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Report to the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives: United States General Accounting Office: GAO: March 2004: Homeland Security: Selected Recommendations from Congressionally Chartered Commissions and GAO: GAO-04-591: GAO Highlights: Highlights of GAO-04-591, a report to the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives Why GAO Did This Study: Terrorist attacks, both before and after September 11, 2001, have increased congressional concerns regarding the complexity, funding, and oversight of federal programs designed to combat terrorism and ensure homeland security. Hundreds of recommendations have been made by nationally chartered commissions and GAO to further improve our nation’s strategic planning and program development in homeland security. GAO was asked to review the reports of selected congressionally chartered commissions and previously issued GAO reports and testimonies in order to identify the strategic recommendations made and organize them both by critical mission area and topic area. What GAO Found: GAO categorized 114 strategic commission recommendations and 59 strategic GAO recommendations under six distinct critical mission areas identified in the National Strategy for Homeland Security: intelligence and warning, border and transportation security, domestic counterterrorism, protection of critical infrastructure and key assets, defending against catastrophic threats, and emergency preparedness and response. GAO’s categorization process determined that the greatest number of commission and GAO recommendations related to the emergency preparedness and response critical mission area, while the fewest related to the border and transportation security critical mission area. GAO determined as well that both the commission and GAO recommendations could generally be categorized under several topic areas within the six critical missions, including changes in general approach or priorities; creation and/or consolidation of organizations and systems; and assignment of specific functions to DHS and other departments/agencies. Additional topic areas included a need for operational and technological improvements; increased readiness; improved management; increased coordination among federal, state, local governments and the private sector; and enhanced or clarified federal or state authorities. This report can serve as a readily available, compact checklist of strategic recommendations on homeland security and as a reference document for legislatures, executive departments and agencies, and working groups addressing homeland security issues. www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-591. To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on the link above. For more information, contact Randall A. Yim at (202) 512-8777 or yimr@gao.gov. [End of section] Contents: Letter: Background: Scope and Methodology: Results: Concluding Observations: Appendix I: Intelligence and Warning: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Appendix II: Border and Transportation Security: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Appendix III: Domestic Counterterrorism: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Appendix IV: Critical Infrastructure and Key Asset Protection: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Appendix V: Defending Against Catastrophic Threats: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Appendix VI: Emergency Preparedness and Response: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Appendix VII: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments: GAO Contact: Staff Acknowledgments: Related GAO Products: Tables: Table 1: Number of Commission and GAO Recommendations Meeting Inclusion Criteria By Critical Mission Area: Abbreviations: AMA: American Medical Association: CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: CIA: Central Intelligence Agency: CBRN: Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear: DHS: Department of Homeland Security: DOD: Department of Defense: DOT: Department of Transportation: EPA: Environmental Protection Agency: FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation: FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency: FISA: Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: GAO: General Accounting Office: HHS: Department of Health and Human Services: JCAHO: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations: NCTC: National Counter Terrorism Center: NIPC: National Infrastructure Protection Center: OIPR: Office of Intelligence Policy and Review: OHS: Office of Homeland Security: TSA: Transportation Security Administration: VA: Department of Veterans Affairs: WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction: United States General Accounting Office: Washington, DC 20548: March 31, 2004: The Honorable Christopher Shays: Chairman, Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations: Committee on Government Reform: House of Representatives: Dear Mr. Chairman: Terrorist attacks, both before and after September 11, 2001, have increased congressional concerns regarding the complexity, funding, and oversight of federal programs designed to combat terrorism and ensure homeland security. Over the last several years, hundreds of recommendations have been made by national commissions and GAO to further improve our nation's strategic planning and program development in homeland security. As requested, we reviewed the reports of selected congressionally chartered commissions and GAO, identified their strategic recommendations, and organized them by critical mission area and topic area. This report will be a useful reference document for this and other congressional committees for identifying strategic recommendations that may be important in implementing the critical missions identified in the National Strategy for Homeland Security. Background: Congress, because of concerns over terrorism, chartered three commissions to examine terrorist threats and the government's response to such threats, as well as to make recommendations to federal, state, local, and private sector organizations. These national commissions included the Bremer Commission (also known as the National Commission on Terrorism, chaired by Ambassador Paul Bremer), the Gilmore Commission (also known as the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, chaired by Governor James S. Gilmore, III), and the Hart- Rudman Commission (also known as the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century, chaired by former Senators Gary Hart and Warren B. Rudman). Congress has also requested GAO to conduct several evaluations of various homeland security programs. These commissions and GAO made a number of strategic recommendations related to combating terrorism and homeland security. Scope and Methodology: We obtained the commission recommendations directly from the reports issued by the three commissions--the one Bremer report, four Gilmore reports,[Footnote 1] and the three Hart-Rudman reports. While a number of other organizations have also made relevant recommendations, we limited our work to these three commissions because they were chartered by Congress specifically to deal with the issues of combating terrorism and homeland security. We obtained the GAO recommendations from a selected review of our products issued from July 1997 to October 2003. We included those commission and GAO recommendations that met the following criteria:[Footnote 2] * They were directly related to combating terrorism and promoting homeland security. * They were strategic in scope. * They did not primarily relate to normal agency-specific management tasks (such as budget development and human resource management). * They did not primarily relate to congressional committee-specific functions. * They were not foreign-country-specific (as the scope of this report is limited to domestic homeland security). * They were not included in GAO classified products (e.g., reports that were "Secret" or "Limited Official Use Only"). We then organized the commission and GAO recommendations by the six "critical mission areas" used in the National Strategy for Homeland Security. These critical mission areas include (1) intelligence and warning, (2) border and transportation security, (3) domestic counterterrorism, (4) protection of critical infrastructure and key assets, (5) defending against catastrophic threats, and (6) emergency preparedness and response (see apps. I-VI). Each of the six appendices refers to a different critical mission area. In those