Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Combat Transnational Repression Act

Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

The Secretary, in consultation with public and private sector stakeholders, shall in a manner consistent with the protection of privacy rights, civil rights, and civil liberties, develop, through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, a training program to enhance the capabilities of State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, to combat transnational repression and related terrorism threats.

The training provided pursuant to subsection (a) shall relate to the following:

(1) Identifying instances of transnational repression and related terrorism threats.

(2) Types of information that should be collected and recorded in information technology systems to help identify suspected perpetrators of transnational repression and related terrorism threats.

(3) Identifying suspected targets or victims of transnational repression and related terrorism threats.

(4) Personal safety best practices for individuals and communities that may be targets or are victims of transnational repression and related terrorism threats to prevent and mitigate transnational repression and related terrorism threats and ensure that such targets and victims are afforded prompt information about and access to victim support resources, including such resources offered by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, to address their immediate and long-term needs.

The Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties shall engage with State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, and individuals and communities that may be targets or are victims of transnational repression and related terrorism threats, including by informing such individuals and communities about how to identify transnational repression and related terrorism threats and protect against transnational repression and related terrorism threats.

In this section:

The term personal safety best practices means measures for enhancing individuals’ and communities’ physical security, situational awareness, and online security.

The term transnational repression means actions of a foreign government, or an individual or entity working on behalf or at the direction of a foreign government, involving the transgression of national borders through physical, digital, or analog means to intimidate, silence, coerce, harass, or harm individuals or communities in order to prevent their exercise of freedom of speech, expression, religion, or assembly.

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall coordinate with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security to—

(1) carry out research and development of a technology to enhance participation rates in training offered to other State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement personnel, including personnel of the National Network of Fusion Centers, for the purpose of enhancing domestic preparedness for and collective response to transnational repression and related terrorism threats and other homeland security threats; and

(2) share information relating to researching and developing methods for identifying instances, suspected targets, and victims of transnational repression and related terrorism threats, and methods for collecting and recording information to help identify suspected perpetrators of transnational repression and related terrorism threats.

Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of section 437 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a).

The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 436 the following new item: