text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Intergovernmental Law Enforcement 
  Information Sharing Act of 2001''.
  
  SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) Governors and mayors are responsible for the protection 
          of their constituents, and State and local agencies are 
          typically the first responders to emergencies. Therefore, State 
          and local officials and agencies must be able to receive 
          information regarding potential threats within their 
          jurisdictions.
              (2) Most State and local law enforcement authorities 
          currently have mechanisms in place to receive and protect 
          classified information provided by Federal officials. These 
          mechanisms must be supplemented to include elected officials 
          and additional senior law enforcement officials in every State.
              (3) Expanding the issuance of security clearances, 
          consistent with all applicable Federal standards and 
          investigative requirements, is an important means of improving 
          information sharing among Federal, State, and local officials.
              (4) There is a need for a comprehensive review of 
          procedures within Federal law enforcement agencies in order to 
          identify and remedy unnecessary barriers to information sharing 
          among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.
  
  SEC. 3. SECURITY CLEARANCES AND ENHANCED INFORMATION SHARING.
  
      Chapter 65 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
  the end the following new section:
  ``Sec. 6509. Intergovernmental cooperation to enhance the sharing of 
                law enforcement information
      ``(a) The Attorney General shall expeditiously carry out security 
  clearance investigations for the persons identified in subsection (b), 
  and shall grant appropriate security clearances to all such persons who 
  qualify for clearances under the standards set forth in applicable laws 
  and Executive orders.
      ``(b) The persons referred to in subsection (a) are:
              ``(1) Every Governor of a State or territory who applies 
          for a security clearance.
              ``(2) Every chief elected official of a political 
          subdivision of a State or territory with a population exceeding 
          30,000 who applies for a security clearance.
              ``(3) At least one senior law enforcement official for each 
          State or territory, as designated by the Governor of such State 
          or territory.
              ``(4) At least one senior law enforcement official for each 
          political subdivision described in paragraph (2), as designated 
          by the chief elected official of such subdivision.
              ``(5) Law enforcement officers from State, territorial, and 
          local agencies that participate in Federal counter-terrorism 
          working groups, joint or regional terrorism task forces, and 
          other activities involving the combined efforts of Federal and 
          non-Federal law enforcement agencies.
              ``(6) The chiefs, commissioners, sheriffs, or comparable 
          officials who head each State, territorial, and local agency 
          that participates in a working group, task force, or similar 
          activity described in paragraph (5).
      ``(c)(1) The Attorney General may charge State, territorial, and 
  local governments, in whole or in part, for the costs of carrying out 
  security clearance investigations and granting security clearances 
  under this section. Such charges may not exceed the amounts charged for 
  carrying out such investigations and granting such clearances for 
  Federal employees.
      ``(2) The Attorney General may waive any charges that would 
  otherwise apply under paragraph (1) to a State, territorial, or local 
  government if such government agrees to promptly provide Federal 
  officials, without charge, access to the criminal databases of such 
  government for the purpose of conducting personnel security background 
  investigations for military, civilian, and contract employees.
      ``(d) To the maximum extent practicable, the Attorney General shall 
  ensure that information systems, including databases, are configured to 
  allow efficient and effective sharing of information among appropriate 
  Federal, State, territorial, and local officials and agencies.''.
  
  SEC. 4. STUDY BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
  
      (a) Study Required.--The Attorney General shall conduct a study of 
  methods to enhance the sharing of sensitive Federal law enforcement 
  information with State, territorial, and local law enforcement 
  officials. The study shall review--
              (1) appropriate safeguards to protect confidential sources 
          and methods;
              (2) mechanisms for determining the credibility of 
          information relating to potential threats;
              (3) restrictions on access to Federal databases by State, 
          territorial, and local elected officials and law enforcement 
          personnel; and
              (4) any other matter that the Attorney General considers 
          appropriate.
      (b) Participation.--The Attorney General shall ensure that 
  officials from State, territorial, and local law enforcement agencies 
  participate in the study.
      (c) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall submit a report 
  containing the findings and recommendations of the study to the 
  Committee on Government Reform and the Committee on the Judiciary of 
  the House of Representatives and the Committee on Governmental Affairs 
  and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
  
  SEC. 5. DISCLAIMER.
  
      Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the authority of 
  the head of a Federal agency to classify information or to continue the 
  classification of information previously classified by an agency.
target: Intergovernmental Law Enforcement Information Sharing Act of 2001 - Directs the Attorney General to expeditiously carry out security clearance investigations for, and to grant appropriate security clearances to, specified persons, including: (1) every Governor who applies for a security clearance; (2) at least one senior law enforcement official for each State or territory; (3) law enforcement officers from State, territorial, and local agencies that participate in Federal counter-terrorism working groups or joint or regional terrorism task forces; and (4) the chiefs, commissioners, sheriffs, or comparable officials who head State, territorial, and local agencies that participate in such working groups or task forces.Authorizes the Attorney General to: (1) charge State, territorial, and local governments for the costs of carrying out security clearance investigations and granting security clearances, not to exceed the amounts charged for Federal employees; and (2) waive any charges that would otherwise apply to a State, territorial, or local government if such government agrees to promptly provide Federal officials, without charge, with access to criminal databases for the purpose of conducting personnel security background investigations for military, civilian, and contract employees.Directs the Attorney General to: (1) ensure that information systems, including databases, are configured to allow efficient and effective sharing of information among appropriate Federal, State, territorial, and local officials and agencies; and (2) conduct a study of methods to enhance the sharing of sensitive Federal law enforcement information with State, territorial, and local law enforcement officials.
feat_title: To amend title 31, United States Code, to provide for intergovernmental cooperation to enhance the sharing of law enforcement information.