Bills
| 3.23.22

Sharing Terror Threat Info Between DHS, the Intelligence Community, and Local Agencies (H.R. 677)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 677?

(Updated March 22, 2018)

This bill would direct the Dept. of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA) to take actions aimed at improving information sharing between homeland security intelligence agencies to prevent chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) attacks.


Specifically, it would call on them to:

  • Support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of terrorists. That includes terrorist claims, and plans  for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) attacks against the U.S.

  • Support homeland security-focused risk analysis and risk assessments of hazards by offering relevant quantitative and non-quantitative threat information.

  • Use homeland security intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts following an attack using CBRN materials.

  • Share information and provide focused analytical support on these threats to state, local, and tribal authorities, plus other national biosecurity and non-defense stakeholders.

The OIA would coordinate with other DHS divisions, the intelligence community, and federal, state, local, and tribal authorities so those entities to give recommendations on information sharing mechanisms with DHS.

DHS would be required to ensure that homeland security information it analyzes concerning terrorist threats is provided to state, local, and private entities and the public.

Argument in favor

DHS, the intelligence community, and local authorities need to be in regular communication about the threat of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terror attacks. This bill provides greater oversight into that process.

Argument opposed

Federal and local law enforcement agencies learned their lesson about the consequences of failing to share information after September 11th — they can be trusted to do so in the future without Congress looking over their shoulder.

Impact

Residents of the U.S., targets for terrorist attacks, terrorist groups, local authorities, DHS, the Intelligence Community, Congress.

Cost of H.R. 677

The CBO estimated in the last Congress that enacting this bill wouldn't significantly affect spending by DHS.

Additional Info

Of Note: The threat of terrorist attacks involving the use of biological or chemical weapons has been a concern for U.S. national security strategists for years.

America suffered its largest biological terror attack in 1984, when a series of deliberate salmonella poisonings infected more than 750 people in Oregon. In the aftermath of September 11th there were several anthrax attacks that killed five people. More recently, it was discovered that ISIS has been attempting to weaponize the bubonic plague for use in terror attacks.

A New York Times article revealed that between 2004 and 2011, U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq located stockpiles of chemical weapons, some of which were located in areas ISIS now controls. ISIS is alleged to have used chemical weapons against the Kurds in Iraq and Syria.

Radiological attacks are not likely to cause a large number of casualties, but could incite mass panic and cause lingering damage to local economies, while also requiring an expensive decontamination process. This is in stark contrast to nuclear attacks -- which could result in mass casualties, cause many billions of dollars in damage, and require an even more extensive decontamination effort than a radiological attack.


In-Depth: Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), the bill’s sponsor said that “the threat to our nation from terrorists seeking to attack our homeland is very real. Countering this threat and mitigating the risk requires continuous sharing and analysis of intelligence.” She added that her bill requires DHS to create methods for “homeland security-focused intelligence analysis and information sharing for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.”

This bill was passed by the House on a 420-2 vote during the last Congress, but it wasn't considered by the Senate.


Media:

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Flickr user John Stennis)