[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 884 Engrossed in House (EH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 884
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the establishment of the Science and Technology Homeland
Security International Cooperative Programs Office, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Promoting Antiterrorism Cooperation
through Technology and Science Act'' or the ``PACTS Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The development and implementation of technology is
critical to combating terrorism and other high consequence
events and implementing a comprehensive homeland security
strategy.
(2) The United States and its allies in the global war on
terrorism share a common interest in facilitating research,
development, testing, and evaluation of equipment,
capabilities, technologies, and services that will aid in
detecting, preventing, responding to, recovering from, and
mitigating against acts of terrorism.
(3) Certain United States allies in the global war on
terrorism, including Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada,
Australia, and Singapore have extensive experience with, and
technological expertise in, homeland security.
(4) The United States and certain of its allies in the
global war on terrorism have a history of successful
collaboration in developing mutually beneficial equipment,
capabilities, technologies, and services in the areas of
defense, agriculture, and telecommunications.
(5) The United States and its allies in the global war on
terrorism will mutually benefit from the sharing of
technological expertise to combat domestic and international
terrorism.
(6) The establishment of an office to facilitate and
support cooperative endeavors between and among government
agencies, for-profit business entities, academic institutions,
and nonprofit entities of the United States and its allies will
safeguard lives and property worldwide against acts of
terrorism and other high consequence events.
SEC. 3. PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ACT.
(a) In General.--The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by
inserting after section 313 (6 U.S.C. 193) the following:
``SEC. 314. PROMOTING ANTITERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director
selected under subsection (b)(2).
``(2) International cooperative activity.--The term
`international cooperative activity' includes--
``(A) coordinated research projects, joint research
projects, or joint ventures;
``(B) joint studies or technical demonstrations;
``(C) coordinated field exercises, scientific
seminars, conferences, symposia, and workshops;
``(D) training of scientists and engineers;
``(E) visits and exchanges of scientists,
engineers, or other appropriate personnel;
``(F) exchanges or sharing of scientific and
technological information; and
``(G) joint use of laboratory facilities and
equipment.
``(b) Science and Technology Homeland Security International
Cooperative Programs Office.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Under Secretary shall establish
the Science and Technology Homeland Security International
Cooperative Programs Office.
``(2) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director,
who--
``(A) shall be selected by and shall report to the
Under Secretary; and
``(B) may be an officer of the Department serving
in another position.
``(3) Responsibilities.--
``(A) Development of mechanisms.--The Director
shall be responsible for developing, in consultation
with the Department of State, understandings or
agreements that allow and support international
cooperative activity in support of homeland security
research, development, and comparative testing.
``(B) Priorities.--The Director shall be
responsible for developing, in coordination with the
Directorate of Science and Technology, the other
components of the Department of Homeland Security, and
other Federal agencies, strategic priorities for
international cooperative activity in support of
homeland security research, development, and
comparative testing.
``(C) Activities.--The Director shall facilitate
the planning, development, and implementation of
international cooperative activity to address the
strategic priorities developed under subparagraph (B)
through mechanisms the Under Secretary considers
appropriate, including grants, cooperative agreements,
or contracts to or with foreign public or private
entities, governmental organizations, businesses,
federally funded research and development centers, and
universities.
``(D) Identification of partners.--The Director
shall facilitate the matching of United States entities
engaged in homeland security research with non-United
States entities engaged in homeland security research
so that they may partner in homeland security research
activities.
``(4) Coordination.--The Director shall ensure that the
activities under this subsection are coordinated with those of
other relevant research agencies, and may run projects jointly
with other agencies.
``(5) Conferences and workshops.--The Director may hold
international homeland security technology workshops and
conferences to improve contact among the international
community of technology developers and to help establish
direction for future technology goals.
``(c) International Cooperative Activities.--
``(1) Authorization.--The Under Secretary is authorized to
carry out international cooperative activities to support the
responsibilities specified under section 302.
``(2) Mechanisms and equitability.--In carrying out this
section, the Under Secretary may award grants to and enter into
cooperative agreements or contracts with United States
governmental organizations, businesses (including small
businesses and small and disadvantaged businesses), federally
funded research and development centers, institutions of higher
education, and foreign public or private entities. The Under
Secretary shall ensure that funding and resources expended in
international cooperative activities will be equitably matched
by the foreign partner organization through direct funding or
funding of complementary activities, or through provision of
staff, facilities, materials, or equipment.
``(3) Loans of equipment.--The Under Secretary may make or
accept loans of equipment for research and development and
comparative testing purposes.
``(4) Cooperation.--The Under Secretary is authorized to
conduct international cooperative activities jointly with other
agencies.
``(5) Foreign partners.--Partners may include Israel, the
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and other allies
in the global war on terrorism, as appropriate.
``(6) Exotic diseases.--As part of the international
cooperative activities authorized in this section, the Under
Secretary, in coordination with the Chief Medical Officer, may
facilitate the development of information sharing and other
types of cooperative mechanisms with foreign countries,
including nations in Africa, to strengthen American
preparedness against threats to the Nation's agricultural and
public health sectors from exotic diseases.
``(d) Budget Allocation.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary, to be derived from amounts otherwise authorized for
the Directorate of Science and Technology, $25,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2008 through 2011 for activities under this section.
``(e) Foreign Reimbursements.--Whenever the Science and Technology
Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office
participates in an international cooperative activity with a foreign
country on a cost-sharing basis, any reimbursements or contributions
received from that foreign country to meet its share of the project may
be credited to appropriate current appropriations accounts of the
Directorate of Science and Technology.
``(f) Report to Congress on International Cooperative Activities.--
``(1) Initial report.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of this section, the Under Secretary, acting
through the Director, shall transmit to the Congress a report
containing--
``(A) a brief description of each partnership
formed under subsection (b)(4), including the
participants, goals, and amount and sources of funding;
and
``(B) a list of international cooperative
activities underway, including the participants, goals,
expected duration, and amount and sources of funding,
including resources provided to support the activities
in lieu of direct funding.
``(2) Updates.--At the end of the fiscal year that occurs 5
years after the transmittal of the report under subsection (a),
and every 5 years thereafter, the Under Secretary, acting
through the Director, shall transmit to the Congress an update
of the report required under subsection (a).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 is amended by adding after the item relating to
section 313 the following new item:
``Sec. 314. Promoting antiterrorism through international cooperation
program.''.
Passed the House of Representatives February 27, 2007.
Attest:
Clerk.
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 884
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To provide for the establishment of the Science and Technology Homeland
Security International Cooperative Programs Office, and for other
purposes.