instances where a recommendation could be placed in more than one critical mission area, we initially tried to group it into the single, most relevant mission area (e.g., recommendations on the use of vaccines for bioterrorism could be placed in "defending against catastrophic attacks" and "emergency preparedness and response"; we placed it under catastrophic attacks). In those instances where there was no single, most relevant category, we grouped recommendations into multiple critical mission areas. Other commission and GAO recommendations did not neatly fit into any critical mission area. We then categorized the recommendations within each critical mission area by subtopic so as to provide the reader with a further refinement of the recommendation classification. We did not determine in this report whether the commission and GAO recommendations were implemented. However, we have received a congressional request to provide a status update on the implementation of key GAO recommendations directed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and/or the 22 legacy agencies that became part of the department. We ensured the accuracy of our work by having two reviewers independently verify the verbatim usage of commission and GAO recommendations in the tables. We conducted our work between September 2003 and March 2004 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. We did not seek comments from the commissions and DHS because we were simply compiling and categorizing recommendations taken directly from previously published congressionally chartered commission reports and previously published GAO products that included agency comments, as applicable. Results: Overall, we categorized 114 strategic commission recommendations and 59 strategic GAO recommendations under the six distinct critical mission areas (see apps. I-VI).[Footnote 3] The recommendations proposed, across the six critical mission areas, could generally be aligned under these topic headings (in no hierarchical order): * changes in general approach or priorities; * creation of, or consolidation of, organizations and systems; * assignment of specific functions to DHS and other departments or agencies; * need for operational and technological improvements; * need for increased readiness; * need for additional studies or analyses; * need for improved management; * need for increased coordination between federal, state, and local governments and the private sector; * need for enhanced or clarified federal or state authorities. Table 1 demonstrates the number of specific recommendations cited by the commissions and GAO, for each of the critical mission areas. Table 1: Number of Commission and GAO Recommendations Meeting Inclusion Criteria By Critical Mission Area: Critical mission area: Intelligence & warning; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 20; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 10; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 30. Critical mission area: Border & transportation security; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 12; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 5; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 17. Critical mission area: Domestic counterterrorism; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 9; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 9; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 18. Critical mission area: Critical infrastructure & key asset protection; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 12; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 14; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 26. Critical mission area: Defending against catastrophic threats; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 25; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 11; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 36. Critical mission area: Emergency preparedness & response; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 36; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 10; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 46. Total; Number of commission recommendations meeting criteria: 114; Number of GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 59; Total number of commission and GAO recommendations meeting criteria: 173. Source: GAO. [End of table] The highest number of commission and GAO recommendations (46) related to the emergency preparedness and response critical mission area; the fewest number of commission and GAO recommendations (17) related to the border and transportation security critical mission area with domestic counterterrorism (18 recommendations) closely behind. The remaining three critical mission areas, defending against catastrophic threats, intelligence and warning, and critical infrastructure and key asset protection had 36, 30, and 26 recommendations, respectively. We did not evaluate the relative importance of these recommendations. Concluding Observations: This report can serve multiple supporting functions to the legislative and executive branches of federal, state, and local governments as they move forward in combating terrorism and securing the homeland. First, the report provides a readily available, compact checklist of the strategic recommendations proposed by the congressionally chartered commissions and GAO on combating terrorism and fostering homeland security, both before and after the September 11 attacks. Second, since these recommendations are categorized by critical mission area, officials and working groups specializing in one or more of these functional critical areas can immediately turn to those recommendations central to their focal area of interest. Third, Congress may find the report useful when considering additional areas of oversight or legislation. Fourth, the federal, state and local governments may use the report in developing new or modified program initiatives, based on these recommendations. As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce its contents earlier, we plan no further distribution of this report until 30 days after its issue date. At that time, we will provide copies of this report to appropriate departments and interested congressional committees. We will also make copies available to others upon request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on GAO's Web site at http://www.gao.gov. If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please contact me on 512-2936. Other contacts and acknowledgments are listed in appendix VII. Sincerely yours, Signed by: Randall Yim, Managing Director: Homeland Security and Justice Issues: [End of section] Appendix I: Intelligence and Warning: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Changes in the general approach or priorities related to intelligence to allow more emphasis on asymmetric threats such as terrorism: * The federal agencies should increase sharing the terrorism-related threat assessment and intelligence information with state and local officials, and response organizations, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. iv]. * Greater attention should be devoted to assessments of higher- probability/ lower-consequence threats not at the expense of, but in addition to, assessments of lower probability/higher consequence threats, [Gilmore Commission, 1st Report, p. xi]. * Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operational guidelines should be balanced between security needs and respect for American values and principles, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 83, 128]. * The recruitment of terrorist informants should be expanded by rescinding the 1995 federal guidelines prohibiting engagement of terrorist informants who may have been involved in human rights violations, [Bremer Commission 8; Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 20]. GAO: * The Secretary of Transportation should develop and implement strategies to help transit agency officials obtain timely intelligence information, including helping transit agency officials obtain security clearances, [GAO-03-263]. * The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, in coordination with pertinent executive agencies, should develop a comprehensive governmentwide data-collection and analysis framework and ensure that national watch and warning operations for computer- based attacks are supported by sufficient staff and resources, [GAO-01- 323]. Creation of new organizations to serve as the government's central coordination point for collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of intelligence and warnings on terrorism: Commissions: * The Council to Coordinate Intelligence for Combating Terrorism should be established to provide strategic direction for intelligence collection and analysis and develop the clearance mechanism for product dissemination, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 10]. * A National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) should be established for the collection of intelligence and other information on international terrorist activities inside the U.S. [Gilmore Commission, 4[TH] report, pp. iii, iv]. The authorities, responsibilities, and safeguards under the Foreign Intelligence Service Act should be transferred from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to the NCTC, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. iv]. * The National Office for Combating Terrorism should (a) consolidate "all-source" analysis and assessment capability; (b) foster enhancements in measurement and signature intelligence, forensics, and warning indications/ capabilities; (c) provide coordination and advocacy for both foreign and domestic terrorism-related intelligence; (d) disseminate intelligence and other critical information in the event of a terrorist attack; and (e) implement an indications and warning system for rapid dissemination of forensics-developed information, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, pp. ix, x, 9, 13, 22]. * The National Intelligence Council shall include homeland security and "asymmetric" threats as areas of analyses and produce national intelligence estimates on these threats, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 23, 124]. GAO: * The Secretary of Transportation should identify and direct the appropriate transportation agency to develop a mechanism at the port level to compile, coordinate, analyze, and disseminate threat information (including natural emergencies, information technology attacks, and seaport security) on a real-time basis to all relevant organizations. Whether established as a new entity or as a modification of an existing coordinating body, this mechanism should include representatives from a broad range of federal, state, and local agencies, [GAO-03-15]. * The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, in coordination with pertinent executive agencies, should clearly define the role of the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) in relation to other government and private-sector entities, including lines of authority, NIPC's integration into the national warning system; and protocols that articulate how and under what circumstances NIPC would be placed in a support function to either the Department of Defense (DOD) or the intelligence community, [GAO-01-323]. Assignment of specific intelligence and warning functions to the Department of Homeland Security or other departments or agencies: Commissions: * The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should have the authority to levy direct intelligence requirements on the intelligence community with respect to potential threats in the U.S. and the protection of critical infrastructures, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. iv]. * DHS should have the capability to provide comprehensive and continuing assessments of potential risks to critical infrastructure, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. iv]. * The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should strengthen the Health Alert Network and other secure and rapid communication systems, as well as public health information systems, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * The Office of Homeland Security should devise a plan for the fielding and integration of sensor and other detection and warning systems, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. ix]. Specific operational or technical improvements to allow better collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination of information on terrorists, or potentially related matters (such as infectious diseases): Commissions: * The President should order the setting of national intelligence priorities through National Security Council guidance to the Director of the CIA, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 83, 127]. * The Secretary of State shall provide frequent updating and verification of foreign terrorist organizations, [Bremer Commission, p. 29]. * Federal recruitment of intelligence staff shall be increased within the CIA, FBI, and Office of Intelligence Policy and Review, [Bremer Commission, pp. 8, 12, 15, 16; Hart-Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 83, 127]. * The FBI shall consider implementing a system (analogous to the one used by the CIA) to track and analyze terrorism indicators and warnings, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 22]. * The Director of the FBI should establish and equip a staff of reports officers to develop terrorism and foreign intelligence information for prompt dissemination to other agencies, while protecting privacy and pending criminal cases, [Bremer Commission, p. 16]. * The intelligence community should place emphasis on the collection and analysis of economic and science/technology security concerns and include more open source intelligence in analytical products, [Hart- Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 84, 128]. * An international monitoring program should be developed to provide early warning of infectious disease outbreaks and terrorist experimentation with biological substances, [Bremer Commission, p. 44]. * The Congress shall ensure that oversight of the NCTC is concentrated in the intelligence committee of each house, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. iv]. GAO: * The Secretary of State should revamp and expand consular training courses to place more emphasis on detecting potential terrorists by improved interview techniques, greater recognition of fraudulent documents, greater understanding of terrorism trends and local culture and conditions, and better utilization of the Consular Lookout and Support System, [GAO-03-132NI]. * The Attorney General should direct the FBI Director to prepare a formal, authoritative intelligence threat assessment that specifically assesses the chemical and biological agents that would most likely be used by a domestic-origin terrorist--nonstate actors working outside a state-run laboratory infrastructure, GAO/NSIAD-99-163]. * The Attorney General should direct the FBI Director to sponsor a national-level risk assessment that uses national intelligence estimates and inputs from the intelligence community and others to help form the basis for and prioritize programs developed to combat terrorism. The Director should determine when the national-level risk assessment should be updated, [GAO/NSIAD-99-163]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to improve the vulnerability assessment reports provided to installations. The vulnerability assessment reports should contain specific actions to overcome identified vulnerabilities, [GAO/ NSIAD-00-181]. * The Attorney General should task the FBI Director to require the NIPC Director to develop a comprehensive written plan for establishing analysis and warning capabilities that integrates existing planning elements and includes milestones and performance measures, resources needed to achieve the goals and objectives, the relationship between long-term goals and objectives and the annual performance goals; and how program evaluations could be used to establish or revise strategic goals, [GAO-01-323]. * The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, in coordination with pertinent executive agencies, should establish a capability for strategic analysis of computer-based threats, including developing a related methodology, acquiring staff expertise, and obtaining infrastructure data, [GAO-01-323]. Total recommendations= 30. Source: GAO. