H.R. 678House115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed House

Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2017

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 12:07 PM UTC

The bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate how many Department of Homeland Security (DHS) staff are assigned to fusion centers and whether adding more personnel would improve the centers’ work. It also requires DHS to study the use of top‑secret clearances for state, local, tribal and territorial analysts, assess the technology used for information sharing, and formalize agreements with each fusion center about what information can be shared. Finally, it updates the Homeland Security Act to explicitly include tribal and territorial entities in the definition of fusion centers. The measures affect DHS, the national network of fusion centers, and state, local, tribal, territorial, customs, immigration, Coast Guard, and aviation security agencies.

Key Provisions

GAO must complete a personnel‑needs assessment for DHS staff at each fusion center within 120 days, including current staffing, roles, resources, cost‑benefit analysis of additional staff versus technology, and special assessments for border and airport locations.
Within two years, DHS’s Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis must report on how top‑secret clearances for state, local, tribal and territorial analysts are granted, their impact on information sharing, costs, and security protocols.
DHS must assess and upgrade the information‑technology systems used to share homeland‑security data with fusion centers, focusing on usability, interoperability, and participation levels.
Within one year, DHS must sign a memorandum of understanding with each fusion center outlining the type of information to be shared and any public‑disclosure restrictions.
Amends the Homeland Security Act to add “tribal” and “territorial” references throughout, expanding the legal definition of fusion centers to explicitly include tribal and territorial law‑enforcement partners.

Legislative Activity

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8 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

February 1, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 24, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Committee

January 24, 2017

HouseFloor

Ms. McSally moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

January 31, 2017 • 3:26 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H786-787)

January 31, 2017 • 3:26 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 678.

January 31, 2017 • 3:26 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H786-787)

January 31, 2017 • 3:31 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H786-787)

January 31, 2017 • 3:31 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

January 31, 2017 • 3:31 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

February 1, 2017

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about H.R. 678 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Rep. Martha McSallyR-AZ-2 · Jan 31, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 678) to require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, and for other purposes. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 678) to require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 678, the Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2017.

Ensuring that the Federal Government is sharing intelligence and homeland security information with State and local officials is a vital component of U.S. national security and our counterterrorism efforts.

I have seen firsthand the important work of fusion centers, which disseminate Federal threat and intelligence information to local law enforcement and emergency responders. These centers also collect State and local information and fuse it with Federal intelligence. There is no doubt that this effort enhances terrorist investigations and creates a more complete domestic threat picture.

To help break down information sharing stovepipes, my State's fusion center, the Arizona Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center, or the ACTIC, and the 77 other fusion centers across the country need greater access to information, particularly from the Department of Homeland Security and its components.

While personnel from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis have been deployed to most fusion centers, one remaining challenge is access to DHS component personnel and information, particularly ICE, CBP, and TSA. To address this issue, this bill requires GAO, the Government Accountability Office, to conduct an assessment of the DHS personnel detailed to fusion centers and whether deploying additional personnel will enhance threat and homeland security information sharing. This third-party assessment of DHS personnel deployments will be valuable when making staffing decisions moving forward.

Additionally, this bill supports ongoing DHS efforts to sponsor top secret clearances to appropriate State and local analysts in fusion centers. The committee has received countless testimony from State and local law enforcement about the value additional clearances will provide.

The bill also directs the DHS to review current information technology systems used to share information with fusion centers and make enhancements to ensure systems, such as the Homeland Security Information Network, are user friendly and meeting the needs of States and locals.

Lastly, the bill requires the Under Secretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to sign a memorandum of understanding with each fusion center. The purpose of the MOU is to lay out what type of information will be shared between DHS and the fusion centers and how that information will be protected. A critical element of the Department's relationship with the thousands of State and local first responders working in fusion centers is trust. The MOU process will help improve this important connection.

Our country is at its highest threat posture this 9/11 given the large number of foreign fighters and ISIS-inspired plots. This bill will help ensure our State and local law enforcement officers as well as fire and EMS personnel are getting access to the information needed to protect our communities.

I urge all Members to support this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, one of the core missions of the Department of Homeland Security is to share threat information with State and local first responders. Fusion centers are a key mechanism for that process. As fusion centers continue to mature into national assets, Congress must ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is supporting fusion centers with the resources that are needed to keep our communities safe.

I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 678.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. William R. KeatingD-MA-9 · Jan 31, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 678, and I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally). I rise in strong support as a cosponsor of…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued February 1, 2017

IIB

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 678

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 1, 2017

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

AN ACT

To require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2017.

Fusion center personnel needs assessment

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct an assessment of Department of Homeland Security personnel assigned to fusion centers pursuant to subsection (c) of section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h), including an assessment of whether deploying additional Department personnel to such fusion centers would enhance the Department’s mission under section 101(b) of such Act and the National Network of Fusion Centers. The assessment required under this subsection shall include the following:

(1)

Information on the current deployment of the Department’s personnel to each fusion center.

(2)

Information on the roles and responsibilities of the Department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis intelligence officers, intelligence analysts, senior reports officers, reports officers, and regional directors deployed to fusion centers.

(3)

Information on Federal resources, in addition to personnel, provided to each fusion center.

(4)

An analysis of the optimal number of personnel the Office of Intelligence and Analysis should deploy to fusion centers, including a cost-benefit analysis comparing deployed personnel with technological solutions to support information sharing.

(5)

An assessment of fusion centers located in jurisdictions along land and maritime borders of the United States, and the degree to which deploying personnel, as appropriate, from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Coast Guard to such fusion centers would enhance the integrity and security at such borders by helping Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement authorities to identify, investigate, and interdict persons, weapons, and related contraband that pose a threat to homeland security.

(6)

An assessment of fusion centers located in jurisdictions with large and medium hub airports, and the degree to which deploying, as appropriate, personnel from the Transportation Security Administration to such fusion centers would enhance the integrity and security of aviation security.

Program for State and local analyst clearances

(a)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that any program established by the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security to provide eligibility for access to information classified as Top Secret for State, local, tribal, and territorial analysts located in fusion centers shall be consistent with the need to know requirements pursuant to Executive Order No. 13526 (50 U.S.C. 3161 note).

(b)

Report

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate a report on the following:

(1)

The process by which the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis determines a need to know pursuant to Executive Order No. 13526 to sponsor Top Secret clearances for appropriate State, local, tribal, and territorial analysts located in fusion centers.

(2)

The effects of such Top Secret clearances on enhancing information sharing with State, local, tribal, and territorial partners.

(3)

The cost for providing such Top Secret clearances for State, local, tribal, and territorial analysts located in fusion centers, including training and background investigations.

(4)

The operational security protocols, training, management, and risks associated with providing such Top Secret clearances for State, local, tribal, and territorial analysts located in fusion centers.

Information technology assessment

The Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with the Chief Information Officer of the Department and representatives from the National Network of Fusion Centers, shall conduct an assessment of information systems (as such term is defined in section 3502 of title 44, United States Code) used to share homeland security information between the Department and fusion centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers and make upgrades to such systems, as appropriate. Such assessment shall include the following:

(1)

An evaluation of the accessibility and ease of use of such systems by fusion centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers.

(2)

A review to determine how to establish improved interoperability of departmental information systems with existing information systems used by fusion centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers.

(3)

An evaluation of participation levels of departmental components and offices of information systems used to share homeland security information with fusion centers in the National Network of Fusion Centers.

Memorandum of understanding

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with each fusion center in the National Network of Fusion Centers regarding the type of information such fusion centers will provide to the Department and whether such information may be subject to public disclosure.

Amendments

Section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (d), by striking and tribal each place it appears and inserting tribal, and territorial;

(2)

in subsection (e), by striking and tribal each place it appears and inserting tribal, and territorial;

(3)

in subsection (g)(1), by striking or tribal and inserting tribal, or territorial;

(4)

in subsection (i)—

(A)

in paragraph (3), by striking and tribal and inserting tribal, territorial; and

(B)

in paragraph (6), by inserting territorial, after tribal,; and

(5)

in subsection (j)(1), by striking or tribal and inserting tribal, or territorial.

Definitions

In this Act:

(1)

Fusion center

The term fusion center has the meaning given such term in subsection (j) of section 210A of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h).

(2)

National Network of Fusion Centers

The term National Network of Fusion Centers means a decentralized arrangement of fusion centers intended to enhance individual State and urban area fusion centers’ ability to leverage the capabilities and expertise of all such fusion centers for the purpose of enhancing analysis and homeland security information sharing nationally.

Passed the House of Representatives January 31, 2017.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk.