D.C. Act 24-2. Homeland Security Fusion Center and Law Enforcement Authority Emergency Amendment Act of 2021.

AN ACT

To amend, on an emergency basis, An Act To authorize the District of Columbia government to establish an Office of Civil Defense, and for other purposes to formalize the establishment of the fusion center within the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, to designate the primary mission of the fusion center, and to designate the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and the fusion center as law enforcement entities for the purpose of carrying out the mission of the fusion center.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Homeland Security Fusion Center and Law Enforcement Authority Emergency Amendment Act of 2021".

Sec. 2. An Act To authorize the District of Columbia government to establish an Office of Civil Defense, and for other purposes, approved August 11, 1950 (64 Stat. 438; D.C. Official Code § 7-2201 et seq.), is amended by adding a new section 3a to read as follows:

"Sec. 3a. Fusion center.

"(a) The Director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, subject to the direction and control of the Mayor, shall establish a fusion center for the District within the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. The fusion center for the District, at the discretion of the Mayor and the Director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, may also serve as the primary fusion center in the National Capital Region.

"(b) The primary mission of the fusion center of the District is to receive, coordinate and facilitate the sharing of resources, expertise, and information, including criminal history record information and law enforcement intelligence information, among law enforcement, first responder, and criminal justice agencies, and to coordinate and integrate information from such agencies, with the goal of detecting and preventing criminal activity, such as terrorism, criminal conspiracy, bomb threats, possession of illegal firearms and explosives, identity theft, money laundering, hate crimes, and organized crime, and for the purpose of investigating and responding to such activity.

"(c) The Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency is designated a law enforcement agency, and the fusion center is designated a law enforcement unit, for the purposes of carrying out the functions set forth in subsection (b) of this section and for the purposes of receiving, analyzing, handling, and sharing criminal history record information and law enforcement intelligence information.

"(d) The fusion center for the District shall work in partnership with other state, local, regional, and federal fusion centers and with other state, local, regional, and federal law enforcement, criminal justice, and intelligence agencies.

"(e) The fusion center for the District shall represent the District's interests in the national network of fusion centers.".

Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.

The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Chief Financial Officer as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).

Sec. 4. Effective date.

The act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).