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix II: Border and Transportation Security: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Changes in the general approach or priorities related to border security: Commissions: * Immigration across American borders should not be uncontrolled, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 2nd Report, p. 8]. * All agencies with border responsibilities should be "full partners" in intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination with respect to border-related issues, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. viii]. * The U.S. government should negotiate more comprehensive treaties and agreements for combating terrorism with Canada and Mexico, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. ix]. GAO: * The Secretary of State should perform a fundamental reassessment of staffing and language skill requirements for visa operations, and, if appropriate, request additional human resources to ensure that consular sections have adequate staff with necessary language skills, [GAO-03- 132NI]. * The Secretary of State, in consultation with appropriate authorities, should develop more comprehensive, risk-based guidelines and standards on how consular officers should use the visa process as a screen against potential terrorists, including the factors to consider in assessing risks, the level of scrutiny of visa applications, the information needed to approve and deny a visa, and the degree of discretion to waive interviews and other visa checks and to limit the duration of visa validity, [GAO-03-132NI]. Creation of a new organization to coordinate and share border security information and efforts across the federal, state, local, and private sectors: * The Customs Service, the Border Patrol, and Coast Guard should be transferred to the National Homeland Security agency, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 15, 124]. * The Office of Homeland Security should facilitate the full integration of affected federal, state, and local entities into local or regional "port security committees"; joint Terrorism Task Forces; and other interagency mechanisms, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, pp. vii-viii]. * The Office of Homeland Security should create an intergovernmental border advisory group including: responsible federal agencies and state, local, private sector partners from significant ports of entry, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vii]. GAO: * The Secretary of State should consolidate all border security and nuclear smuggling efforts under one program office, [GAO-02-426]. Assignment of specific border and transportation security functions or additional resources to the Department of Homeland Security (or to offices that became part of the Department). Commissions: * Congress should increase resources for the U.S. Coast Guard for homeland security missions, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. ix]. * Congress, in consultation with executive agencies, should expand Coast Guard search authority to include vessels owned in majority by U.S. persons, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. viii]. GAO: * The Secretary of Homeland Security should, in conjunction with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, develop specific policies and procedures for the interagency visa revocation process to ensure that notification of visa revocations for suspected terrorists are transmitted from state to immigration and law enforcement agencies in a timely manner, [GAO-03-908T]. * The Secretary of Homeland Security should, in conjunction with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, determine if persons with visas revoked on terrorism grounds are in the U.S. and, if so, whether they pose a security threat, [GAO-03-908T]. Specific operational, technical, or legal improvements to improve border security: Commissions: * Federal, state, and local governments should clarify the legal and regulatory authorities for quarantine, and other prescriptive measures, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. xi]. * Congress should enact legislation to make countries designated as "Not Cooperating Fully" ineligible for the Visa Waiver Program, [Bremer Commission, p. 25]. * The Congress should require tagging of equipment critical to the use of biological agents to enable law enforcement to identify its location, [Bremer Commission, p. 44]. * Congress should enact legislation requiring all shippers to submit cargo manifest information on any shipment transiting U.S. borders, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. viii]. Total recommendations= 17. Source: GAO. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix III: Domestic Counterterrorism: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Changes in the general approach or priorities related to law enforcement activities related to terrorism: Commissions: * The Attorney General should direct the Department of Justice to vigorously pursue the criminal prosecution of terrorists, in an open court whenever possible, [Bremer Commission, p. 32]. * Congress should ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and pass any legislation necessary for full implementation, [Bremer Commission, p. 29]. * The United States should continue to promote strong international efforts against state corruption and transnational criminality, [Hart- Rudman Commission, 2nd Report, p. 11]. GAO: * To strengthen the visa revocation process as an antiterrorism tool, the Secretary of Homeland Security should, in conjunction with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, develop a specific policy on actions that immigration and law enforcement agencies should take to investigate and locate individuals whose visas have been revoked for terrorism concerns and who remain in the United States after revocation, [GAO-03-908T]. * The Secretary of Homeland Security should, in conjunction with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, develop specific policies and procedures for the interagency visa revocation process to ensure that notification of visa revocations for suspected terrorists and relevant supporting information is transmitted from State to immigration and law enforcement agencies, and their respective inspection and investigation units, in a timely manner, [GAO-03-908T]. * The Attorney General should establish a policy and guidance clarifying his expectations regarding the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) notification of the Criminal Division and types of advice that the division should be allowed to provide the FBI in foreign counterintelligence investigations in which the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) tools are being used or their use is anticipated, [GAO-01-780]. * The Attorney General should use the Five-Year Interagency Counterterrorism and Technology Crime Plan and similar plans of other agencies as a basis for developing a national strategy by including (1) desired outcomes that can be measured and that are consistent with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and (2) state and local government input to better define their roles in combating terrorism, [GAO-01-822]. GAO: * Secretary of the Treasury should create a unit dedicated to the issue of terrorist fund-raising (in the Office of Foreign Assets Control), [Bremer Commission, p. 29]. * Congress should create a special "Cyber Court" patterned after the court established in FISA, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. x]. * The President should direct the creation of a joint task force that possesses information or authority relevant to terrorist fund-raising. This task force should develop and implement a broad approach toward disrupting the financial activities of terrorists. This approach should use all available criminal, civil, and administrative sanctions, [Bremer Commission, p. 29]. GAO: * The Attorney General should direct the FBI Director to task the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) Director to (a) ensure that the Special Technologies and Applications Unit has access to the computer and communications resources necessary to analyze data associated with the increasing number of complex investigations; (b) monitor implementation of new performance measures to ensure that they result in field offices' fully reporting information on potential computer crimes to the NIPC; and (c) complete development of the emergency law enforcement plan, after comments are received from law enforcement sector members, [GAO-01-323]. * The Attorney General should issue written policies and procedures establishing the roles and responsibilities of Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (OIPR) and the core group of high level DOJ officials as mechanisms for ensuring compliance with the Attorney General's coordination procedures, [GAO-01-780]. Specific operational, technical, or legal improvements to law enforcement to enhance homeland security: Commissions: * Where national security requires the use of secret evidence in administrative immigration cases, procedures for cleared counsel and unclassified summaries should be used as those in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court, [Bremer