Title 6, Domestic SecurityRelease 119-110

§596b Securing the Cities Program

Title 6 › CHAPTER 1 — HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › SUBCHAPTER XIV — COUNTERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OFFICE › Part B — Mission of the Office › § 596b

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, must create the Securing the Cities (STC) program to better detect and stop terrorist attacks or other dangerous events using nuclear or radiological materials in high‑risk cities. The program must help State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments build or improve systems to find and stop materials that are out of regulatory control. It must fund tools and training to detect, analyze, communicate, and coordinate responses; help sort and respond to alarms; share information among the right agencies while keeping designated local jurisdictions informed; provide follow‑up funding to sustain capabilities; track spending and performance; and offer any other help the Secretary finds appropriate. The Secretary must choose jurisdictions from among high‑risk urban areas and tell four congressional committees at least 3 days before adding or changing a designated area. The Secretary must also write an implementation plan, made with stakeholders, that states goals, a strategy, performance metrics and milestones, sustainment steps, and costs, and send that plan to the relevant congressional committees and the Comptroller General not later than one year after December 21, 2018. Within one year after that plan is sent, the Secretary must report on how well the program works and propose changes. The Comptroller General must review those documents and report to Congress within 18 months after that report. Before changing the program’s structure or rules, the Assistant Secretary must consult and brief the appropriate congressional committees and provide plans, documents, and an assessment of effects.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §596b

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Establishment

The Secretary, through the Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program, to be known as the “Securing the Cities” or “STC” program, to enhance the ability of the United States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban areas.

(b)Elements

Through the STC program the Secretary shall—

(1)assist State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments in designing and implementing, or enhancing existing, architectures for coordinated and integrated detection and interdiction of nuclear or other radiological materials that are out of regulatory control;

(2)support the development of an operating capability to detect and report on nuclear and other radiological materials out of regulatory control;

(3)provide resources to enhance detection, analysis, communication, and coordination to better integrate State, local, Tribal, and territorial assets into Federal operations;

(4)facilitate alarm adjudication and provide subject matter expertise and technical assistance on concepts of operations, training, exercises, and alarm response protocols;

(5)communicate with, and promote sharing of information about the presence or detection of nuclear or other radiological materials among appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial government agencies, in a manner that ensures transparency with the jurisdictions designated under subsection (c);

(6)provide augmenting resources, as appropriate, to enable State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments to sustain and refresh their capabilities developed under the STC program;

(7)monitor expenditures under the STC program and track performance in meeting the goals of the STC program; and

(8)provide any other assistance the Secretary determines appropriate.

(c)Designation of jurisdictions

(1)In general

In carrying out the STC program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall designate jurisdictions from among high-risk urban areas under section 604 of this title.

(2)Congressional notification

The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate not later than 3 days before the designation of a new jurisdiction under paragraph (1) or any change to a jurisdiction previously designated under that paragraph.

(d)Accountability

(1)Implementation plan

(A)In general

The Secretary shall develop, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, an implementation plan for carrying out the STC program that includes—

(i)a discussion of the goals of the STC program and a strategy to achieve those goals;

(ii)performance metrics and milestones for the STC program;

(iii)measures for achieving and sustaining capabilities under the STC program; and

(iv)costs associated with achieving the goals of the STC program.

(B)Submission to Congress

Not later than one year after December 21, 2018, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General of the United States the implementation plan required by subparagraph (A).

(2)Report required

Not later than one year after the submission of the implementation plan under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General a report that includes—

(A)an assessment of the effectiveness of the STC program, based on the performance metrics and milestones required by paragraph (1)(A)(ii); and

(B)proposals for any changes to the STC program, including an explanation of how those changes align with the strategy and goals of the STC program and, as appropriate, address any challenges faced by the STC program.

(3)Comptroller general review

Not later than 18 months after the submission of the report required by paragraph (2), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report evaluating the implementation plan required by paragraph (1) and the report required by paragraph (2), including an assessment of progress made with respect to the performance metrics and milestones required by paragraph (1)(A)(ii) and the sustainment of the capabilities of the STC program.

(4)Briefing and submission requirements

Before making any changes to the structure or requirements of the STC program, the Assistant Secretary shall—

(A)consult with the appropriate congressional committees; and

(B)provide to those committees—

(i)a briefing on the proposed changes, including a justification for the changes;

(ii)documentation relating to the changes, including plans, strategies, and resources to implement the changes; and

(iii)an assessment of the effect of the changes on the capabilities of the STC program, taking into consideration previous resource allocations and stakeholder input.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 596b

Title 6, Domestic Security

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110