§124k — Title 6 Domestic Security | U.S. Code

Summary

Create an Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG) to make it easier for federal, State, local, tribal, and private groups to share homeland security, terrorism, and weapons-of-mass-destruction information. The Director of National Intelligence, working with the information-sharing program manager and the Secretary of Homeland Security, must set up the ITACG. The ITACG has two parts: an Advisory Council that sets policy and rules for integrating, analyzing, and sharing information, and a Detail of State, local, and tribal officers and analysts who work inside the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) alongside federal analysts to help prepare and share products through channels the Council picks. The Secretary (or a designee), the NCTC director, and the Advisory Council must make standards for products, improve how fast information is shared, mark how reliable information is, and teach the intelligence community about what State, local, and tribal partners need. The Detail must be staffed, trained, cleared, and given access to necessary information. A senior DHS intelligence official will run the Detail day-to-day and report to the NCTC director. The Advisory Council must include DHS, the FBI, NCTC, Defense, Energy, State, other federal agencies, the information-sharing program manager, and senior State/local/tribal law enforcement and intelligence officials, with at least 50 percent of members from State, local, or tribal governments. The Council must begin meeting no later than 90 days after August 3, 2007 and meet at least quarterly at NCTC. The law also says federal rules in chapter 10 of title 5 do not apply to the ITACG, and it authorizes needed funding for fiscal years 2008 through 2012, including for security clearances.

Title 6, §124k

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To improve the sharing of information within the scope of the information sharing environment established under section 485 of this title with State, local, tribal, and private sector officials, the Director of National Intelligence, through the program manager for the information sharing environment, in coordination with the Secretary, shall coordinate and oversee the creation of an Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (referred to in this section as the “ITACG”).

(b)The ITACG shall consist of—

(1)an ITACG Advisory Council to set policy and develop processes for the integration, analysis, and dissemination of federally-coordinated information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information; and

(2)an ITACG Detail comprised of State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts detailed to work in the National Counterterrorism Center with Federal intelligence analysts for the purpose of integrating, analyzing, and assisting in the dissemination of federally-coordinated information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, through appropriate channels identified by the ITACG Advisory Council.

(c)The Secretary, or the Secretary’s designee, in coordination with the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and the ITACG Advisory Council, shall—

(1)create policies and standards for the creation of information products derived from information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, that are suitable for dissemination to State, local, and tribal governments and the private sector;

(2)evaluate and develop processes for the timely dissemination of federally-coordinated information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, to State, local, and tribal governments and the private sector;

(3)establish criteria and a methodology for indicating to State, local, and tribal governments and the private sector the reliability of information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, disseminated to them;

(4)educate the intelligence community about the requirements of the State, local, and tribal homeland security, law enforcement, and other emergency response providers regarding information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information;

(5)establish and maintain the ITACG Detail, which shall assign an appropriate number of State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts to work in the National Counterterrorism Center who shall—

(A)educate and advise National Counterterrorism Center intelligence analysts about the requirements of the State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement officers, and other emergency response providers regarding information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information;

(B)assist National Counterterrorism Center intelligence analysts in integrating, analyzing, and otherwise preparing versions of products derived from information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information that are unclassified or classified at the lowest possible level and suitable for dissemination to State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement agencies in order to help deter and prevent terrorist attacks;

(C)implement, in coordination with National Counterterrorism Center intelligence analysts, the policies, processes, procedures, standards, and guidelines developed by the ITACG Advisory Council;

(D)assist in the dissemination of products derived from information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, to State, local, and tribal jurisdictions only through appropriate channels identified by the ITACG Advisory Council;

(E)make recommendations, as appropriate, to the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee, for the further dissemination of intelligence products that could likely inform or improve the security of a State, local, or tribal government, (including a State, local, or tribal law enforcement agency) or a private sector entity; and

(F)report directly to the senior intelligence official from the Department under paragraph (6);

(6)detail a senior intelligence official from the Department of Homeland Security to the National Counterterrorism Center, who shall—

(A)manage the day-to-day operations of the ITACG Detail;

(B)report directly to the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center or the Director’s designee; and

(C)in coordination with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and subject to the approval of the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, select a deputy from the pool of available detailees from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the National Counterterrorism Center;

(7)establish, within the ITACG Advisory Council, a mechanism to select law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts for placement in the National Counterterrorism Center consistent with paragraph (5), using criteria developed by the ITACG Advisory Council that shall encourage participation from a broadly representative group of State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement agencies; and

(8)compile an annual assessment of the ITACG Detail’s performance, including summaries of customer feedback, in preparing, disseminating, and requesting the dissemination of intelligence products intended for State, local and tribal government (including State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies) and private sector entities.

