§6922. Office of Homeland Security

(a) Definition of agriculture and food defense

In this section, the term "agriculture and food defense" means any action to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, or recover from a naturally occurring, unintentional, or intentional threat to the agriculture and food system.

(b) Authorization

The Secretary shall establish in the Department the Office of Homeland Security.

(c) Executive Director

The Office of Homeland Security shall be headed by an Executive Director, who shall be known as the Executive Director of Homeland Security.

(d) Duties

The Executive Director of Homeland Security shall-

(1) serve as the principal advisor to the Secretary on homeland security, including emergency management and agriculture and food defense;

(2) coordinate activities of the Department, including policies, processes, budget needs, and oversight relating to homeland security, including emergency management and agriculture and food defense;

(3) act as the primary liaison on behalf of the Department with other Federal departments and agencies in activities relating to homeland security, including emergency management and agriculture and food defense, and provide for interagency coordination and data sharing;

(4)(A) coordinate in the Department the gathering of information relevant to early warning and awareness of threats and risks to the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector; and

(B) share that information with, and provide assistance with interpretation and risk characterization of that information to, the intelligence community (as defined in section 3003 of title 50), law enforcement agencies, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and State fusion centers (as defined in section 124h(j) of title 6 ¹ ;

(5) liaise with the Director of National Intelligence to assist in the development of periodic assessments and intelligence estimates, or other intelligence products, that support the defense of the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector;

(6) coordinate the conduct, evaluation, and improvement of exercises to identify and eliminate gaps in preparedness and response;

(7) produce a Department-wide centralized strategic coordination plan to provide a high-level perspective of the operations of the Department relating to homeland security, including emergency management and agriculture and food defense; and

(8) carry out other appropriate duties, as determined by the Secretary.

(e) Agriculture and food threat awareness partnership program

(1) Interagency exchange program

The Secretary, in partnership with the intelligence community (as defined in section 3003 of title 50) and fusion centers (as defined in section 124h(j) of title 6 ¹ that have analysis and intelligence capabilities relating to the defense of the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector, shall establish and carry out an interagency exchange program of personnel and information to improve communication and analysis for the defense of the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector.

(2) Collaboration with Federal, State, and local authorities

To carry out the program established under paragraph (1), the Secretary may-

(A) enter into 1 or more cooperative agreements or contracts with Federal, State, or local authorities that have analysis and intelligence capabilities and expertise relating to the defense of the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector; and

(B) carry out any other activity under any other authority of the Secretary that is appropriate to engage the authorities described in subparagraph (A) for the defense of the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector, as determined by the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 103–354, title II, §221, as added Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, §12202, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4944 .)

¹ So in original. Probably should be followed by a closing parenthesis.