Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Counter Transnational Repression Act
This bill would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize and strengthen state and local law enforcement capabilities to counter transnational repression and related terrorism threats. It directs DHS to develop, through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, a training program for state, local, tribal, campus, and territorial law enforcement personnel (including personnel from fusion centers) and to coordinate with DHS leadership on implementation. The training would focus on identifying transnational repression, determining what information should be collected and shared, recognizing targets and victims, and promoting personal safety and access to victim resources. It also calls for community awareness briefings and requires ongoing research and development to improve training participation and information-sharing methods. A Government Accountability Office review is mandated within two years to assess implementation. The bill emphasizes privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties protections in its approach. In short, the bill seeks to broaden and formalize DHS-supported, multi-level law enforcement training and information-sharing initiatives to detect and counter transnational repression and related terrorism threats, while promoting victim assistance and privacy protections.
Key Points
- 1Establishes new Sec. 890E in the Homeland Security Act to strengthen state and local law enforcement efforts against transnational repression and related terrorism threats, with coordination across DHS components and fusion centers.
- 2Requires a comprehensive training program developed by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in consultation with public/private stakeholders, focusing on identification, data collection, information sharing with private sector and communities, target/victim identification, and personal safety/victim resources.
- 3Training must be delivered by FLETC or an accredited DHS office/component, ensuring adherence to accreditation standards.
- 4Includes Community Awareness Briefings led by the Assistant Secretary for Partnership and Engagement and the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, coordinated with the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, to inform law enforcement and communities about transnational repression and protective measures.
- 5Provides definitions for key terms, including “transnational repression” and “United States person,” and clarifies the scope (acts by foreign governments or agents, targeting in the U.S. or U.S. persons).
- 6Adds research and development provisions to improve training participation and to share methods for identifying and recording information related to transnational repression and its perpetrators.
- 7Requires a Comptroller General (GAO) review within two years of enactment to evaluate implementation of the new Sec. 890E.
- 8Includes a clerical adjustment to insert Sec. 890E into the Homeland Security Act’s table of contents.