(d)The Secretary, or the Secretary’s designee, shall serve as the chair of the ITACG Advisory Council, which shall include—

(1)representatives of—

(A)the Department;

(B)the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(C)the National Counterterrorism Center;

(D)the Department of Defense;

(E)the Department of Energy;

(F)the Department of State; and

(G)other Federal entities as appropriate;

(2)the program manager of the information sharing environment, designated under section 485(f) of this title, or the program manager’s designee; and

(3)executive level law enforcement and intelligence officials from State, local, and tribal governments.

(e)The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, the Attorney General, and the program manager of the information sharing environment established under section 485 of this title, shall—

(1)establish procedures for selecting members of the ITACG Advisory Council and for the proper handling and safeguarding of products derived from information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, by those members; and

(2)ensure that at least 50 percent of the members of the ITACG Advisory Council are from State, local, and tribal governments.

(f)(1)Beginning not later than 90 days after August 3, 2007, the ITACG Advisory Council shall meet regularly, but not less than quarterly, at the facilities of the National Counterterrorism Center of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

(2)Pursuant to section 3056(f)(E) 11 So in original. Probably should be section “3056(f)(1)(E)”. of title 50, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, acting through the senior intelligence official from the Department of Homeland Security detailed pursuant to subsection (d)(6),22 See References in Text note below. shall ensure that—

(A)the products derived from information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, prepared by the National Counterterrorism Center and the ITACG Detail for distribution to State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement agencies reflect the requirements of such agencies and are produced consistently with the policies, processes, procedures, standards, and guidelines established by the ITACG Advisory Council;

(B)in consultation with the ITACG Advisory Council and consistent with section 3024(e)(1)(B)(iii) and 3056(f)(E) 1 of title 50, all products described in subparagraph (A) are disseminated through existing channels of the Department and the Department of Justice and other appropriate channels to State, local, and tribal government officials and other entities;

(C)all detailees under subsection (d)(5) 2 have appropriate access to all relevant information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information, available at the National Counterterrorism Center in order to accomplish the objectives under that paragraph;

(D)all detailees under subsection (d)(5) 2 have the appropriate security clearances and are trained in the procedures for handling, processing, storing, and disseminating classified products derived from information within the scope of the information sharing environment, including homeland security information, terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information; and

(E)all detailees under subsection (d)(5) 2 complete appropriate privacy and civil liberties training.

(g)Chapter 10 of title 5 shall not apply to the ITACG or any subsidiary groups thereof.

(h)There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012 to carry out this section, including to obtain security clearances for the State, local, and tribal participants in the ITACG.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Subsection (d)(5) and (6), referred to in subsec. (f)(2), was redesignated subsec. (c)(5) and (6), respectively, by Pub. L. 116–92, div. E, title LXVII, § 6726(b)(2), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2236.

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (f)(2)(B). Pub. L. 119–60 substituted “section 3024(e)(1)(B)(iii)” for “section 3024(f)(1)(B)(iii)”. 2022—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 117–286, which directed amendment of subsec. (h) by substituting “chapter 10 of title 5” for “the Federal Advisory Committee Act” in heading and “Chapter 10 of title 5” for “The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.)” in text, was executed by making the substitutions in subsec. (g) to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the prior amendment by Pub. L. 116–92. See 2019 Amendment below. 2019—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–92, § 6726(b)(1), (2), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which related to responsibilities of program manager. Subsec. (c)(9). Pub. L. 116–92, § 6726(b)(3), struck out par. (9) which read as follows: “provide the assessment developed pursuant to paragraph (8) to the program manager for use in the annual reports required by subsection (c)(2).” Subsecs. (d) to (i). Pub. L. 116–92, § 6726(b)(2), redesignated subsecs. (e) to (i) as (d) to (h), respectively. 2010—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–258, § 5(c)(1), struck out “, in consultation with the Information Sharing Council,” after “program manager” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 111–258, § 5(c)(2)–(4), added par. (3). Subsec. (d)(5)(E), (F). Pub. L. 111–258, § 5(b)(2)(A), added subpar. (E) and redesignated former subpar. (E) as (F). Subsec. (d)(8), (9). Pub. L. 111–258, § 5(b)(2)(B)–(D), added pars. (8) and (9).

§124k Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group