Commission, p. 32]. * The Attorney General and the FBI Director should develop guidance on opening a domestic preliminary inquiry and full investigation, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 10]. * Congress should enact legislation requiring all shippers to submit cargo manifest information on any shipment transiting U.S. borders, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. viii]. GAO: * The Attorney General should implement a formal system to oversee and validate the accuracy of case classification and conviction data entered in the Legal Information On-Line System by the various U.S. Attorneys Office districts, [GAO-03-266]. * To strengthen the visa revocation process as an antiterrorism tool, the Secretary of Homeland Security should, in conjunction with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, determine if persons with visas revoked on terrorism grounds are in the United States and, if so, whether they pose a security threat, [GAO-03-798]. * The Attorney General should direct that all FBI memorandums sent to OIPR, summarizing investigations or seeking FISA renewals contain a section devoted explicitly to identifying any possible federal criminal violations meeting the Attorney General's coordination criteria and that such notifications be timely coordinated. The Inspection Division should assess whether the appropriate headquarters unit properly coordinated those foreign intelligence investigations with the Criminal Division, [GAO-01-780]. Total recommendations= 18. Source: GAO. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix IV: Critical Infrastructure and Key Asset Protection: Commission and GAO Recommendations: * The President should direct the National Intelligence Council to perform a comprehensive national intelligence estimate of the threats to the nation's critical infrastructure, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. * The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in conjunction with the airline industry, should develop comprehensive guidelines for improving the security of general aviation, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. * The National Office for Combating Terrorism should oversee the development of standards and certification requirements to encourage the health and medical sector to build and maintain required capabilities, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, pp. x-xi]. * The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with state/local governments and the private sector, should institute a standard system for compensation resulting from agriculture and food losses following an agroterrrorism attack, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. ix]. * The Secretary of Health and Human Services should develop a parallel standard system for fair compensation for non-meat or poultry food, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. ix]. GAO: * To help meet the requirement to secure all modes of transportation under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security should work jointly with the Secretary of Transportation to develop a risk-based plan that specifically addresses the security of the nation's rail infrastructure, [GAO-03-435]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict to develop a strategy to complete higher headquarters vulnerability assessments at National Guard installations, [GAO-01-909]. * To improve the likelihood of success of the financial services sector's Critical Infrastructure Protection efforts, the Secretary of the Treasury should direct the Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions, the banking and finance sector liaison, to coordinate with the industry in its efforts to update the sector's National Strategy for Critical Infrastructure Assurance and in establishing interim objectives, detailed tasks, time frames, and responsibilities for implementing it and a process for monitoring progress, [GAO-03- 173]. New, reorganized, or consolidated organizations to systematically protect both physical and cyber infrastructure: Commissions: * The Congress should create an independent commission to evaluate cyber security programs, to identify areas where requirements are not being met, and to recommend strategies for better security, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. ix]. * The Congress should establish and the President support an independent commission to suggest strategies for the protection of the nation's critical infrastructure, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. * The President should direct the merger of physical and cyber security policy into a single policy entity in the White House, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. * The Congress and the President should ensure that DHS has robust capability to execute its responsibilities for conducting protection vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. iv]. * The President should direct the interagency panel on critical infrastructure to include representatives from state and local governments and the private sector, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. ix]. GAO: * The Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Homeland Security should use a mechanism to clearly delineate the roles and responsibilities of the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Transportation (DOT) modal administrations in transportation security matters, [GAO-03-843]. * In order to strengthen DOT's enforcement of dangerous goods legislation, the Secretary of Transportation should determine whether the unique characteristics of air transport warrant the development of a legislative proposal that would enhance DOT's authority to inspect packages shipped by air, [GAO-03-22]. * The Secretary of Transportation should direct the Office of Pipeline Safety to develop a strategy for communicating to the states what role they will play in conducting integrity management inspects and other oversight activities, [GAO-02-785]. * To strengthen the federal government's critical infrastructure strategy, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs should define specific roles and responsibilities of organizations involved in critical infrastructure protection and related information security activities, [GAO-01-822]. Improved or more comprehensive measures directed at enhancing the security of specific infrastructures. Commissions: * DHS should elevate the priority of measures necessary for baggage and cargo screening, especially for non-passenger cargo, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. * DHS should make dam security a priority and consider establishing regulations for more effective security of dam facilities, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. GAO: * The Secretary of Transportation should establish goals and performance indicators for the department's transit security efforts in order to promote accountability and ensure results, [GAO-03-263]. * The Secretary should direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator to develop a legislative package that would require shippers to consent to the opening for inspection of packages shipped by air, [GAO-03-22]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop common standards and procedures to include (1) standardized vulnerability assessments to ensure a consistent level of quality and to provide a capability to compare the results from different sites, (2) Department of Defense (DOD)-wide physical security standards that are measurable yet provide a means for deviations when required by local circumstances, and (3) procedures to maintain greater consistency among commands in their implementation of threat condition security measures, [GAO/NSIAD-97-207]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict to clarify the force protection standard requiring a criticality assessment at each installation to specifically describe the factors to be used in the assessment and how these evaluations should support antiterrorism resource priority decisions, [GAO-01-909]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict to expand the threat assessment methodology to increase awareness of the consequences of changing business practices at installations that may create workplace violence situations or new opportunities for individuals not affiliated with DOD to gain access to institutions, [GAO-01-909]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict to identify those installations that serve as a critical role in support of our national military strategy and to ensure that they receive a higher headquarters vulnerability assessment regardless of the number of personnel assigned at the installations, [GAO-01-909]. * To strengthen the federal government's critical infrastructure strategy, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs should define interim objectives and milestones for achieving the Center for International Policy goals and performance measures for which entities can be held accountable, [GAO-01-822]. Total recommendations= 26. Source: GAO. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix V: Defending Against Catastrophic Threats: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Enhanced or clarified federal or state authority to manage a terrorist incident involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD): Commissions: * The President should determine whether any additional legal authority is needed to deal with catastrophic terrorism and to make recommendations to the Congress, [Bremer Commission, p. 38]. * The Congress should amend existing statutes to ensure that sufficient authorities and safeguards exist for use of the military across the entire spectrum of potential terrorist attacks (including conventional, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats as well as cyber) and that the authorities be consolidated into a single chapter of Title 10 of the U.S. Code, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. xi]. * The President should designate the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the lead federal agency in response to a bioterrorism attack and specify its responsibilities and authority before, during, and subsequent to the attack, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, pp. iv-v]. * The President should designate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the principal supporting agency to DHS in response to a bioterrorism attack, providing technical support and interface with State and local public health entities and private sector organizations, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, pp. iv-v]. * The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, in coordination with the Attorney General and Secretary of Defense, should develop contingency plans to transfer lead federal agency authority to the Department of Defense (DOD) if necessary during a catastrophic attack, [Bremer Commission, p. 40]. * The President should direct the preparation of a manual to address legal authority implementation in case of a catastrophic terrorist threat or attack, [Bremer Commission, p. 38]. * The Congress should make possession of designated critical pathogens illegal for anyone who is not properly certified; and control the domestic sale and transfer of equipment critical to the development or use of biological agents and through a certification process, [Bremer Commission, p. 44]. * Each state should also work to operationalize laws and regulations applicable to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents, particularly those that may require isolation, quarantine, and emergency vaccination, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vii]. Improvements to incident planning, management, and response capabilities for dealing with a WMD terrorist incident: Commissions: * The President should develop a comprehensive strategy to heighten America's ability to prevent and protect against all forms of attack on the homeland, and to respond to such attacks if prevention and protection fail, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 3rd Report, pp. 11, 124]. * The Secretary of Defense should establish a unified command structure to integrate all catastrophic terrorism capabilities as well as conduct detailed planning and exercises with relevant federal, state, and local authorities, [Bremer Commission, p. 40]. * Each jurisdiction with an Incident Command System should develop operational paradigms for aligning decision-making structures based on the weapon, means of delivery, and severity of the attack, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 26]. * The Northern Command should have dedicated rapid-reaction units with a wide range of response capabilities (including support for quarantine implementation, crowd control, CBRNE detection and decontamination, emergency medical response, engineering, and community support) in the event of a terrorist attack, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, pp. xi- xii]. * The Secretary of DHS, in conjunction with the Office of Homeland Security (OHS), should conduct a thorough review of the authorities, structures, and capabilities under the Metropolitan Medical Response System and the National Disaster Medical System, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vii]. * The National Office for Combating Terrorism should reevaluate the current U.S. approach to providing public health and medical care in response to acts of terrorism (particularly in mass casualty incidents and acts of bioterrorism), [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. x]. * Congress should provide sufficient resources to HHS for full implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) "Biological and Chemical Terrorism: Strategic Plan for Preparedness and Response", [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. GAO: * The Secretary of State should take the lead in facilitating the development of a governmentwide plan to help other countries develop an integrated approach to combat nuclear smuggling, [GAO-02-426]. * The Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency should take steps to require that the WMD Interagency Steering Group develop realistic scenarios involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents and weapons with experts in the scientific and intelligence communities, [GAO-01-14]. * To clarify the roles and missions of specialized National Guard response teams in a terrorist incident involving WMD, the Secretary of Defense should suspend the establishment of any additional National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams until DOD has completed its coordination of the teams roles and missions within the FBI. The Secretary of Defense should reach a written agreement with the Director of the FBI that clarifies the roles of the teams in relation to the FBI, [GAO-01-822]. Better management and more resources for research and development of technologies to prevent or respond to terrorist WMD incidents: Commissions: * The President should establish a comprehensive and coordinated long- term research and development program to counter catastrophic terrorism, [Bremer Commission, p. 43]. * A government-owned, contractor-operated national facility should be established for the research, development, and production of vaccines and therapeutics for specified infectious diseases (especially contagious diseases), [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vi]. GAO: * The National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counterterrorism should actively review and guide the growing number of WMD consequence management training and equipment programs and response elements to ensure agencies' separate efforts leverage existing state and local emergency management systems and are coordinated, unduplicated, and focused toward achieving a clearly defined end state, [GAO/NSIAD-99-3]. * The Secretary of State should consolidate all border security and nuclear smuggling efforts under one program office, [GAO-02-426]. * The Secretary of Defense should review command and control structures, and make changes, as appropriate, to ensure there is unity of command to DOD units participating in domestic counterterrorist operations to include both crisis response and consequence management and cases in which they might be concurrent, [GAO/NSIAD-99-135]. * DHS's Office of Emergency Preparedness and CDC, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) should establish sufficient systems of internal control over their chemical and biological pharmaceutical and medical supplies, [GAO/HEHS/AIMD-00-36]. * The Attorney General should direct the Director of the FBI to work with appropriate agencies across government to complete ongoing national-level threat assessments regarding terrorist use of WMD, [GAO- 01-822]. * The Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration should work with OHS (or DHS, if established) to clarify the Nonproliferation and Verification Research and Development Program's roles in relation to other agencies conducting counterterrorism research and development and to achieve an appropriate