Agricultural Intelligence Measures Act or the AIM Act
This bill establishes the Office of Intelligence in the Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the National Intelligence Program.
The office must
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8238 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8238
To establish the Office of Intelligence in the Department of
Agriculture, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 14, 2020
Mr. Crawford introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, 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 establish the Office of Intelligence in the Department of
Agriculture, 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 ``Agricultural Intelligence Measures
Act'' or the ``AIM Act''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE IN DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.
(a) Establishment.--Subtitle A of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``SEC. 225A. OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department an
Office of Intelligence. The Office shall be under the National
Intelligence Program.
``(b) Director.--
``(1) In general.--The Office shall be headed by the
Director of the Office of Intelligence, who shall be an
employee in the Senior Executive Service and who shall be
appointed by the Secretary. The Director shall report directly
to the Secretary.
``(2) Qualifications.--The Secretary shall select an
individual to serve as the Director from among individuals who
have significant experience serving in the intelligence
community.
``(3) Staff.--The Director may appoint and fix the
compensation of such staff as the Director considers
appropriate, except that the Director may not appoint more than
5 full-time equivalent positions at an annual rate of pay equal
to or greater than the maximum rate of basic pay for GS-15 of
the General Schedule.
``(4) Detail of personnel of intelligence community.--Upon
the request of the Director, the head of an element of the
intelligence community may detail any of the personnel of such
element to assist the Office in carrying out its duties. Any
personnel detailed to assist the Office shall not be taken into
account in determining the number of full-time equivalent
positions of the Office under paragraph (3).
``(c) Duties.--The Office shall carry out the following duties:
``(1) The Office shall be responsible for leveraging the
capabilities of the intelligence community and National
Laboratories intelligence-related research, to ensure that the
Secretary is fully informed of threats by foreign actors to
United States agriculture.
``(2) The Office shall focus on understanding foreign
efforts to--
``(A) steal United States agriculture knowledge and
technology; and
``(B) develop or implement biological warfare
attacks, cyber or clandestine operations, or other
means of sabotaging and disrupting United States
agriculture.
``(3) The Office shall conduct or facilitate intelligence
briefings for the Secretary and appropriate officials of the
Department of Agriculture.
``(4) The Office shall operate as the liaison between the
Secretary and the intelligence community, with the authority to
request intelligence collection and analysis on matters related
to United States agriculture.
``(5) The Office shall collaborate with the intelligence
community to downgrade intelligence assessments for broader
dissemination within the Department.
``(6) The Office shall facilitate sharing information on
foreign activities related to agriculture, as acquired by the
Department with the intelligence community.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Office $970,000 for fiscal year 2021.
``(e) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions
apply:
``(1) The term `Director' means the Director of the Office
of Intelligence appointed under subsection (b).
``(2) The terms `intelligence community' and `National
Intelligence Program' have the meaning given such terms in
section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003).
``(3) The term `Office' means the Office of Intelligence of
the Department of Agriculture established under subsection
(a).''.
(b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Existing Functions and
Authorities.--
(1) Existing functions of office of homeland security of
department relating to intelligence on threats to food and
agriculture critical infrastructure sector.--
(A) In general.--Section 221(d) of such Act (7
U.S.C. 6922(d)) is amended--
(i) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5); and
(ii) by redesignating paragraphs (6)
through (8) as paragraphs (4) through (6).
(B) Transfer of related personnel and assets of
office of homeland security.--The functions which the
Office of Homeland Security of the Department of
Agriculture exercised under paragraphs (4) and (5) of
section 221(d) of the Department of Agriculture
Reorganization Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 6922(d)) before
the effective date of this paragraph, together with the
funds, assets, and other resources used by the Director
of the Office of Homeland Security of the Department to
carry out such functions before the effective date of
this paragraph, are transferred to the Director of the
Office of Intelligence of the Department.
(2) Carrying out interagency exchange program for defense
of food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector.--
Section 221(e) of such Act (7 U.S.C. 6922(e)) is amended by
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) Authority of director of office of intelligence and
counterintelligence.--The Secretary shall carry out this
subsection acting through the Director of the Office of
Intelligence of the Department.''.
(3) Coordinating with intelligence community on potential
threats to agriculture.--Section 335(a)(3) of the Public Health
Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002
(7 U.S.C. 3354(a)(3)) is amended by striking ``strengthen
coordination'' and inserting ``acting through the Director of
the Office of Intelligence in the Department of Agriculture,
strengthen coordination''.
(4) Effective date.--This subsection and the amendments
made by this subsection shall take effect upon the appointment
of the Director of the Office of Intelligence in the Department
of Agriculture under section 225A(b) of the Department of
Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (as added by subsection
(a)).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), 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.
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