Conducting a Nationwide Terrorism Preparedness Exercise (H.R. 4404)

What is H.R. 4404?

(Updated November 24, 2021)

This bill would require the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) to plan and conduct an exercise to test and improve how prepared law enforcement agencies are for terrorist attacks. After the exercise is conducted, the DHS would have to submit a report detailing vulnerabilities in U.S. security with respect to terrorism. The report would include recommendations for what legislative actions should be taken to remove the vulnerabilities.

The DHS’s exercise would be required to include:

• A scenario where a U.S. citizen is travelling to provide support to a terrorist group in another country;

• A scenario where either a U.S. citizen or a foreign national enters the U.S. to launch a terrorist attack; and

• Appropriate coordination with local, state, federal, and foreign agencies.

The bill also amends previous legislation to require that other exercises include strategies or scenarios involving terrorist threats. These other exercises and protocols include:

• The national preparedness goal;

• The National Incident Management System; and

• The National Response Plan.

Argument in favor

It’s been too long since the government identified holes in its ability to respond to terrorist threats, and the threat of terrorism is becoming even more widespread.

Argument opposed

Recent terrorist attacks have already demonstrated how vulnerable the U.S. is to attacks, there’s no need to perform an exercise to confirm what we already know.

Impact

People trying to launch a terrorist attack on the U.S. or help a foreign terrorist group; local, state, and federal agencies partaking in the exercise; the DHS.

Cost of H.R. 4404

The CBO estimates that the bill wouldn’t significantly increase direct spending or the federal budget deficit because funding already exists for emergency preparedness exercises.

Additional Info

In Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) explained in a press release why the bill was necessary:

“The last time the federal government actually tested our defenses against the threat of terrorists entering our country was seven years ago. Since then, the threat environment has changed dramatically. Nearly 30,000 people from over 100 countries have traveled to conflict zones in Syria and Iraq since 2011, including over 4,500 Westerners and 250 Americans. There are ISIS-related investigations happening in all 50 states. We need to know our systems in place can keep Americans safe, and where there are vulnerabilities, we need to fix them immediately.”

Of Note: The last time the government led a large scale terrorism preparedness exercise was in October, 2007. The exercise simulated a situation in which terrorists released radiation in Portland, Oregon, Phoenix, Arizona, and Guam. Over 15,000 people from different levels of governmental and non-governmental organizations participated in the response.

Media:

• CBO Cost Estimate
• Sponsoring Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) Press Release
• WM Symposia