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H.R. 1374 · House bill · 119th Congress
This bill makes changes to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office's (CWMD's) Securing the Cities program, which seeks to detect nuclear or radiological materials to prevent terrorist attacks and other events posing a risk to cities in the United States.
Specifically, the bill requires the CWMD to establish performance metrics and milestones for the program and to track performance against them.
Also, under current law, in carrying out the Securing the Cities program, the CWMD may only partner with cities that are high-risk urban areas, which are designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under a different program. Instead, the bill requires the CWMD to designate the jurisdictions it may partner with for the program, and the designations must be based on the capability and capacity of the jurisdiction relating to preparedness and response, as well as the relative threat to, vulnerability of, and consequences for, such jurisdiction regarding terrorist attacks and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or radiological materials.
Additionally, within two years of enactment of the bill, the CWMD must submit a report to Congress regarding participation in the Securing the Cities program, the establishment of metrics and milestones, performance against such metrics and milestones, and plans for any changes to the program.
This Act may be cited as the “Securing the Cities Improvement Act”.
Section 1928 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 596b) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking “high-risk urban areas” and inserting “jurisdictions designated under subsection (c)”;
(2) by amending paragraph (7) of subsection (b) to read as follows:
“(7) establish performance metrics and milestones for the STC program, monitor expenditures for the program, and track the performance against program metrics and milestones; and”;
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by striking “from among high-risk urban areas under section 2003” and inserting “based on the capability and capacity of the jurisdiction relating to preparedness and response, as well as the relative threat to such jurisdiction, vulnerability of such jurisdiction, and consequences for such jurisdiction, regarding terrorist attacks and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials”; and
(4) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
“(d) Report.— Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 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 regarding participation in the STC program, the establishment of metrics and milestones for the STC program, performance against such metrics and milestones, and plans for any changes to the STC program.”.