Official Summaries

Securing the Cities Improvement Act

This bill makes changes to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office's (CWMD's) Securing the Cities program, which seeks to detect nuclear or radiological materials to prevent terrorist attacks and other events posing a risk to cities in the United States.

Specifically, the bill requires the CWMD to establish performance metrics and milestones for the program and to track performance against them.

Also, under current law, in carrying out the Securing the Cities program, the CWMD may only partner with cities that are high-risk urban areas, which are designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under a different program. Instead, the bill requires the CWMD to designate the jurisdictions it may partner with for the program, and the designations must be based on the capability and capacity of the jurisdiction relating to preparedness and response, as well as the relative threat to, vulnerability of, and consequences for, such jurisdiction regarding terrorist attacks and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or radiological materials.

Additionally, within two years of enactment of the bill, the CWMD must submit a report to Congress regarding participation in the Securing the Cities program, the establishment of metrics and milestones, performance against such metrics and milestones, and plans for any changes to the program.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1374 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1374


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               March 11 (legislative day, March 10), 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make improvements to the 
          Securing the Cities program, 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 ``Securing the Cities Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STC PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY, METRICS, AND CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.

    Section 1928 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 596b) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``high-risk urban 
        areas'' and inserting ``jurisdictions designated under 
        subsection (c)'';
            (2) by amending paragraph (7) of subsection (b) to read as 
        follows:
            ``(7) establish performance metrics and milestones for the 
        STC program, monitor expenditures for the program, and track 
        the performance against program metrics and milestones; and'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``from among high-
        risk urban areas under section 2003'' and inserting ``based on 
        the capability and capacity of the jurisdiction relating to 
        preparedness and response, as well as the relative threat to 
        such jurisdiction, vulnerability of such jurisdiction, and 
        consequences for such jurisdiction, regarding terrorist attacks 
        and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or other 
        radiological materials''; and
            (4) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
    ``(d) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
report regarding participation in the STC program, the establishment of 
metrics and milestones for the STC program, performance against such 
metrics and milestones, and plans for any changes to the STC 
program.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 10, 2025.

            Attest:

                                             KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

                                                                 Clerk.