICE FOR NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION COORDINATION.

(a) Establishment.-- (1) In general.--There is established within the Office of the Secretary the Office of National Capital Region Coordination, to oversee and coordinate Federal programs for and relationships with State, local, and regional authorities in the National Capital Region, as defined under section 2674(f)(2) of t.i.tle 10, United States Code.

(2) Director.--The Office established under paragraph (1) shall be headed by a Director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary.

(3) Cooperation.--The Secretary shall cooperate with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Governors of Maryland and Virginia, and other State, local, and regional officers in the National Capital Region to integrate the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia into the planning, coordination, and execution of the activities of the Federal Government for the enhancement of domestic preparedness against the consequences of terrorist attacks.

(b) Responsibilities.--The Office established under subsection (a)(1) shall-- (1) coordinate the activities of the Department relating to the National Capital Region, including cooperation with the Office for State and Local Government Coordination; (2) a.s.sess, and advocate for, the resources needed by State, local, and regional authorities in the National Capital Region to implement efforts to secure the homeland; (3) provide State, local, and regional authorities in the National Capital Region with regular information, research, and technical support to a.s.sist the efforts of State, local, and regional authorities in the National Capital Region in securing the homeland; (4) develop a process for receiving meaningful input from State, local, and regional authorities and the private sector in the National Capital Region to a.s.sist in the development of the homeland security plans and activities of the Federal Government; (5) coordinate with Federal agencies in the National Capital Region on terrorism preparedness, to ensure adequate planning, information sharing, training, and execution of the Federal role in domestic preparedness activities; (6) coordinate with Federal, State, local, and regional agencies, and the private sector in the National Capital Region on terrorism preparedness to ensure adequate planning, information sharing, training, and execution of domestic preparedness activities among these agencies and ent.i.ties; and (7) serve as a liaison between the Federal Government and State, local, and regional authorities, and private sector ent.i.ties in the National Capital Region to facilitate access to Federal grants and other programs.

(c) Annual Report.--The Office established under subsection (a) shall submit an annual report to Congress that includes-- (1) the identification of the resources required to fully implement homeland security efforts in the National Capital Region; (2) an a.s.sessment of the progress made by the National Capital Region in implementing homeland security efforts; and (3) recommendations to Congress regarding the additional resources needed to fully implement homeland security efforts in the National Capital Region.

(d) Limitation.--Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as limiting the power of State and local governments.

SEC. 883. [6 U.S.C. 463] REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY WITH LAWS PROTECTING EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND PROVIDING WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as exempting the Department from requirements applicable with respect to executive agencies-- (1) to provide equal employment protection for employees of the Department (including pursuant to the provisions in section 2302(b)(1) of t.i.tle 5, United States Code, and the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-174)); or (2) to provide whistleblower protections for employees of the Department (including pursuant to the provisions in section 2302(b)(8) and (9) of such t.i.tle and the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002).

SEC. 884. [6 U.S.C. 464] FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER.

(a) In General.--The transfer of an authority or an agency under this Act to the Department of Homeland Security does not affect training agreements already entered into with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center with respect to the training of personnel to carry out that authority or the duties of that transferred agency.

(b) Continuity of Operations.--All activities of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center transferred to the Department of Homeland Security under this Act shall continue to be carried out at the locations such activities were carried out before such transfer.

SEC. 885. [6 U.S.C. 465] JOINT INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.

(a) Establishment.--The Secretary may establish and operate a permanent Joint Interagency Homeland Security Task Force composed of representatives from military and civilian agencies of the United States Government for the purposes of antic.i.p.ating terrorist threats against the United States and taking appropriate actions to prevent harm to the United States.

(b) Structure.--It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary should model the Joint Interagency Homeland Security Task Force on the approach taken by the Joint Interagency Task Forces for drug interdiction at Key West, Florida and Alameda, California, to the maximum extent feasible and appropriate.

