adjunct to the new office, to ensure that such issues are an important part of the national strategy Improve health and medical education and training programs through actions that include licensing and certification requirements Establish standards and protocols for treatment facilities, laboratories, and reporting mechanisms Clarify authorities and procedures for health and medical response Medical entities, such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, should conduct periodic assessments of medical facilities and capabilities Promote Better Research and Development and Create National Standards That the new office, in coordination with the National Institute for Standards and Third Report-For Ray Downey Our Third Annual Report to the President and the Congress builds on findings and recommendations in our First and Second Annual Reports delivered in 1999 and 2000. It reflects a national strategic perspective that encompasses the needs of all three levels of government and the private sector. It seeks to assist those who are dedicated to making our homeland more secure. Our recommendations fall into five categories: ✔ Empowering State and Local Response by ensuring the men and women on the front line of the war against terrorism inside our borders have the tools and resources needed to counter the murderous actions of terrorists; ✔ Enhancing Health and Medical Capacities, both public and private, to help ensure our collective ability to identify attacks quickly and correctly, and to treat the full scope of potential casualties from all forms of terrorist attacks; Strengthening Immigration and Border Controls to enhance our ability to restrict the movement into this country, by all modes of transportation, of potential terrorists and their weapons and to limit severely their ability to operate within our borders; Improving Security Against Cyber Attacks and enhancing related critical infrastructure protection to guard essential government, financial, energy, and other critical sector operations against attack; and ✓Clarifying the Roles and Missions for Use of the Military for providing critical and appropriate emergency response and law enforcement related support to civilian authorities. Mister Chairmen, I should note that the substance of all of the recommendations contained in the third report were approved by the panel at its regular meeting held on August 27 and 28, 2001-Tuesday the 28th being exactly two weeks prior to the attacks of September 11. Although we thoroughly reviewed those recommendations subsequently, the panel unanimously agreed that all were valid and required no supplementation prior to publication. The recommendations contained in that report, listed below in summary form, are discussed in detail in the body of the report, and further supported by material in the report appendices, especially the information from the nationwide survey of State and local responders covering an array of preparedness and response issues. State and Local Response Capabilities Increase and accelerate the sharing of terrorism-related intelligence and threat assessments Design training and equipment programs for all-hazards preparedness Redesign Federal training and equipment grant programs to include sustainment components Increase funding to States and localities for combating terrorism Consolidate Federal grant program information and application procedures Design Federal preparedness programs to ensure first responder participation, especially volunteers Establish an information clearinghouse on Federal programs, assets, and agencies Configure Federal military response assets to support and reinforce existing structures and systems Health and Medical Capabilities Implement the AMA Recommendations on Medical Preparedness for Terrorism Fully resource the CDC Biological and Chemical Terrorism Strategic Plan Fully resource the CDC Laboratory Response Network for Bioterrorism Fully resource the CDC Secure and Rapid Communications Networks Develop standard medical response models for Federal, State, and local levels Revise current EMT and PNST training and refresher curricula Increase Federal resources for exercises for State and local health and medical entities Establish a government-owned, contractor-operated national vaccine and therapeutics facility Review and recommend changes to plans for vaccine stockpiles and critical supplies Develop a comprehensive plan for research on terrorism-related health and medical issues Review MMRS and NDMS authorities, structures, and capabilities Develop an education plan on the legal and procedural issues for health and medical response to terrorism Develop on-going public education programs on terrorism causes and effects Fully integrate all affected entities into local or regional “port security committees" Ensure that all border agencies are partners in intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination Create, provide resources for, and mandate participation in a "Border Security Require shippers to submit cargo manifest information simultaneously with Establish "Trusted Shipper" programs Expand Coast Guard search authority to include U.S. owned—not just “flagged"— vessels Expand and consolidate research, development, and integration of sensor, detection, and warning systems Increase resources for the U.S. Coast Guard for homeland security missions Negotiate more comprehensive treaties and agreements for combating terrorism with Canada and Mexico Cyber Security Include private and State and local representatives on the interagency critical infrastructure advisory panel Create a commission to assess and make recommendations on programs for cyber security Establish a government funded, not-for-profit entity for cyber detection, alert, and warning functions Convene a "summit" to address Federal statutory changes that would enhance cyber assurance Create a special "Cyber Court” patterned after the court established in FISA Develop and implement a comprehensive plan for cyber security research, development, test, and evaluation Use of the Military Establish a homeland security under secretary position in the Department of Defense Establish a single unified command and control structure to execute all military support to civil authorities Develop detailed plans for the use of the military domestically across the spectrum of potential activities Expand training and exercises in relevant military units and with Federal, State, and local responders Direct new mission areas for the National Guard to provide support to civil authorities Publish a compendium of statutory authorities for using the military domestically to combat terrorism Improve the military full-time liaison elements in the ten Federal Emergency Status of Our Recommendations Mr. Chairman and Members, I can tell you that, according to our most recent count, of the 79 major policy recommendations mad by the Advisory Panel to date, 64 have now been adopted in whole or in major part. Having said that, there are others that continue to need to be addressed, and some that could still use additional resources or policy direction. Our Current Deliberations Mr. Chairman, as we sit here today, the Congress has once again taken up consideration of the creation of a Department of Homeland Security. At the same time, the intelligence committees of each House are putting together a report, flowing from the recent Joint Inquiry of those committees, which will, perhaps, contain major recommendations with respect to the structure, laws, and procedures of the Intelligence Community for combating Terrorism. In addition, the Congress is attempting to complete action on appropriations bills for the current fiscal year, which if enacted will contain significant additional funding to address some of these issues, especially for supporting the efforts of State and local responders. In the midst of all that, the Advisory Panel is crafting and putting the finishing touches on significant policy recommendations in several key areas: In addition, that report will contain an update of the comprehensive threat assessment contained in the Panel's First Annual Report, as well as a set of recommendations on the nature and sources of the resources necessary to fund the national efforts to combat terrorism. Recommendations for the Fourth Annual Report Strategy and Structure Mr. Chairman and Members, I have a bit of an announcement to make in this forum. Because the Congress in considering the new Department of Homeland Security, the Advisory Panel decided at its meeting last week to release its principal recommendations in this area in advance of the publication of its full report in December. We have done so in the hope that those recommendations may help to inform the current debate. Briefly, the "Strategy and Structure" Chapter recommends: That the President create an entity that will become the all-source fusion and analysis center for potential terrorists attacks inside the United States from foreign terrorists and their supporters. That center would also house, in a separate component, the intelligence collection against such terrorists currently in the FBL That more comprehensive assessments of threats to the homeland be developed |