By Laura DeKoven Waxman
October 13, 2008

On September 18, Delaware Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. introduced legislation that responds directly to several of the recommendations included in the Conference’s National Action Agenda on Crime. That Agenda is based on discussions held during the Conference’s ’08 Action Forum on Crime, which took place in Philadelphia August 5 and 6, and was drafted by a working committee of mayors and police chiefs following that Forum. On August 6 – just three weeks before he became the Democratic nominee for Vice President – Biden addressed the Philadelphia Forum, stressing the importance of the role that law enforcement can play in preventing acts of terrorism.

The Homeland Security & Law Enforcement Improvements Act of 2008 (S. 3524) is intended to improve preparation, prevention and incident response by ensuring that homeland security strategies incorporate the expertise and manpower of state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and ensuring that law enforcement officials have the tools they need to be effective homeland security partners. Specifically the legislation would:

• Ensure that local law enforcement is a full partner in homeland security by increasing the authority of the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement, who will report directly to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (instead of a lower-level official as is currently the case) and by providing him or her with budget and program management authority;

• Ensure that local law enforcement has the resources needed to secure America’s cities against terrorism by restoring full funding to the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (the only program dedicated to the unique needs of law enforcement) and authorizing $500 million for the program per year;

• Ensure that first responders have the resources needed to react to incidents by extending the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program as an authorized program so that first responders can select, procure and become trained in the use of specialized equipment/technology to respond to a terrorist attack;

• Ensure swift and coordinated responses to major incidents by creating, funding and establishing best practices for Law Enforcement Deployment Teams; and

• Ensure coordinated information sharing by establishing an Information Sharing Resource Center within the Department of Homeland Security to act as a central source of technical assistance for intelligence sharing among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies

S. 3524 has been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.