SEC. 886. [6 U.S.C. 466] SENSE OF CONGRESS REAFFIRMING THE CONTINUED IMPORTANCE AND APPLICABILITY OF THE POSSE COMITATUS ACT.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following: (1) Section 1385 of t.i.tle 18, United States Code (commonly known as the ''Posse Comitatus Act''), prohibits the use of the Armed Forces as a posse comitatus to execute the laws except in cases and under circ.u.mstances expressly authorized by the Const.i.tution or Act of Congress.

(2) Enacted in 1878, the Posse Comitatus Act was expressly intended to prevent United States Marshals, on their own initiative, from calling on the Army for a.s.sistance in enforcing Federal law.

(3) The Posse Comitatus Act has served the Nation well in limiting the use of the Armed Forces to enforce the law.

(4) Nevertheless, by its express terms, the Posse Comitatus Act is not a complete barrier to the use of the Armed Forces for a range of domestic purposes, including law enforcement functions, when the use of the Armed Forces is authorized by Act of Congress or the President determines that the use of the Armed Forces is required to fulfill the President's obligations under the Const.i.tution to respond promptly in time of war, insurrection, or other serious emergency.

(5) Existing laws, including chapter 15 of t.i.tle 10, United States Code (commonly known as the ''Insurrection Act''), and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency a.s.sistance Act (42 U.S.C.

5121 et seq.), grant the President broad powers that may be invoked in the event of domestic emergencies, including an attack against the Nation using weapons of ma.s.s destruction, and these laws specifically authorize the President to use the Armed Forces to help restore public order.

(b) Sense of Congress.--Congress reaffirms the continued importance of section 1385 of t.i.tle 18, United States Code, and it is the sense of Congress that nothing in this Act should be construed to alter the applicability of such section to any use of the Armed Forces as a posse comitatus to execute the laws.

SEC. 887. [6 U.S.C. 467] COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES UNDER THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

(a) In General.--The annual Federal response plan developed by the Department shall be consistent with section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d).

(b) Disclosures Among Relevant Agencies.-- (1) In general.--Full disclosure among relevant agencies shall be made in accordance with this subsection.

(2) Public health emergency.--During the period in which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has declared the existence of a public health emergency under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d(a)), the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall keep relevant agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, fully and currently informed.

(3) Potential public health emergency.--In cases involving, or potentially involving, a public health emergency, but in which no determination of an emergency by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d(a)), has been made, all relevant agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, shall keep the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fully and currently informed.

SEC. 888. [6 U.S.C. 468] PRESERVING COAST GUARD MISSION PERFORMANCE.

(a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Non-homeland security missions.--The term ''non-homeland security missions'' means the following missions of the Coast Guard: (A) Marine safety.

(B) Search and rescue.

(C) Aids to navigation.

(D) Living marine resources (fisheries law enforcement).

(E) Marine environmental protection.

(F) Ice operations.

(2) Homeland security missions.--The term ''homeland security missions'' means the following missions of the Coast Guard: (A) Ports, waterways and coastal security.

(B) Drug interdiction.

(C) Migrant interdiction.

(D) Defense readiness.

(E) Other law enforcement.

(b) Transfer.--There are transferred to the Department the authorities, functions, personnel, and a.s.sets of the Coast Guard, which shall be maintained as a distinct ent.i.ty within the Department, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto.

(c) Maintenance of Status of Functions and a.s.sets.-- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the authorities, functions, and capabilities of the Coast Guard to perform its missions shall be maintained intact and without significant reduction after the transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department, except as specified in subsequent Acts.

(d) Certain Transfers Prohibited.--No mission, function, or a.s.set (including for purposes of this subsection any ship, aircraft, or helicopter) of the Coast Guard may be diverted to the princ.i.p.al and continuing use of any other organization, unit, or ent.i.ty of the Department, except for details or a.s.signments that do not reduce the Coast Guard's capability to perform its missions.

(e) Changes to Missions.-- (1) Prohibition.--The Secretary may not substantially or significantly reduce the missions of the Coast Guard or the Coast Guard's capability to perform those missions, except as specified in subsequent Acts.