HR 2139
Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Counter Transnational Repression Act
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Bill overview
This bill aims to strengthen the ability of state and local law enforcement agencies to combat transnational repression – actions taken by foreign governments to silence dissidents or intimidate individuals in other countries, often targeting those in the United States. It mandates the Homeland Security Department to develop and provide training programs for local law enforcement on identifying, preventing, and responding to this threat, as well as sharing information with communities at risk. The bill also supports research and development of technologies to improve training participation and information sharing.
Key provisions
- Requires the Homeland Security Secretary to develop a training program for state and local law enforcement on transnational repression.
- The training program will cover identifying transnational repression, collecting relevant information, sharing data with the private sector, and identifying potential targets.
- Directs the Department to provide community awareness briefings to educate law enforcement and the public about transnational repression.
- Supports research and development of technology to improve training participation rates.
- Establishes a requirement for the Department to share information related to identifying and responding to transnational repression.
- Defines ‘transnational repression’ as actions by foreign governments to coerce or silence individuals.
- Mandates a review of the program’s implementation by the Comptroller General.
- Adds a new section to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to formally establish the program.
Who is affected
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 2139
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize strengthening of State and local law enforcement capabilities to combat transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Counter Transnational Repression Act
.
Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 361 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
The Secretary, in consultation with public and private sector stakeholders, shall, in a manner consistent with the protection of privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties, develop, through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers and in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement and the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, a training program to enhance the capabilities of State, local, Tribal, campus, and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, to counter transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
The training program developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall relate to the following:
Identifying instances of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
Types of information that should be collected and recorded in information technology systems to help identify suspected perpetrators of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
Identifying suspected targets or victims of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
Personal safety best practices for individuals and communities that may be targets or are victims of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression to prevent and mitigate transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression and ensure that such targets and victims are afforded prompt information about and access to victim support resources, including such resources offered by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, to address the immediate and long-term needs of such targets and victims.
Trainings developed pursuant to subsection (a) shall be provided by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers or another office or component of the Department if the Director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers determines such other office or component is accredited by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Model Practice Clearinghouse or pursuant to a substantially similar process.
The Assistant Secretary of Partnership and Engagement and the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, as appropriate, shall engage with State, local, Tribal, campus, and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, and individuals and communities that may be targets or are victims of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression, including by informing such individuals and communities about how to identify transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression and protect against transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
In this section:
The term personal safety best practices
means measures for enhancing individuals’ and communities’ physical security, situational awareness, and online security.
The term transnational repression
means an action of a foreign government or an agent of a foreign government that satisfies each of the following:
The action involves any of the following:
Any effort intended to coerce, harass, or digitally or physically threaten, including by force or reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury or imprisonment of a person or an immediate family member of a person, a person to take an action in the interest of such a foreign government.
An extrajudicial killing.
Any act intended to further the efforts specified in clause (i), (ii), or (iii).
The action is engaged in for or in the interests of such a foreign government.
The action—
occurs, in whole or in part, in the United States; or
is committed against a United States person.
The term United States person
has the meaning given such term in section 1637(d)(10) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. Buck
McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2015 (50 U.S.C. 1708(d)(10)).
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security to—
carry out research and development of a technology to enhance participation rates in training offered to other State, local, Tribal, campus, and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, for the purpose of enhancing domestic preparedness for and collective response to transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression and other homeland security threats; and
share information relating to researching and developing methods for identifying instances, suspected targets, and victims of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression, and methods for collecting and recording information to help identify suspected perpetrators of transnational repression and terrorism threats related to transnational repression.
Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of section 890E of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a).
The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 890D the following new item: