S-2741 : Still Just a Bill

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 - Title I: Intelligence Activities - Authorizes FY2015 appropriations for the conduct of intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the: (1) Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI); (2) Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); (3) Department of Defense (DOD); (4) Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA); (5) National Security Agency (NSA); (6) Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force; (7) Coast Guard; (8) Departments of State, the Treasury, Energy (DOE), and Justice (DOJ); (9) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); (10) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); (11) National Reconnaissance Office; (12) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; and (13) Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Specifies that the amounts authorized and the authorized personnel ceilings as of September 30, 2015, for such activities are those in the classified Schedule of Authorizations, which shall be made available to the congressional appropriations committees and the President.

Allows the DNI to authorize employment of civilian personnel in excess of the number authorized for FY2015 when necessary for the performance of important intelligence functions. Requires notification to the intelligence committees on the use of such authority.

Requires the DNI to establish guidelines to govern the treatment under such authorized personnel levels of employment or assignment in: (1) a student or trainee program; (2) a reserve corps or as a reemployed annuitant; or (3) details, joint duty, or long term, full-time training.

Authorizes appropriations for the Intelligence Community Management Account for FY2015, as well as for personnel positions for elements within such Account.

Title II: Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System - Authorizes appropriations for FY2015 for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability Fund.

Title III: General Provisions - Subtitle A: General Matters - Permits appropriations authorized by this Act for salary, pay, retirement, and other benefits for federal employees to be increased by such additional or supplemental amounts as necessary for increases in such compensation or benefits authorized by law.

Prohibits the authorization of appropriations by this Act from being deemed to constitute authority to conduct any intelligence activity not otherwise authorized by the Constitution or laws of the United States.

Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to require the DNI to conduct a quadrennial intelligence strategic review that delineates a national intelligence strategy addressing capabilities, structure, policies, infrastructure, budget plans, and other aspects of U.S. intelligence activities to meet national security objectives for the next 10 years. Requires consultation with federal agencies; each element of the intelligence community; state, local, and tribal governments; Congress; private sector representatives; and academics.

Requires the DNI to prepare plans for financial intelligence activities and the application of private sector best practices to employee access and monitoring systems.

Requires each element of the intelligence community to adopt Attorney General-approved procedures to prohibit retention for a period in excess of five years of nonpublic telephone or electronic communications to or from a U.S. person that are acquired without a court order and without the consent of a person who is a party to the communication unless:

• the communication constitutes, or is necessary to understand or assess, foreign intelligence or counterintelligence;
• the communication constitutes evidence of a crime and is retained by a law enforcement agency;
• the communication is enciphered or reasonably believed to have a secret meaning;
• all parties to the communication are reasonably believed to be non-U.S. persons;
• retention is necessary to protect against an imminent threat to human life or for technical assurance or compliance purposes ; or
• the head of an element of the intelligence community approves retention for a longer period if necessary to protect U.S. national security and upon a certification to Congress.

Requires the DNI to report to Congress regarding the feasibility of consolidating classified cyber threat indicator and malware sample databases in the intelligence community.

Expresses the sense of Congress concerning U.S.-Ukraine cooperation on cybersecurity policies and extradition of cybercriminals.

Urges the President to take certain actions regarding Ukraine's anti-cybercrime efforts and U.S. cooperation and assistance in those efforts.

Requires the Secretary of State to ensure that every supervisory position at a U.S. diplomatic facility in the Russian Federation is occupied by a U.S. citizen who has passed, and is subject to, a thorough background check. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a plan to further reduce the reliance on locally employed staff in such facilities.

Requires restricted access space to be included in each U.S. diplomatic facility that is constructed in, or undergoes a construction upgrade in, the Russian Federation, any country that shares a land border with the Russian Federation, or any country that is a former member of the Soviet Union.

Subtitle B: Reporting - Requires the DNI to report to Congress regarding: (1) the declassification process of the intelligence community, (2) violations of law or executive orders by personnel of an element of the intelligence community, and (3) political prison camps in North Korea.

Requires the DHS Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis to report to Congress regarding a plan to enhance the coordination of department-wide intelligence activities to achieve greater efficiencies in the performance of DHS intelligence functions.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the President, working with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), should provide the government and armed forces of Ukraine with intelligence sharing support.

Directs the DNI and the DOD Secretary to report to Congress every 180 days with an assessment of U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine.