,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dgac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #ag1        
#bjai,mr4 ,green of ,texas 7for himself 
and ,mr4 ,thompson of ,mississippi7     
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb to    
make certain improvements in the ,office
 for ,civil ,rights and ,civil          
,liberties of the ,department of        
,homeland ,security1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,department of      
,homeland ,security ,office of ,civil   
,rights and ,civil ,liberties           
,authorization ,act4  #b4 ,officer for  
,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties    
7a7 ,in general ,section #gje of the    
,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb 7#f   
,u4,s4,c4 #cde7 is amended--  7#a7 in   
the section heading1 by striking        
,establishment of2 and  7#b7 by striking
 subsections 7a7 and 7b7 and inserting  

the following new subsections3  7a7 ,in 
general ,there is established within the
 ,department an ,office for ,civil      
,rights and ,civil ,liberties4 ,the head
 of such ,office is the ,officer for    
,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties1   
who shall report directly to the        
,secretary4  7b7 ,responsibilities ,the 
,officer for ,civil ,rights and ,civil  
,liberties shall carry out the following
 responsibilities3 7#a7 ,oversee        
compliance with constitutional1         
statutory1 regulatory1 policy1 and other
 requirements relating to the civil     
rights and civil liberties of           
individuals affected by the programs and
 activities of the ,department4  7#b7   
,integrate civil rights and civil       
liberties into all programs and         
activities of the ,department4  7#c7    
,conduct civil rights and civil         
liberties impact assessments1 as        
appropriate4  7#d7 ,conduct periodic    
reviews of policies and activities of   
the ,department4  7#e7 ,provide policy  

advice1 recommendations1 and other      
technical assistance to the ,secretary  
and to heads of components1             
directorates1 and offices and other     
personnel within the ,department4  7#f7 
,review1 assess1 and investigate        
complaints1 including complaints filed  
by members of the public1 and           
information indicating possible abuses  
of civil rights or civil liberties1     
unless the ,inspector ,general of the   
,department determines that any such    
complaint or information should be      
investigated by the ,inspector ,general4
  7#g7 ,initiate reviews1 assessments1  
and investigations of the administration
 of the programs and activities by the  
,department1 as the ,officer determines 
necessary4  7#h7 ,coordinate with the   
,privacy ,officer to ensure that-- 7,a7 
programs1 policies1 and procedures      
involving civil rights1 civil liberties1
 and privacy considerations are         
addressed in an integrated and          
comprehensive manner2 and  7,b7         

,congress receives appropriate reports  
regarding such programs1 policies1 and  
procedures4  7#i7 ,lead the equal       
employment opportunity programs of the  
,department1 including complaint        
management and adjudication1 and promote
 workforce diversity and merit system   
principles4  7#aj7 ,make publicly       
available through accessible            
communications channels1 including the  
website of the ,department--  7,a7      
information on the responsibilities and 
functions of1 and how to contact1 the   
,officer2 and  7,b7 reports that are    
issued by the ,officer upon completion  
of investigations carried out pursuant  
to paragraph 7#f7 or 7#g74  7#aa7       
,engage with individuals and communities
 whose civil rights and civil liberties 
may be affected by programs and         
activities of the ,department1 including
 by informing such individuals and      
communities about redress processes and 
advising the ,secretary and heads of    
components1 directorates1 offices1 and  

other personnel within the ,department  
of any concerns raised by such          
individuals and communities4  7c7       
,transparency  7#a7 ,complaints ,in the 
case of a complaint made concerning     
allegations of abuses of civil rights   
and civil liberties under paragraph 7#f7
 of subsection 7b71 the ,officer for    
,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties    
shall--  7,a7 provide to the individual 
who made the complaint notice of the    
receipt of such complaint within #cj    
days of receiving the complaint2 and    
7,b7 inform the complainant of the      
determination of the ,officer regarding 
the initiation of a review1 assessment1 
or investigation within the ,office or a
 referral to the ,inspector ,general of 
the ,department4  7#b7 ,investigations  
,in the case of an investigation        
initiated by the ,officer pursuant to   
paragraph 7#f7 or 7#g7 of subsection    
7b71 upon the conclusion of the         
investigation1 the ,officer shall       
produce a report on the investigation   

