109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5720
To improve maritime and cargo security, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 29, 2006
Mr. BROWN of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER,
Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, and Mr. WILSON of South Carolina) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of
the committee concerned
A BILL
To improve maritime and cargo security, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Project SeaHawk Implementation Act of 2006'.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL INTERAGENCY OPERATIONAL CENTERS FOR
PORT SECURITY.
(a) In General- Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Commandant of
the Coast Guard, shall establish or designate a center as an interagency
operational centers for maritime and port security in each geographic region
designated as a Coast Guard sector by the Commandant.
(b) Purposes- The purposes of each center established or designated under
subsection (a) are to facilitate day-to-day operational coordination, interagency
cooperation, unity of command, and the sharing of intelligence information
in a common mission to provide greater protection for port and intermodal
transportation systems against acts of terrorism.
(c) Location- Each center established or designated under subsection (a)
shall be co-located with the command center for each geographic region designated
as a Coast Guard sector.
(d) Connectivity- If a port is associated with a command center that is
not located at such port, the Secretary shall utilize appropriate electronic
communications, including virtual connectivity, to maintain awareness of
activities of that port and to provide for participation by the entities
set out is subsection (f).
(e) Requirements- Each center established or designated under subsection
(a) shall--
(1) be modeled on the Charleston Harbor Operations Center (popularly known
as Project SeaHawk) administered by the United States Attorney's Office
for the District of South Carolina for the Port of Charleston located
in Charleston, South Carolina; and
(2) be adapted to meet the security needs, requirements, and resources
of the individual port area at which each is operating.
(f) Participation- The representatives of the following entities shall participate
in each center established or designated under subsection (a):
(2) The United States Attorney's Office in the district in which the center
is located.
(3) The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland
Security.
(4) The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department
of Homeland Security.
(5) The Department of Defense, if the Secretary of Homeland Security and
the Secretary of Defense determine appropriate.
(6) The Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(7) Other Federal agencies with a presence at the port, as appropriate,
or as otherwise determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(8) State and local law enforcement and first responder agencies responsible
for the port, as appropriate, or as otherwise determined appropriate by
the Secretary.
(9) Port authority representatives, maritime exchanges, private sector
stakeholders, and other entities subject to an Area Maritime Security
Plan prepared pursuant to part 103 of title 33, Code of Federal Regulations,
if determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(g) Responsibilities- The head of each center established or designated
under subsection (a) shall--
(1) assist, as appropriate, in the implementation of maritime transportation
security plans developed under section 70103 of title 46, United States
Code;
(2) implement the transportation security incident response plans required
under section 70104 of such title;
(3) be incorporated into the implementation of maritime intelligence activities
under section 70113 of such title;
(4) conduct short- and long-range vessel tracking under sections 70114
and 70115 of such title;
(5) be incorporated into the implementation of section 70116 of such title;
(6) carry out information sharing activities consistent with such activities
required by section 1016 of the National Security Intelligence Reform
Act of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 485) or the Homeland Security Information Sharing
Act (6 U.S.C. 481 et seq.);
(7) be incorporated into the screening and high-risk cargo inspection
programs carried out by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection; and
(8) carry out such other responsibilities that the Secretary of Homeland
Security determines are appropriate.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
(a) Requirement- Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee
on Appropriations, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs,
and Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Homeland Security, and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a plan
for the implementation of this Act.
(b) Contents- The report submitted under subsection (a) shall describe,
for each center that will be established under section 2(a)--
(1) the location of such center;
(2) the entities who will participate in the center;
(3) the cost to establish and operate the center; and
(4) the resources necessary to operate and maintain, including the cost-sharing
requirements for other agencies and participants.
SEC. 4. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER REQUIREMENTS.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall utilize information developed for
the report required by section 807 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-293; 118 Stat. 1082) to carry out the requirements
of this Act. The Commandant shall utilize the information developed for
the report required by that section in carrying out the requirements of
this Act.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for
each Coast Guard sector for fiscal years 2007 through 2012 to carry out
this Act.
END
