HR 9460 — DHS Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2024

changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

 HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2002

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 TITLE VII--MANAGEMENT

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SEC. 708. JOINT TASK FORCES.

 (a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``situational 
awareness'' means knowledge and unified understanding of 
unlawful cross-border activity, including--
 (1) threats and trends concerning illicit trafficking 
 and unlawful crossings;
 (2) the ability to forecast future shifts in such 
 threats and trends;
 (3) the ability to evaluate such threats and trends 
 at a level sufficient to create actionable plans; and
 (4) the operational capability to conduct continuous 
 and integrated surveillance of the air, land, and 
 maritime borders of the United States.
 (b) Joint Task Forces.--
 (1) Establishment.--The Secretary may establish and 
 operate departmental Joint Task Forces to conduct joint 
 operations using personnel and capabilities of the 
 Department for the purposes specified in paragraph (2).
 (2) Purposes.--
 (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), 
 the purposes referred to in paragraph (1) are 
 or relate to the following:
 (i) Securing the land and maritime 
 borders of the United States.
 (ii) Homeland security crises.
 (iii) Establishing regionally-based 
 operations.
 (B) Limitation.--
 (i) In general.--The Secretary may 
 not establish a Joint Task Force for 
 any major disaster or emergency 
 declared under the Robert T. Stafford 
 Disaster Relief and Emergency 
 Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) 
 or an incident for which the Federal 
 Emergency Management Agency has primary 
 responsibility for management of the 
 response under title V of this Act, 
 including section 504(a)(3)(A), unless 
 the responsibilities of such a Joint 
 Task Force--
 (I) do not include 
 operational functions related 
 to incident management, 
 including coordination of 
 operations; and
 (II) are consistent with the 
 requirements of paragraphs (3) 
 and (4)(A) of section 503(c) 
 and section 509(c) of this Act, 
 and section 302 of the Robert 
 T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
 Emergency Assistance Act (42 
 U.S.C. 5143).
 (ii) Responsibilities and functions 
 not reduced.--Nothing in this section 
 may be construed to reduce the 
 responsibilities or functions of the 
 Federal Emergency Management Agency or 
 the Administrator of the Agency under 
 title V of this Act or any other 
 provision of law, including the 
 diversion of any asset, function, or 
 mission from the Agency or the 
 Administrator of the Agency pursuant to 
 section 506.
 (3) Joint task force directors.--
 (A) Director.--Each Joint Task Force 
 established and operated pursuant to paragraph 
 (1) shall be headed by a Director, appointed by 
 the President, for a term of not more than two 
 years. The Secretary shall submit to the 
 President recommendations for such appointments 
 after consulting with the heads of the 
 components of the Department with membership on 
 any such Joint Task Force. Any Director 
 appointed by the President shall be--
 (i) a current senior official of the 
 Department with not less than one year 
 of significant leadership experience at 
 the Department; or
 (ii) if no suitable candidate is 
 available at the Department, an 
 individual with--
 (I) not less than one year of 
 significant leadership 
 experience in a Federal agency 
 since the establishment of the 
 Department; and
 (II) a demonstrated ability 
 in, knowledge of, and 
 significant experience working 
 on the issues to be addressed 
 by any such Joint Task Force.
 (B) Extension.--The Secretary may extend the 
 appointment of a Director of a Joint Task Force 
 under subparagraph (A) for not more than two 
 years if the Secretary determines that such an 
 extension is in the best interest of the 
 Department.
 (4) Joint task force deputy directors.--For each 
 Joint Task Force, the Secretary shall appoint a Deputy 
 Director who shall be an official of a different 
 component or office of the Department than the Director 
 of such Joint Task Force.
