The House of Representatives passed on Monday the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act (H.R. 3490) to codify the National Computer Forensics Institute in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Approved by voice vote, H.R. 3490 organizes the institute for the dissemination of homeland security information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime, including threats or acts of terrorism; as well as to educate, train, and equip state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges.
The bill directs the institute to specifically 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; ensure timely, actionable, and relevant expertise and homeland security information related to cyber and electric crime is shared with such officers, prosecutors, and judges; and may provide such officers, prosecutors, and judges with computer equipment and tools for such investigations and examinations.
As part of the effort, H.R. 3490 also expands the Secret Service’s network of Electronic Crime Task Forces by adding task force officers, prosecutors, and judges educated and trained at the institute as well as adding academia and private sector stakeholders.
The House Judiciary Committee previously approved the bill in September. Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) commended H.R. 3490’s passage.
“In order to protect Americans from cyber criminals, the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act enables technology experts at the Secret Service to train local law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges on how to combat cybercrime in their own cities and states. I am pleased the House of Representatives approved this bill today and urge the Senate to take it up immediately,” Goodlatte said in a committee statement.
Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas), author of the bill, thanked the chairman and echoed his message in the statement. “The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2015 will help provide local law enforcement with the skills they need to fight back against cybercrime and keep our communities safe.”
“I would like to thank Chairman Goodlatte for the opportunity to move this much needed legislation, which will play a vital role in training law enforcement in Texas and across the country. I’m grateful for its passage in the U.S. House, and I’m hopeful that the Senate will quickly take up this commonsense measure so it can be signed into law,” Ratcliffe added.
In September, H.R. 3490 was also marked up by the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies and approved by the full committee (Defense Daily, Sept. 30), both by voice vote.