which--  7,a7 shall include the findings
 and recommendations of the ,officer2   
7,b7 shall be made publicly available2  
and  7,c7 may include a classified      
appendix1 as the ,officer determines    
appropriate4  7#c7 ,submittal to heads  
of operational compoenents ,the ,officer
 shall transmit a copy of each report   
produced under paragraph 7#b7 to the    
,secretary and to the relevant head of  
each relevant operational component of  
the ,department4  7d7 ,component civil  
rights and civil liberties officer ,the 
head of each of the operational         
components of the ,department shall     
designate a career appointee 7as such   
term is defined in section #cacb of     
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code7 from   
such component as the ,officer for      
,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties of 
that component4 ,the ,officer for ,civil
 ,rights and ,civil ,liberties of each  
such component shall report to the      
,officer for ,civil ,rights and ,civil  
,liberties of the ,department4  7e7     

,access to information ,the ,officer for
 ,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties of
 the ,department shall-- 7#a7 have      
access to all records1 reports1 audits1 
reviews1 documents1 papers1             
recommendations1 and other materials    
available to the ,department that relate
 to programs and operations with respect
 to the responsibilities of the ,officer
 under subsection 7b72  7#b7 subject to 
the approval of the ,secretary1 may1 to 
the extent the ,officer determines      
necessary1 issue a subpoena to require  
the production1 by any person other than
 a ,federal agency1 of all information1 
documents1 reports1 answers1 records1   
accounts1 papers1 and other data or     
documentary evidence necessary to the   
performance of the responsibilities of  
the ,officer under this section2 and    
7#c7 administer to or take from any     
person an oath1 affirmation1 or         
affidavit whenever necessary in the     
performance of the responsibilities of  
the ,officer under this section4  7f7   

,annual report ,not later than ,march   
#ca of each year1 the ,officer for      
,civil ,rights and ,civil ,liberties of 
the ,department shall submit directly to
 the ,president1 the ,president of the  
,senate1 the ,speaker of the ,house of  
,representatives1 and the appropriate   
committees and subcommittees of         
,congress1 without any prior comment or 
amendment by the ,secretary1 ,deputy    
,secretary1 or any other officer or     
employee of the ,department1 a report on
 the implementation of this section     
during the year preceding the year      
during which the report is submitted4   
,each such report shall include1 for the
 year covered by the report--  7#a7 any 
allegations of abuse described under    
subsection 7b77#f7 and any actions by   
the ,department or a component1         
directorate1 or office of the           
,department that the ,officer identifies
 as responsive to such allegations2     
7#b7 a list of ,department programs and 
activities for which civil rights and   

civil liberties impact assessments were 
conducted1 or policy advice1            
recommendations1 or other technical     
assistance was provided2  7#c7 any      
recommendations issued by the ,officer  
to the ,secretary or the head of a      
component1 directorate1 or office1      
together with information on the status 
of the implementation of such           
recommendations2  7#d7 information on   
the diversity and equal employment      
opportunity activities of the           
,department1 including information on   
complaint management and adjudication of
 equal employment opportunity complaints
 and efforts to ensure compliance       
throughout the ,department with equal   
employment opportunity requirements2    
7#e7 a description of any efforts to    
engage with individuals and communities 
whose civil rights and civil liberties  
may be affected by activities carried   
out by the ,department1 including public
 meetings2 and  7#f7 information on     
total staffing for the ,office of ,civil

 ,rights and ,civil ,liberties1         
including-- 7,a7 the number of          
full-time1 part-time and contract       
support personnel2 and  7,b7 information
 on the number of employees whose       
primary responsibilities include        
supporting the ,officer in carrying out 
paragraph 7#i7 of subsection 7b74  4    
7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the item       
relating to section #gje in section     
#a7;b7 of the ,homeland ,security ,act  
of #bjjb is amended to read as follows3 
,sec4 #gje4 ,officer for civil rights   
and civil liberties4  4