H.R. 1327: Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act

The bill known as the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act aims to enhance national security by requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to conduct a thorough assessment of terrorist threats posed by individuals in Syria affiliated with specific terrorist organizations. Key components of the bill include:

Objectives of the Bill

• The primary objective is to evaluate and report on the risks that individuals in Syria present to the United States, focusing on those connected to foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorist organizations.

Requirements for the Threat Assessment

The assessment mandated by the bill must include several essential elements:

• Identification of individuals: It must identify the country of origin of the individuals posing a threat.
• Description of organizations: The report should describe the foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorist organizations with which these individuals are affiliated.
• Department capabilities: It must detail the capabilities of the Department of Homeland Security in terms of identifying, tracking, and monitoring these individuals, including any challenges they face in this area.
• Mitigation efforts: The assessment should outline any actions the Department is taking to mitigate threats from these individuals and attempts to prevent them from entering the United States.

Timeline for Reporting

Upon the enactment of the bill, the Secretary of Homeland Security is required to:

• Submit the completed threat assessment to the appropriate congressional committees within 60 days.
• Provide a briefing to these committees regarding the findings of the assessment.

Definitions Provided in the Bill

The bill includes definitions for critical terms, such as:

• Appropriate congressional committees: Refers to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
• Foreign terrorist organization: A group designated as such under U.S. immigration laws.
• Specially designated global terrorist organization: An organization designated under Executive Order 13224, which involves specific prohibitions related to terrorism.

Overall Significance

This legislation seeks to provide U.S. lawmakers with critical information about potential terrorist threats emanating from Syria, thereby aiming to bolster efforts in national security and threat prevention.

Relevant Companies

None found