WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2012

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

24 June 2011

Last action

30 November 2012 · Committee

Status

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 510.

Summary

WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2011 - Requires: (1) the President to assign a member of the National Security Council to serve as Special Assistant to the President for Biodefense, who shall submit a National Biodefense Plan and publish a National Strategy for Biosurveillance; and (2) the Director of National Intelligence to develop and implement a National Intelligence Strategy for Countering the Threat from Weapons of Mass Destruction and a National Intelligence Strategy for Countering Biological Threats. Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) conduct intelligence and information sharing activities; (2) support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of terrorist actors, their claims, and their plans to conduct attacks against the nation involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials; and (3) support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of global infectious disease, public health, food, agricultural, and veterinary issues. Directs: (1) the Secretary to produce and update periodically an assessment of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats and an integrated risk assessment that ranks those threats according to relative risk; and (2) the Attorney General to periodically review and recommend updates to criminal laws to ensure that such laws are well suited to the evolving risks of misuse of life sciences by terrorists and others and that national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders at unique risk of exploitation have access to guidance regarding actions that can reduce that risk. Directs the Secretary to conduct: (1) homeland security investigations and enforce criminal violations of U.S. customs and export laws related to military items, controlled commodities, and sanctioned or embargoed countries or persons to prevent individuals, terrorist groups, foreign adversaries, and hostile nations from obtaining sensitive U.S. technology and munitions or components, precursors, and delivery systems for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons; and (2) certain industry outreach with manufacturers and exporters of strategic commodities that may be targeted for procurement by terrorist organizations and the countries that support them, as well as countries identified as weapons proliferators. Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to: (1) develop a communications plan to provide information to the public related to preventing, preparing for, and responding to a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attack; and (2) develop and disseminate integrated public alerts and warnings system pre-scripted messages and message templates to be provided to state, local, and tribal authorities to rapidly disseminate critical information to the public in the event of such an attack. Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that homeland security information concerning terrorist threats is provided to state, local, and tribal authorities and the public; (2) establish a process to optimize opportunities for qualified heads of state and local and tribal government entities to obtain appropriate security clearances so that they may receive classified threat information; and (3) prepare unclassified threat bulletins on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. Requires the FEMA Administrator to assist state, local, and tribal authorities in improving and promoting individual and community preparedness and collective response to terrorist attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials, including by developing guidance and checklists of recommended actions for individual and community prevention and preparedness efforts. Directs the Secretary to: (1) carry out a program to detect a biological attack or event that poses a high risk to homeland security; (2) require the Under Secretary for Science and Technology to assess whether the development of technological screening capabilities for biological agents, pandemic influenza, and other infectious diseases should be undertaken by the Science and Technology Directorate to support entry and exit screening at ports of entry; and (3) establish procedures for the sharing of homeland security information, including laboratory biosecurity-related information. Requires the Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to: (1) establish and maintain a multilayered system of detection technologies, programs, and guidelines designed to enhance the nation's ability to detect and prevent a radiological or nuclear attack in high-risk U.S. cities; and (2) develop a surge capability for radiological and nuclear detection systems that can be deployed within the United States rapidly in response to actionable intelligence or warnings. Requires such programs to be integrated into the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop for police, fire, emergency medical services, emergency management, medical, and public health personnel voluntary guidance for responding to a release of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material; (2) acquire, use, and disseminate the best available integrated plume models to enable rapid response activities following a chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological attack or event; and (3) carry out a program for system assessment and validation of emergency response equipment (SAVER Program) at DHS. Establishes the National Bioforensics Analysis Center to serve as the lead federal facility regarding bioforensic analysis and requirements for law enforcement, emergency response, national security, and homeland security. Directs the Secretary to: (1) make available to law enforcement, public health, emergency first responders, and security personnel at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center training on recognizing and responding to situations involving potential biological threats, including performing joint criminal and epidemiological investigations; (2) conduct a Metropolitan Medical Response System Program to assist state and local governments in preparing for and responding to public health and mass casualty incidents resulting from acts of terrorism, natural disasters, and other man-made disasters; (3) conduct risk assessments to inform prioritization of national recovery activities for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents; (4) develop and issue guidance for cleanup and restoration of indoor and outdoor areas that have been exposed to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials; and (5) develop exercises that address analysis, indoor environmental cleanup methods, and decontamination standards. Directs the President to establish a Federal Experts Security Advisory Panel to make technical and substantive recommendations on biological agent and toxin security. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) periodically update a National Medical Countermeasure Dispensing Strategy to enhance preparedness and collective response to a terrorist attack with any chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material; and (2) review the adequacy of domestic vaccination and antimicrobial dispensing policy, guidance, and information provided to the public in light of any known terrorist risk of a biological attack. Directs the Secretary of State to: (1) support efforts in other countries to develop mechanisms and capabilities for reporting to United Nations organizations validated data on biological attacks; (2) establish and build capacity to effectively implement legislation criminalizing the development or use of biological weapons or acts of bioterrorism; (3) convene and lead an interagency task force on best practices for global biopreparedness; and (4) promote implementation of and compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

24 June 2011
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Source: Committee
24 June 2011
Introduced
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
Source: IntroReferral
24 June 2011
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
24 June 2011
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
27 June 2011
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Source: Committee
11 July 2011
Referred
Referred to the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies.
Source: Committee
9 May 2012
Committee
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications Discharged.
Source: Committee
9 May 2012
Reported
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Source: Committee
9 May 2012
Committee
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Source: Committee
12 September 2012
Reported
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 112-665, Part I.
Source: Committee
12 September 2012
Introduced
Referred sequentially to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for a period ending not later than Nov. 30, 2012 for consideration of such provision of the bill and amendment as fall within the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to clause 1(p), rule X.
Source: IntroReferral
12 September 2012
Introduced
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Nov. 30, 2012.
Source: IntroReferral
12 September 2012
Reported
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 112-665, Part I.
Source: Committee
30 November 2012
Calendars
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 510.
Source: Calendars
30 November 2012
Discharge
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
Source: Discharge
30 November 2012
Committee
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged.
Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Reported in House · 30 November 2012 · Download file
Introduced in House · 24 June 2011 · Download file

Documents

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Reported in House (text)

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Reported in House (text)
Reported in House · EN · 30 November 2012
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Reported in House (PDF)
Reported in House · EN · 30 November 2012
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Reported to House amended, Part I
summary · EN · 12 September 2012
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summary · EN · 24 June 2011
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Related records

related to → Metropolitan Medical Response System Program Act of 2011
related to ← WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2012

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.

Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/2356
Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/112/hr/2356
us · 112-hr-2356 · source updated 7 April 2025