H.R. 642: Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-01-24 · Emergency Management · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-01-24 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Barletta, Lou [R-PA-11] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 2017

Plain summary

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 2017 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to revise provisions concerning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative. The bill renames it as the Department of Homeland Security Fusion Center Partnership Initiative and changes references to "participating state, local, or regional fusion centers" to references to the "National Network of Fusion Centers," which is defined as a decentralized arrangement of fusion centers intended to enhance individual state and urban area fusion centers' ability to leverage the capabilities and expertise of all fusion centers for the purpose of enhancing analysis and homeland security information sharing nationally. (A fusion center serves as a focal point within the state and local environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information between the federal government and state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners.) The duties of the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Initiative are revised to include: supporting the maturation and sustainment of the Network; reducing inefficiencies and maximizing the effectiveness of federal resource support to the Network; ensuring that support for the Network is included as a national priority in applicable homeland security grant guidance; ensuring that each fusion center in the Network has a privacy policy and a civil rights and civil liberties policy approved by DHS; coordinating the nationwide suspicious activity report initiative to ensure that information gathered by the Network is incorporated; ensuring that fusion centers in the Network are the primary focal points for the sharing of homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information with state, local, tribal, and territorial entities; and disseminating best practices on the appropriate levels for staffing at Network fusion centers of qualified representatives from state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement and emergency services, public health disciplines, and the private sector. The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis must ensure that fusion centers in the Network have access to homeland security information sharing systems and that DHS personnel are deployed to support fusion centers in the Network in a manner consistent with DHS's mission and existing statutory limits. The Under Secretary shall negotiate memoranda of understanding between DHS and a state or local government regarding the exchange of information between DHS and Network fusion centers. Such memoranda shall include: the categories of information to be provided by the parties to such memoranda, the contemplated uses of the exchanged information, the procedures for developing joint products, the information sharing dispute resolution processes, and any protections necessary to ensure the exchange of information accords with applicable law and policies. The Under Secretary shall: (1) coordinate with appropriate federal officials to ensure the deployment to Network fusion centers of representatives of other federal agencies with relevant expertise; and (2) report to specified congressional committees annually through 2024 on the efforts of DHS components to enhance support provided to Network fusion centers.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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. Barletta, Lou [R-PA-11] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael T. McCaul (R-TX)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (6)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Ballot initiative: A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House without amendment)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr642.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr642 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115