 (5) Responsibilities.--The Director of a Joint Task 
 Force, subject to the oversight, direction, and 
 guidance of the Secretary, shall--
 (A) when established for the purpose referred 
 to in paragraph (2)(A)(i), maintain situational 
 awareness within the areas of responsibility of 
 the Joint Task Force, as determined by the 
 Secretary;
 (B) provide operational plans and 
 requirements for standard operating procedures 
 and contingency operations within the areas of 
 responsibility of the Joint Task Force, as 
 determined by the Secretary;
 (C) plan and execute joint task force 
 activities within the areas of responsibility 
 of the Joint Task Force, as determined by the 
 Secretary;
 (D) set and accomplish strategic objectives 
 through integrated operational planning and 
 execution;
 (E) exercise operational direction over 
 personnel and equipment from components and 
 offices of the Department allocated to the 
 Joint Task Force to accomplish the objectives 
 of the Joint Task Force;
 (F) when established for the purpose referred 
 to in paragraph (2)(A)(i), establish 
 operational and investigative priorities within 
 the areas of responsibility of the Joint Task 
 Force, as determined by the Secretary;
 (G) coordinate with foreign governments and 
 other Federal, State, and local agencies, as 
 appropriate, to carry out the mission of the 
 Joint Task Force; and
 (H) carry out other duties and powers the 
 Secretary determines appropriate.
 (6) Personnel and resources.--
 (A) In general.--The Secretary may, upon 
 request of the Director of a Joint Task Force, 
 and giving appropriate consideration of risk to 
 the other primary missions of the Department, 
 allocate to such Joint Task Force on a 
 temporary basis personnel and equipment of 
 components and offices of the Department.
 (B) Cost neutrality.--A Joint Task Force may 
 not require more resources than would have 
 otherwise been required by the Department to 
 carry out the duties assigned to such Joint 
 Task Force if such Joint Task Force had not 
 been established.
 (C) Location of operations.--In establishing 
 a location of operations for a Joint Task 
 Force, the Secretary shall, to the extent 
 practicable, use existing facilities that 
 integrate efforts of components of the 
 Department and State, local, tribal, or 
 territorial law enforcement or military 
 entities.
 (D) Consideration of impact.--When reviewing 
 requests for allocation of component personnel 
 and equipment under subparagraph (A), the 
 Secretary shall consider the impact of such 
 allocation on the ability of the donating 
 component or office to carry out the primary 
 missions of the Department, and in the case of 
 the Coast Guard, the missions specified in 
 section 888.
 (E) Limitation.--Personnel and equipment of 
 the Coast Guard allocated under this paragraph 
 may be used only to carry out operations and 
 investigations related to the missions 
 specified in section 888.
 (F) Report.--The Secretary shall, at the time 
 the budget of the President is submitted to 
 Congress for a fiscal year under section 
 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, submit 
 to the Committee on Homeland Security and the 
 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
 of the House of Representatives and the 
 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
 Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
 and Transportation of the Senate a report on 
 the total funding, personnel, and other 
 resources that each component or office of the 
 Department allocated under this paragraph to 
 each Joint Task Force to carry out the mission 
 of such Joint Task Force during the fiscal year 
 immediately preceding each such report, and a 
 description of the degree to which the 
 resources drawn from each component or office 
 impact the primary mission of such component or 
 office.
 (7) Component resource authority.--As directed by the 
 Secretary--
 (A) each Director of a Joint Task Force shall 
 be provided sufficient resources from relevant 
 components and offices of the Department and 
 the authority necessary to carry out the 
 missions and responsibilities of such Joint 
 Task Force required under this section;
 (B) the resources referred to in subparagraph 
 (A) shall be under the operational authority, 
 direction, and control of the Director of the 
 Joint Task Force to which such resources are 
 assigned; and
 (C) the personnel and equipment of each Joint 
 Task Force shall remain under the 
 administrative direction of the head of the 
 component or office of the Department that 
 provided such personnel or equipment.
 (8) Joint task force staff.--
 (A) In general.--Each Joint Task Force shall 
 have a staff, composed of personnel from 
 relevant components and offices of the 
 Department, to assist the Director of such 
 Joint Task Force in carrying out the mission 
 and responsibilities of such Joint Task Force.
