6 U.S.C. § 195c — Promoting antiterrorism through inter-

Page 84 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 195c (F) provide personnel to the NBIC under an interagency personnel agreement and con- sider the qualifications of such personnel necessary to provide human, animal, and en- vironmental data analysis and interpreta- tion support to the NBIC; and (G) retain responsibility for the surveil- lance and intelligence systems of that de- partment or agency, if applicable. (f) Administrative authorities (1) Hiring of experts The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall hire individuals with the necessary expertise to de- velop and operate the NBIC. (2) Detail of personnel Upon the request of the Directing Officer of the NBIC, the head of any Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Department to assist the NBIC in carrying out this section. (g) NBIC interagency working group The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall— (1) establish an interagency working group to facilitate interagency cooperation and to advise the Directing Officer of the NBIC re- garding recommendations to enhance the bio- surveillance capabilities of the Department; and (2) invite Member Agencies to serve on that working group. (h) Relationship to other departments and agen- cies The authority of the Directing Officer of the NBIC under this section shall not affect any au- thority or responsibility of any other depart- ment or agency of the Federal Government with respect to biosurveillance activities under any program administered by that department or agency. (i) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section. (j) Definitions In this section: (1) The terms ‘‘biological agent’’ and ‘‘toxin’’ have the meanings given those terms in section 178 of title 18. (2) The term ‘‘biological event of national concern’’ means— (A) an act of terrorism involving a biologi- cal agent or toxin; or (B) a naturally occurring outbreak of an infectious disease that may result in a na- tional epidemic. (3) The term ‘‘homeland security informa- tion’’ has the meaning given that term in sec- tion 482 of this title. (4) The term ‘‘Member Agency’’ means any Federal department or agency that, at the dis- cretion of the head of that department or agency, has entered a memorandum of under- standing regarding participation in the NBIC. (5) The term ‘‘Privacy Officer’’ means the Privacy Officer appointed under section 142 of this title. (Pub. L. 107–296, title III, § 316, as added Pub. L. 110–53, title XI, § 1101(a), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 375; amended Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(f)(2), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5168.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–387 substituted ‘‘Sec- retary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, shall’’ for ‘‘Secretary shall’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION Pub. L. 110–53, title XI, § 1101(c), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 378, provided that: ‘‘The National Biosurveillance Inte- gration Center under section 316 of the Homeland Secu- rity Act [of 2002, 6 U.S.C. 195b], as added by subsection (a), shall be fully operational by not later than Sep- tember 30, 2008.’’ § 195c. Promoting antiterrorism through inter- national cooperation program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Director The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director se- lected under subsection (b)(2). (2) International cooperative activity The term ‘‘international cooperative activ- ity’’ includes— (A) coordinated research projects, joint re- search projects, or joint ventures; (B) joint studies or technical demonstra- tions; (C) coordinated field exercises, scientific seminars, conferences, symposia, and work- shops; (D) training of scientists and engineers; (E) visits and exchanges of scientists, engi- neers, or other appropriate personnel; (F) exchanges or sharing of scientific and technological information; and (G) joint use of laboratory facilities and equipment. (b) Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office (1) Establishment The Under Secretary shall establish the Science and Technology Homeland Security International Cooperative Programs Office. (2) Director The Office shall be headed by a Director, who— (A) shall be selected, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for International Af- fairs, by and shall report to the Under Sec- retary; and (B) may be an officer of the Department serving in another position. (3) Responsibilities (A) Development of mechanisms The Director shall be responsible for devel- oping, in coordination with the Department of State and, as appropriate, the Department Page 85 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 195c 1 So in original. The word ‘‘and’’ probably should not appear. of Defense, the Department of Energy, and other Federal agencies, understandings and agreements to allow and to support inter- national cooperative activity in support of homeland security. (B) Priorities The Director shall be responsible for devel- oping, in coordination with the Office of International Affairs and other Federal agencies, strategic priorities for inter- national cooperative activity for the Depart- ment in support of homeland security. (C) Activities The Director shall facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of inter- national cooperative activity to address the strategic priorities developed under subpara- graph (B) through mechanisms the Under Secretary considers appropriate, including grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to or with foreign public or private entities, governmental organizations, businesses (in- cluding small businesses and socially and economically disadvantaged small busi- nesses (as those terms are defined in sec- tions 632 and 637 of title 15, respectively)), federally funded research and development centers, and universities. (D) Identification of partners The Director shall facilitate the matching of United States entities engaged in home- land security research with non-United States entities engaged in homeland secu- rity research so that they may partner in homeland security research activities. (4) Coordination The Director shall ensure that the activities under this subsection are coordinated with the Office of International Affairs and the Depart- ment of State and, as appropriate, the Depart- ment of Defense, the Department of Energy, and other relevant Federal agencies or inter- agency bodies. The Director may enter into joint activities with other Federal agencies. (c) Matching funding (1) In general (A) Equitability The Director shall ensure that funding and resources expended in international coopera- tive activity will be equitably matched by the foreign partner government or other en- tity through direct funding, funding of com- plementary activities, or the provision of staff, facilities, material, or equipment. (B) Grant matching and repayment (i) In general The Secretary may require a recipient of a grant under this section— (I) to make a matching contribution of not more than 50 percent of the total cost of the proposed project for which the grant is awarded; and (II) to repay to the Secretary the amount of the grant (or a portion there- of), interest on such amount at an appro- priate rate, and such charges for admin- istration of the grant as the Secretary determines appropriate. (ii) Maximum amount The Secretary may not require that re- payment under clause (i)(II) be more than 150 percent of the amount of the grant, ad- justed for inflation on the basis of the Con- sumer Price Index. (2) Foreign partners Partners may include Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and other allies in the global war on terrorism as determined to be appropriate by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State. (3) Loans of equipment The Director may make or accept loans of equipment for research and development and comparative testing purposes. (d) Foreign reimbursements If the Science and Technology Homeland Secu- rity International Cooperative Programs Office participates in an international cooperative ac- tivity with a foreign partner on a cost-sharing basis, any reimbursements or contributions re- ceived from that foreign partner to meet its share of the project may be credited to appro- priate current appropriations accounts of the Directorate of Science and Technology. (e) Report to Congress on international coopera- tive activities Not later than one year after August 3, 2007, and every 5 years thereafter, the Under Sec- retary, acting through the Director, shall sub- mit to Congress a report containing— (1) a brief description of each grant, coopera- tive agreement, or contract made or entered into under subsection (b)(3)(C), including the participants, goals, and amount and sources of funding; (2) a list of international cooperative activi- ties underway, including the participants, goals, expected duration, and amount and sources of funding, including resources pro- vided to support the activities in lieu of direct funding; and 1 (3) for international cooperative activities identified in the previous reporting period, a status update on the progress of such activi- ties, including whether goals were realized, ex- plaining any lessons learned, and evaluating overall success; and (4) a discussion of obstacles encountered in the course of forming, executing, or imple- menting agreements for international cooper- ative activities, including administrative, legal, or diplomatic challenges or resource constraints. (f) Animal and zoonotic diseases As part of the international cooperative ac- tivities authorized in this section, the Under Secretary, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, the Department of State, and appropriate officials of the Department of Page 86 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 195d Agriculture, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Health and Human Services, may enter into cooperative activities with foreign countries, including African nations, to strengthen American preparedness against for- eign animal and zoonotic diseases overseas that could harm the Nation’s agricultural and public health sectors if they were to reach the United States. (g) Cybersecurity As part of the international cooperative ac- tivities authorized in this section, the Under Secretary, in coordination with the Department of State and appropriate Federal officials, may enter into cooperative research activities with Israel to strengthen preparedness against cyber threats and enhance capabilities in cybersecurity. (h) Construction; authorities of the Secretary of State Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or affect the following provisions of law: (1) Title V of the Foreign Relations Author- ization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (22 U.S.C. 2656a et seq.). (2) Section 112b(g) of title 1. (3) Section 2651a(e)(2) of title 22. (4) Sections 2752 and 2767 of title 22. (5) Section 2382(c) of title 22. (i) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are nec- essary. (Pub. L. 107–296, title III, § 317, as added Pub. L. 110–53, title XIX, § 1901(b)(1), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 505; amended Pub. L. 114–304, § 2(a), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1519; Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(f)(3), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5168; Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIX, § 5947(a)(3), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3481.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979, referred to in subsec. (h)(1), is Pub. L. 95–426, Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 963. Title V of the Act is classified generally to sections 2656a to 2656d of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. AMENDMENTS 2022—Subsec. (h)(2). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted ‘‘Sec- tion 112b(g)’’ for ‘‘Section 112b(c)’’. 2018—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–387 substituted ‘‘the As- sistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office,’’ for ‘‘the Chief Medical Officer,’’. 2016—Subsec. (e)(3), (4). Pub. L. 114–304, § 2(a)(1), added pars. (3) and (4). Subsecs. (g) to (i). Pub. L. 114–304, § 2(a)(2), (3), added subsec. (g) and redesignated former subsecs. (g) and (h) as (h) and (i), respectively. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2022 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 117–263 effective 270 days after Dec. 23, 2022, see section 5947(c) of Pub. L. 117–263, set out as a note under section 112a of Title 1, General Pro- visions. FINDINGS Pub. L. 110–53, title XIX, § 1901(a), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 505, provided that: ‘‘Congress finds the following: ‘‘(1) The development and implementation of tech- nology is critical to combating terrorism and other high consequence events and implementing a com- prehensive homeland security strategy. ‘‘(2) The United States and its allies in the global war on terrorism share a common interest in facili- tating research, development, testing, and evaluation of equipment, capabilities, technologies, and services that will aid in detecting, preventing, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating against acts of ter- rorism. ‘‘(3) Certain United States allies in the global war on terrorism, including Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Singapore have extensive ex- perience with, and technological expertise in, home- land security. ‘‘(4) The United States and certain of its allies in the global war on terrorism have a history of success- ful collaboration in developing mutually beneficial equipment, capabilities, technologies, and services in the areas of defense, agriculture, and telecommuni- cations. ‘‘(5) The United States and its allies in the global war on terrorism will mutually benefit from the shar- ing of technological expertise to combat domestic and international terrorism. ‘‘(6) The establishment of an office to facilitate and support cooperative endeavors between and among government agencies, for-profit business entities, academic institutions, and nonprofit entities of the United States and its allies will safeguard lives and property worldwide against acts of terrorism and other high consequence events.’’ TRANSPARENCY OF FUNDS Pub. L. 110–53, title XIX, § 1902, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 508, provided that: ‘‘For each Federal award (as that term is defined in section 2 of the Federal Funding Ac- countability and Transparency Act of 2006 [Pub. L. 109–282] (31 U.S.C. 6101 note)) under this title [enacting this section and provisions set out as notes under this section] or an amendment made by this title, the Direc- tor of the Office of Management and Budget shall en- sure full and timely compliance with the requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Trans- parency Act of 2006 (31 U.S.C. 6101 note).’’ § 195d. Social media working group (a) Establishment The Secretary shall establish within the De- partment a social media working group (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Group’’). (b) Purpose In order to enhance the dissemination of infor- mation through social media technologies be- tween the Department and appropriate stake- holders and to improve use of social media tech- nologies in support of preparedness, response, and recovery, the Group shall identify, and pro- vide guidance and best practices to the emer- gency preparedness and response community on, the use of social media technologies before, dur- ing, and after a natural disaster or an act of ter- rorism or other man-made disaster. (c) Membership (1) In general Membership of the Group shall be composed of a cross section of subject matter experts from Federal, State, local, tribal, territorial, and nongovernmental organization practi- tioners, including representatives from the following entities: (A) The Office of Public Affairs of the De- partment.