Legislative Activity

House to Consider Homeland Security Legislation

On Tuesday, October 20, the House of Representatives will consider several bills related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including:

• H.R. 3572, the DHS Headquarters Reform and Improvement Act of 2015, which would reorganize DHS functions and update the agency’s acquisitions procedures;

• H.R. 3350, the Know the CBRN Terrorism Threats to Transportation Act, which would require the DHS Secretary to develop a terrorism threat assessment for the transport of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) material within the United States; and

• H.R. 3493, the Securing the Cities Act of 2015, which would establish a program to improve the United States’ ability to detect and prevent terrorist attacks using nuclear or other radiological materials in high-risk urban areas.

The bills will be considered under “suspension of the rules,” which means they will not be open to amendment and will require two-thirds vote for passage.

This Week’s Hearings:

• Wednesday, October 21:  The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing titled “Worldwide Threats and Homeland Security Challenges.”

• Wednesday, October 21:  The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “Ongoing Migration from Central America: An Examination of FY2015 Apprehensions.”

• Thursday, October 22:  The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness will hold a hearing titled “Ready and Resilient?  Examining Federal Emergency Preparedness and Response Capabilities.”

• Thursday, October 22:  The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

• Tuesday, October 27:  The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management and the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency will hold a joint hearing titled “Examining Ongoing Challenges at the U.S. Secret Service and their Government-Wide Implications.”