 (B) Report.--The Secretary shall include in 
 the report submitted under paragraph (6)(F)--
 (i) the number of personnel of each 
 component or office permanently 
 assigned to each Joint Task Force; and
 (ii) the number of personnel of each 
 component or office assigned on a 
 temporary basis to each Joint Task 
 Force.
 (9) Mission; establishment of performance metrics.--
 The Secretary shall--
 (A) using leading practices in performance 
 management and lessons learned by other law 
 enforcement task forces and joint operations, 
 establish--
 (i) the mission, strategic goals, and 
 objectives of each Joint Task Force;
 (ii) the criteria for terminating 
 each Joint Task Force; [and]
 (iii) outcome-based and other 
 appropriate performance metrics for 
 evaluating the effectiveness of each 
 Joint Task Force with respect to the 
 mission, strategic goals, and 
 objectives established pursuant to 
 clause (i), including--
 (I) targets for each Joint 
 Task Force to achieve by not 
 later than one and three years 
 after such establishment; and
 (II) a description of the 
 methodology used to establish 
 such metrics; and
 (iv) a staffing plan for each Joint 
 Task Force;
 (B) not later than 120 days after the date of 
 the enactment of the DHS Joint Task Forces 
 Reauthorization Act of 2022 and 120 days after 
 the establishment of a new Joint Task Force, as 
 appropriate, submit to the Committee on 
 Homeland Security and the Committee on 
 Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
 of Representatives and the Committee on 
 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 
 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation of the Senate the mission, 
 strategic goals, objectives, and metrics 
 established under subparagraph (A); and
 [(C) not later than one year after the date 
 of the enactment of the DHS Joint Task Forces 
 Reauthorization Act of 2022 and annually 
 thereafter, submit to the committees specified 
 in subparagraph (B) a report that contains 
 information on the progress in implementing the 
 outcome-based and other appropriate performance 
 metrics established pursuant to subparagraph 
 (A)(iii).]
 (C) not later than December 23, 2024, and 
 annually thereafter, submit to the committees 
 specified in subparagraph (B) a report 
 containing information regarding--
 (i) the progress in implementing the 
 outcome-based and other appropriate 
 performance metrics established 
 pursuant to subparagraph (A)(iii);
 (ii) the staffing plan developed for 
 each Joint Task Force pursuant to 
 subparagraph (A)(iv); and
 (iii) any modification to the 
 mission, strategic goals, and 
 objectives of each Joint Task Force, 
 and a description of, and rationale 
 for, any such modifications.
 (10) Joint duty training program.--
 (A) In general.--The Secretary shall--
 (i) establish a joint duty training 
 program in the Department for the 
 purposes of--
 (I) enhancing coordination 
 within the Department; and
 (II) promoting workforce 
 professional development; and
 (ii) tailor such joint duty training 
 program to improve joint operations as 
 part of the Joint Task Forces.
 (B) Elements.--The joint duty training 
 program established under subparagraph (A) 
 shall address, at a minimum, the following 
 topics:
 (i) National security strategy.
 (ii) Strategic and contingency 
 planning.
 (iii) Command and control of 
 operations under joint command.
 (iv) International engagement.
 (v) The homeland security enterprise.
 (vi) Interagency collaboration.
 (vii) Leadership.
 (viii) Specific subject matters 
 relevant to the Joint Task Force, 
 including matters relating to the 
 missions specified in section 888, to 
 which the joint duty training program 
 is assigned.
 (C) Training required.--
 (i) Directors and deputy directors.--
 Except as provided in clauses (iii) and 
 (iv), an individual shall complete the 
 joint duty training program before 
 being appointed Director or Deputy 
 Director of a Joint Task Force.
 (ii) Joint task force staff.--Each 
 official serving on the staff of a 
 Joint Task Force shall complete the 
 joint duty training program within the 
 first year of assignment to such Joint 
 Task Force.
 (iii) Exception.--Clause (i) shall 
 not apply to the first Director or 
 Deputy Director appointed to a Joint 
 Task Force on or after the date of the 
 enactment of this section.
 (iv) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive 
 the application of clause (i) if the 
 Secretary determines that such a waiver 
 is in the interest of homeland security 
 or necessary to carry out the mission 
 for which a Joint Task Force was 
 established.
 (11) Notification of joint task force formation or 
 termination.--
 (A) In general.--Not later than seven days 
 after establishing or terminating a Joint Task 
 Force under this subsection, the Secretary 
 shall submit to the majority leader of the 
 Senate, the minority leader of the Senate, the 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives, the 
 majority leader of the House of 
 Representatives, the minority leader of the 
 House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
 Homeland Security and the Committee on 
 Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
 of Representatives and the Committee on 
 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 
 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation of the Senate a notification 
 regarding such establishment or termination, as 
 the case may be. The contents of any such 
 notification shall include the following:
 (i) The criteria and conditions 
 required to establish or terminate the 
 Joint Task Force at issue.
 (ii) The primary mission, strategic 
 goals, objectives, and plan of 
 operations of such Joint Task Force.
 (iii) If such notification is a 
 notification of termination, 
 information on the effectiveness of 
 such Joint Task Force as measured by 
 the outcome-based performance metrics 
 and other appropriate performance 
 metrics established pursuant to 
 paragraph (9)(A)(iii).
 (iv) The funding and resources 
 required to establish or terminate such 
 Joint Task Force.
 (v) The number of personnel of each 
 component or office permanently 
 assigned to such Joint Task Force.
 (vi) The number of personnel of each 
 component and office assigned on a 
 temporary basis to such Joint Task 
 Force.
 (vii) If such notification is a 
 notification of establishment, the 
 anticipated costs of establishing and 
 operating such Joint Task Force.
 (viii) If such notification is a 
 notification of termination, funding 
 allocated in the immediately preceding 
 fiscal year to such Joint Task Force 
 for--
 (I) operations, 
 notwithstanding such 
 termination; and
 (II) activities associated 
 with such termination.
 (ix) The anticipated establishment or 
 actual termination date of such Joint 
 Task Force, as the case may be.
 (B) Waiver authority.--The Secretary may 
 waive the requirement under subparagraph (A) in 
 the event of an emergency circumstance that 
 imminently threatens the protection of human 
 life or property.
 (12) Review.--
 (A) In general.--Not later than one year 
 after the date of the enactment of the DHS 
 Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2022, 
 the Comptroller General of the United States 
 shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
 Security and the Committee on Transportation 
 and Infrastructure of the House of 
 Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
 Security and Governmental Affairs and the 
 Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
 Transportation of the Senate an assessment of 
 the effectiveness of the Secretary's 
 utilization of the authority provided under 
 this section for the purposes specified in 
 subsection (b)(2) as among the range of options 
 available to the Secretary to conduct joint 
 operations among departmental components and 
 offices and a review of the Joint Task Forces 
 established under this subsection.
 (B) Contents.--The review required under 
 subparagraph (A) shall include--
 (i) an assessment of methodology 
 utilized to determine whether to 
 establish or terminate each Joint Task 
 Force; and
 (ii) an assessment of the 
 effectiveness of oversight over each 
 Joint Task Force, with specificity 
 regarding the Secretary's utilization 
 of outcome-based or other appropriate 
 performance metrics (established 
 pursuant to paragraph (9)(A)(iii)) to 
 evaluate the effectiveness of each 
 Joint Task Force in measuring progress 
 with respect to the mission, strategic 
 goals, and objectives (established 
 pursuant to paragraph (9)(A)(i)) of 
 such Joint Task Force.
 (13) Sunset.--This section expires on September 30, 
 [2024] 2026 .
 (c) Joint Duty Assignment Program.--After establishing the 
joint duty training program under subsection (b)(10), the 
Secretary shall establish a joint duty assignment program 
within the Department for the purposes of enhancing 
coordination in the Department and promoting workforce 
professional development.

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