D.C. Law 24-2. Homeland Security Fusion Center and Law Enforcement Authority Temporary Amendment Act of 2021.
AN ACT
To amend, on a temporary 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 District's intelligence fusion center within the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, to set forth the primary mission of the fusion center, and to designate the fusion center as a law enforcement unit for the purpose of carrying out its mission.
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 Temporary 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 ("HSEMA") shall, subject to the direction and control of the Mayor, establish and direct the administration and operations of an intelligence fusion center for the District within HSEMA. The fusion center shall, at the discretion of the Mayor and the Director of HSEMA, also serve as the primary fusion center in the National Capital Region.
"(b) The primary mission of the fusion center is to receive, coordinate, and share resources, expertise, and information, including criminal history record information and law enforcement intelligence information, from and among law enforcement, first responder, and criminal justice agencies; to facilitate and coordinate the receipt and sharing of such resources, expertise, and information from and among such agencies; and to analyze, handle, coordinate, and integrate such resources, expertise, and information from and among such agencies, with the goal of detecting and preventing terrorist and other criminal activity, such as 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. The fusion center shall collect, coordinate, and share information with law enforcement agencies only if a reasonable suspicion exists that the subject is involved in specific criminal acts or possible terrorist activity.
"(c) The District's intelligence fusion center, which shall be a division of HSEMA, is designated a law enforcement unit for the purposes of carrying out the functions set forth in subsection (b) of this section.
"(d) The fusion center shall work in partnership with other state, local, regional, and federal fusion centers and other state, local, regional, and federal law enforcement, criminal justice, and intelligence agencies.
"(e) The fusion center 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.
(a) This 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), a 30-day period of congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of Columbia Register.
(b) This act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect.
