H.R. 615: Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act

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H.R. 615: Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-01-28 · Emergency Management · Latest: Became Public Law No: 114-29.

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Official title

Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on May 21, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act or the DHS Interoperable Communications Act (Sec. 3) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for policies and directives to achieve and maintain interoperable communications among DHS components. (Sec. 4) Requires the Under Secretary to submit to the House and Senate homeland security committees a strategy for achieving and maintaining such communications, including for daily operations, planned events, and emergencies, that includes: an assessment of interoperability gaps in radio communications among the DHS components; information on DHS efforts and activities, since November 1, 2012, and planned, to achieve and maintain interoperable communications; an assessment of obstacles and challenges to achieving and maintaining interoperable communications; information on, and an assessment of, the adequacy of mechanisms available to the Under Secretary to enforce and compel compliance with interoperable communications policies and directives of DHS; guidance provided to DHS components to implement such policies and directives; the total amount of DHS expenditures since November 1, 2012, and projected future expenditures to achieve interoperable communications; and dates upon which DHS-wide interoperability is projected to be achieved for voice, data, and video communications, respectively, and interim milestones. Directs the Under Secretary to submit with such strategy information on: (1) any intra-agency effort or task force that has been delegated responsibilities relating to achieving and maintaining interoperable communications by such dates; and (2) who, within each component, is responsible for implementing policies and directives issued by the Under Secretary to achieve and maintain interoperable communications. (Sec. 5) Directs the Under Secretary, within 100 days after the strategy is submitted and every 2 years thereafter for 6 years, to submit reports on the status of efforts to implement such strategy, including: (1) progress on interim milestones; (2) information on establishment by the Under Secretary of, and compliance of DHS components with, policies, directives, guidance, and training to achieve and maintain interoperable communications; and (3) information on any additional resources or authorities needed by the Under Secretary.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Payne, Donald M., Jr. [D-NJ-10] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 615, DHS Interoperable Communications Act (2015-03-17)

Cosponsors on this site

Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Michael T. McCaul (R-TX)

Agencies named in this bill

• Department of Homeland Security: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

Recorded votes

• House roll call 52 (2015): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, HR615 (2015-02-02): Passed

Sources

• Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)
• Congress.gov
• Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr615.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr615 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114