§3384 Intelligence Community Counterintelligence Office at the Department of Agriculture

Summary

The Director of National Intelligence must work with the Secretary of Agriculture to set up an office inside the Department of Agriculture called the Intelligence Community Counterintelligence Office. The office will sit at USDA headquarters near the Department’s leaders. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center will protect classified information there and set security rules. The office will have a Director chosen by the Director of National Intelligence who is an experienced counterintelligence employee, serves for 3 years, and is supervised by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (with input from the Secretary). The Director will run the office, give counterintelligence advice to the Secretary, share threat and intelligence information quickly with the right people, build ways for Agriculture experts (even those without clearances) to work with the intelligence community, and set up partnerships to improve counterintelligence. The Secretary, working with the Director of National Intelligence, will pick a Deputy Director who is a current or former Agriculture employee and serves at the Secretary’s pleasure. Other staff will be assigned as needed, usually for at least 2 years. The Director of National Intelligence may use National Intelligence Program funds, as approved by Congress, to renovate and equip space, provide secure communications and IT, assign intelligence staff, and cover needed services. Employees who join within 120 days after the office opens may get a one-time payment equal to 10% of base pay if they agree to serve at least 2 years; an extra 10% may be paid after 2 years for exceptional work. The Director of National Intelligence must try to establish the office by January 1, 2025, and must send Congress a plan with costs and a schedule within 180 days after December 22, 2023.