6 U.S. Code § 124h–1 - Threat information sharing

(a) Prioritization

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall prioritize the assignment of officers and intelligence analysts under section 124h of this title from the Transportation Security Administration and, as appropriate, from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, to locations with participating State, local, and regional fusion centers in jurisdictions with a high-risk surface transportation asset in order to enhance the security of such assets, including by improving timely sharing, in a manner consistent with the protection of privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties, of information regarding threats of terrorism and other threats, including targeted violence.

(b) Intelligence products

Officers and intelligence analysts assigned to locations with participating State, local, and regional fusion centers under this section shall participate in the generation and dissemination of transportation security intelligence products, with an emphasis on such products that relate to threats of terrorism and other threats, including targeted violence, to surface transportation assets that—

(1) assist State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies in deploying their resources, including personnel, most efficiently to help detect, prevent, investigate, apprehend, and respond to such threats;

(2) promote more consistent and timely sharing with and among jurisdictions of threat information; and

(3) enhance the Department of Homeland Security’s situational awareness of such threats.

(c) Clearances

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make available to appropriate owners and operators of surface transportation assets, and to any other person that the Secretary determines appropriate to foster greater sharing of classified information relating to threats of terrorism and other threats, including targeted violence, to surface transportation assets, the process of application for security clearances under Executive Order No. 13549 (75 Fed. Reg. 162; [1] relating to a classified national security information program) or any successor Executive order.

(d) Report to Congress

Not later than one year after December 27, 2021, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that includes a detailed description of the measures used to ensure privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties protections in carrying out this section.

(e) GAO report

Not later than two years after December 27, 2021, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a review of the implementation of this section, including an assessment of the measures used to ensure privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties protections, and any recommendations to improve this implementation, together with any recommendations to improve information sharing with State, local, Tribal, territorial, and private sector entities to prevent, identify, and respond to threats of terrorism and other threats, including targeted violence, to surface transportation assets.

(f) Definitions

In this section:

(1) The term “surface transportation asset” includes facilities, equipment, or systems used to provide transportation services by—

(A) a public transportation agency (as such term is defined in section 1131(5) of this title);

(B) a railroad carrier (as such term is defined in section 20102(3) of title 49);

(C) an owner or operator of—

(i) an entity offering scheduled, fixed-route transportation services by over-the-road bus (as such term is defined in section 1151(4) of this title); or

(ii) a bus terminal; or

(D) other transportation facilities, equipment, or systems, as determined by the Secretary.

(2) The term “targeted violence” means an incident of violence in which an attacker selected a particular target in order to inflict mass injury or death with no discernable political or ideological motivation beyond mass injury or death.

(3) The term “terrorism” means the terms—

(A) domestic terrorism (as such term is defined in section 2331(5) of title 18, United States Code); and

(B) international terrorism (as such term is defined in section 2331(1) of title 18).

(Pub. L. 117–81, div. F, title LXIV, § 6418, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2415.)

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[1]  So in original. Probably should be “51609;”.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Order No. 13549, referred to in subsec. (c), is Ex. Ord. No. 13549, Aug. 18, 2010, 75 F.R. 51609, which is set out as a note under section 3161 of Title 50, War and National Defense.

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, and not as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 which comprises this chapter.