Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act

Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a National Computer Forensics Institute to be operated by the U.S. Secret Service to: (1)  disseminate homeland security information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crimes and related threats; and (2) educate, train, and provide equipment to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges to carry out investigations, prosecutions, and court proceeding relating to such crimes and threats.

The institute:

• must provide education and training on investigation methods, computer and mobile device forensic examinations, network intrusion incidents, and methods to obtain, process, store, and admit digital evidence in court;
• must ensure that timely, actionable, and relevant expertise and homeland security information related to cyber and electronic crimes and threats is shared with such officers, prosecutors, and judges; and
• may provide officers, prosecutors, and judges with computer equipment and tools for such investigations and examinations.

The Secret Service's network of Electronic Crime Task Forces is to be expanded through the addition of task force officers, prosecutors, and judges educated and trained at the institute, in addition to academia and private sector stakeholders.

The institute must seek opportunities to coordinate with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center within DHS to help enhance the center's training for such cyber and electronic crimes and threats.

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3490 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3490

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the National 
         Computer Forensics Institute, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 11, 2015

Mr. Ratcliffe (for himself, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Palmer) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, 
and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to 
      be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the National 
         Computer Forensics Institute, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening State and Local Cyber 
Crime Fighting Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF THE NATIONAL COMPUTER FORENSICS INSTITUTE OF 
              THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle C of title VIII of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 381 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``SEC. 822. NATIONAL COMPUTER FORENSICS INSTITUTE.

    ``(a) In General.--There is established in the Department a 
National Computer Forensics Institute (in this section referred to as 
the `Institute'), to be operated by the United States Secret Service, 
for the dissemination of homeland security information related to the 
investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime, including 
threats of terrorism or acts of terrorism, to educate, train, and equip 
State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, 
prosecutors, and judges.
    ``(b) Functions.--The functions of the Institute shall include the 
following:
            ``(1) Educating State, local, tribal, and territorial law 
        enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on current--
                    ``(A) cyber and electronic crimes and related 
                threats, including threats of terrorism or acts of 
                terrorism;
                    ``(B) methods for investigating cyber and 
                electronic crimes, including crimes related to threats 
                of terrorism or acts of terrorism, and conducting 
                computer and mobile device forensic examinations; and
                    ``(C) prosecutorial and judicial challenges related 
                to cyber and electronic crimes, and computer and mobile 
                device forensic examinations.
            ``(2) Training State, local, tribal, and territorial law 
        enforcement officers to--
                    ``(A) conduct cyber and electronic crime 
                investigations, including such investigations related 
                to threats of terrorism or acts of terrorism;
                    ``(B) conduct computer and mobile device forensic 
                examinations; and
                    ``(C) respond to network intrusion incidents, 
                including incidents related to threats of terrorism or 
                acts of terrorism.
            ``(3) Training State, local, tribal, and territorial law 
        enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges on methods to 
        obtain, process, store, and admit digital evidence in court.
    ``(c) Principles.--In carrying out the functions under subsection 
(b), the Institute shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that 
timely, actionable, and relevant expertise and homeland security 
information related to cyber and electronic crime, including threats of 
terrorism or acts of terrorism, is shared with State, local, tribal, 
and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges.
    ``(d) Equipment.--The Institute is authorized to provide State, 
local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, 
and judges with computer equipment, hardware, software, manuals, and 
tools necessary to conduct cyber and electronic crimes investigations 
and computer and mobile device forensic examinations.
    ``(e) Electronic Crime Task Forces.--The Institute shall facilitate 
the expansion of the Secret Service's network of Electronic Crime Task 
Forces through the addition of task force officers of State, local, 
tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and 
judges educated and trained at the Institute, in addition to academia 
and private sector stakeholders.''.
    (b) No Additional Funding.--No additional funds are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this Act and the amendment made by this 
Act. This Act and such amendment shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise available for such purposes.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 821 the following new item:

``Sec. 822. National Computer Forensics Institute.''.
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