The Homeland Security Act, signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2002, created the Department of Homeland Security and placed 22 federal agencies under its jurisdiction. Its purpose was to prevent domestic terrorist attacks, reduce vulnerability, and ensure recovery efforts. The act also established partnerships with federal departments, local governments, and the private sector and ensured the security of critical information. It transferred the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to the Justice Department, tightened restrictions on explosives, and allowed pilots to be trained in using firearms.
The Homeland Security Act is a bill that was passed by the United States Congress and later signed into law by then President George W. Bush on November 25, 2002. It created a new federal agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and initially placed 22 federal agencies under the department’s jurisdiction.
The impetus for the bill was the terrorist attacks that destroyed the Twin Tower buildings in New York City on September 11, 2001. Many authorities believed the terrorist plans went undetected because government agencies did not share the information. The enactment of the Homeland Security Act represented the most radical realignment of government authority since the establishment of the Department of Defense after World War II.
Agencies reporting to the Department of Homeland Security as a result of the act include the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Secret Service, the Customs Service, the Federal Emergency Management Service, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Border Patrol . The head office of all agencies is the Secretary of Homeland Security. The appointment of the secretary is reserved exclusively to the president of the United States. The Homeland Security Act excludes the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency from the list of agencies under the Secretary of Homeland Security, but the secretary is responsible for gathering intelligence from the two agencies on homeland security matters.
The Homeland Security Act gives the Department of Homeland Security the duty to prevent domestic terrorist attacks, reduce the nation’s vulnerability to terrorist acts, minimize the consequences of terrorism, support recovery efforts, ensure the effectiveness of all agencies reporting to the department and make certain that departmental policies do not adversely affect the nation’s economic security.
To achieve its objectives, the act specifies certain areas for which the new department is specifically responsible. These include analyzing information and strengthening infrastructure, implementing and improving homeland security science and technology, safeguarding national borders and transportation systems, and ensuring emergency preparedness and response. The act also ensured that agencies partnered with others, from federal departments down to local governments and the private sector, creating a National Homeland Security Council; and ensured the security of all critical information.
Further provisions of the Homeland Security Act transfer the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms from the Treasury Department to the Justice Department; tighten restrictions on the possession of explosives; and impose tougher penalties for illegal possession of explosive materials. The act also allows the Transportation Security Administration to train pilots in the use of firearms to defend their aircraft and passengers. Furthermore, the act specifies that only US citizens and citizens can be employed as airport passenger screening agents.
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