balance between short-term and long-term research. To improve the program's ability to successfully transfer new technologies to users, the program should, in cooperation with OHS, allow users opportunities to provide input through all phases of research and development projects, [GAO-02-904]. Laws, cooperative agreements, and regulatory regimes to better control the precursors to WMD: Commissions: * The Congress should make possession of designated critical pathogens illegal for anyone who is not properly certified; and control the domestic sale and transfer of equipment critical to the development or use of biological agents through a certification process, [Bremer Commission, p. 44]. * The Department of Justice, in consultation with congressional committees, state/local governments, and experts, should continually review statutory authorities and regulations related to the sale and purchase of equipment that may be used as CBRN weapons or agents, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 21]. * The U.S. should develop cooperative programs to deal with exiting stockpiles of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 2nd Report, p. 8]. * The U.S. should seek enhanced international cooperation to combat the growing proliferation of WMD. This should include an effective and enforceable international ban on the creation, transfer, trade, and weaponization of biological pathogens, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 2nd Report, p. 8]. GAO: * The Secretary of HHS should require the Director of CDC to (a) execute written agreements as soon as possible with all CDC's partners covering the storage, management, stock rotation, and transporting of medical supplies designated for treatment of biological or chemical terrorism victims; (b) issue written guidance on security to private warehouses that store stockpiles; and (c) to the extent practical, install proper fencing prior to placing inventories at storage locations, [GAO-01-463]. Improvements in the public health and related responses specific to biological terrorism (including vaccines and other pharmaceuticals): Commissions: * The Office of Homeland Security, in coordination with HHS and the Department of Veterans Affairs should review and recommend appropriate changes to plans for stockpiling vaccines and other critical supplies, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vii]. * HHS should significantly enhance technical assistance to states to help develop plans and procedures for distributing the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile and require exercises related to use of the Stockpile, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. viii]. * HHS should develop an electronic handbook on best practices to help states and localities more effectively manage the surge capacity and the distribution of the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vii]. * The smallpox vaccination plan should be implemented in incremental stages with careful analysis and continuous risk assessment, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. viii]. GAO: * The Marine Corps Systems Command program should complete the fielding plan for the CBIRF specific authorized medical allowance list and that the Commandant of the Marine Corps should require the Commanding Officer of CBIRF to adjust its stock levels to conform with the authorized medical allowance list and remove expired items from its stock and replace them with current pharmaceutical and medical supplies, [GAO-01-463]. Total recommendations= 36. Source: GAO. [End of table] [End of section] Appendix VI: Emergency Preparedness and Response: Commission and GAO Recommendations: Changes in federal coordination with assistance to state, regional, and local governments: Commissions: * High-level state and local officials should participate in the development and implementation of a national strategy for terrorism preparedness, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. viii]. * Governors should designate state emergency management entities as domestic preparedness focal points for coordination with the federal government, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. x]. * An Assistant Director for Domestic Preparedness Programs (in the National Office for Combating Terrorism) should direct the coordination of federal programs with state and local agencies, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, pp. x, 30-31]. * The National Office for Combating Terrorism should promote multi- jurisdictional mutual assistance compacts, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, p. 25]. * The National Office for Combating Terrorism should provide a coordination function and disseminate intelligence and critical information. It should identify and promote (a) single source "all hazards" planning documents (the Federal Response Plan); (b) standardized incident command systems for tactical operations; and (c) other model programs, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, pp. x, 13, 24, 26]. * Federal military response assets should be configured to support and reinforce existing state and local organizational structures and emergency preparedness response systems, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. * The President and governors of the several states should establish a collaborative process for deploying National Guard forces, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. xii]. GAO: * The Secretary of Defense--or the head of any subsequent lead agency- -in consultation with the other five cooperating agencies (the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Public Health Service) in the Domestic Preparedness Program, should refocus the program to ensure more efficient and economic deliverance of the training to local communities, [GAO/NSIAD-99-3]. * The National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counterterrorism, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Director, FEMA, and the Secretary of Defense, should reassess the need for the Rapid Assessment and Initial Detection teams in light of numerous local, state, and federal organizations that can provide similar functions and submit the results of the reassessment to Congress. If the teams are needed, the National Coordinator should direct a test of the Rapid Assessment and Initial Deployment team concept in the initial 10 states to determine how the teams can best fit into coordinated state and federal response plans and whether the teams can effectively perform their functions. If the teams are not needed, they should be deactivated, [GAO/NSIAD-99-110]. * The Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General should eliminate duplicate training to the same metropolitan areas. If the Department of Justice extends the Domestic Preparedness Program to more than the currently planned 120 cities, it should integrate the program with the Metropolitan Firefighters Program to capitalize on the strengths of each program and eliminate duplication and overlap, [GAO/NSIAD-00-64]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict to require each installation commander to form a threat working group and personally and actively engage state, local, and federal law enforcement officials. These working groups should hold periodic meetings, prepare records of their discussions, and provide threat information to installation commanders regularly, [GAO-01-909]. * To eliminate overlapping assistance programs and to provide a liaison for state and local officials, the President, working closely with the Congress, should consolidate the activities of the FBI's National Domestic Preparedness Office and the Department of Justice's Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support under FEMA, [GAO-01-822]. Clarification to and advancement of incident contingency planning, leadership, and command and control: Commissions: * The President should designate the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the principal supporting agency to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing technical support and interface with State and local pubic health entities and private sector organizations, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, pp. iv-v]. * HHS, in coordination with the Office of Homeland Security (OHS), should develop models for medical responses to a variety of hazards at the federal, state, local, and private levels, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vi]. * HHS should fund studies aimed at modeling the size and scope of the healthcare and public health workforce needed to respond to a range of public health emergencies and day-to-day public health issues and a comprehensive assessment of the resources required by the nation's hospital system, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * The Secretary of HHS, in conjunction with OHS, should conduct a thorough review of the authorities, structures, and capabilities under the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) and the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vii]. * HHS should reestablish a pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services program office, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vi]. * HHS should clearly articulate the roles, missions, capabilities, and limitations of special response teams, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * The Congress should amend existing statutes to ensure sufficient authorities and safeguards exist for use of the military across the entire spectrum of terrorist attacks, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. xi]. * The National Command should establish a single, unified command and control structure to execute all functions related to military support or assistance to civil authorities, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. x]. Increased readiness for incident response through better capabilities, equipment, training, and exercises: Commissions: * U.S. public health capabilities should be augmented to deal medically and psychologically with potentially large losses of American lives in attacks against the mainland, [Hart-Rudman Commission, 2nd Report, p. 9]. * Federal agencies should design training exercises; all major training exercises should be independently evaluated, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, x, 30-31; 3rd Report, p. iv]. * Federal agencies should design equipment as part of the all-hazards preparedness--these may be redesigned to include sustainment components, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. iv]. * Preparedness programs should be designed so that first responders and volunteers can participate, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. * Congress should increase federal resources for appropriately designed exercises to be implemented at the state, local and private levels, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * The Secretary of Defense should provide funds to the governor of a state when requested for civil support planning, training, exercising and operations by National Guard personnel acting in Title 32 duty status, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. xii]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the military departments to institute specific training in those military units most likely to be involved in military support to civil authorities, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. x]. * All military personnel and units under NORTHCOM should receive special training for domestic missions; and necessary training programs should be established and implemented, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. x]. * The National Office for Combating Terrorism should oversee the development of standards and certification requirements to encourage the health and medical sector to build and maintain required capabilities, [Gilmore Commission, 2nd Report, pp. x-xi]. * Federal, state, local, and private sector organizations should fully implement the American Medical Administration's (AMA) "Report and Recommendations on Medical Preparedness for Terrorism and Other Disasters", [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. * HHS should continue to strengthen the Health Alert Network and other information systems that provide surveillance, epidemiologic and laboratory information, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * Medical systems should fully implement the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organization's (JCAHO) Revised Emergency Management Standard, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. * The Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedic National Standardized Training Curricula should be revised, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. vi]. * HHS should evaluate the current processes for providing required technical assistance to states and localities, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * HHS, in coordination with DHS, should develop an on-going, well coordinated strategy for the education of the public on the prevention, risks, signs, symptoms, and treatment, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vii]. * DHS should develop metrics to determine the adequacy of preparedness of various critical infrastructure components, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. xii]. GAO: * The Secretary of Defense, or the head of any subsequent lead agency, should use existing state and local emergency management response systems or arrangements to select locations and training structures to deliver courses and consider the geographical proximity of program cities, [GAO/NSIAD-99-3]. * The Secretary of Defense should direct the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict to expeditiously implement the Joint Staff's draft antiterrorism/force protection manager training standard and formulate a timetable for the services to develop and implement a new course that meets the revised standards and ensure that the course has consistency of emphasis across the services, [GAO/NSIAD-00-181]. * The Director, FEMA, should sponsor periodic national-level consequence management field exercises involving federal, state, and local governments. Such exercises should be conducted together with national-level crisis management field exercises, [GAO-01-14]. * The Director of FEMA should play a larger role in managing federal exercises to combat terrorism. As part of this, FEMA should seek a formal role as a cochair of the Interagency Working Group on Exercises and help to plan and conduct major interagency counterrorist exercises to ensure that consequence management is adequately addressed, [GAO-01- 822]. * The Secretaries of Agriculture, Defense, Energy, HHS, and Veterans Affairs; the Directors of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, FEMA, FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service; the Administrator of EPA; and the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard should require their agencies to prepare after-action reports or similar evaluations for all exercises they lead and for all field exercises in which they participate, [GAO- 01-822]. Improvements in the public health and medical response to terrorism (generic-not specific to biological terrorism): Commissions: * HHS should continue to provide financial support on the order of $1 billion per year over the next 5 years to strengthen the nation's public health system, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. v]. * Federal, state, local, and private sector organizations should fully implement the AMA "Report and Recommendations on Medical Preparedness for Terrorism and Other Disasters", [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. * Medical systems should fully implement the JCAHO's Revised Emergency Management Standard, [Gilmore Commission, 3rd Report, p. v]. * HHS should fund studies aimed at modeling the size and scope of the healthcare and public health workforce needed to respond to a range of public health emergencies and day-to-day public health issues and a comprehensive assessment of the resources required by the nation's hospital system, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. vi]. * Congress should enact statutory provisions for certification of laboratories to test for foot and mouth disease and other highly contagious animal pathogens, [Gilmore Commission, 4th Report, p. ix]. Total recommendations= 46. Appendix VII: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments: GAO Contact: Steve Caldwell, (202) 512-9610: Staff Acknowledgments: In addition to the person named above, the following persons made key contributions to this report: Jared Hermalin, Wayne Ekblad, Derek Updegraff, Christine Davis, David Alexander, Amy Bernstein, and Sue Conlon. [End of section] Related GAO Products: Combating Terrorism: Federal Agencies Face Continuing Challenges in Addressing Terrorist Financing and Money Laundering. GAO-04-501T. Washington, D.C.: March 4, 2004. Transportation Security: Federal Action Needed to Help Address Security Challenges. GAO-03-843. Washington, D.C.: June 30, 2003. Border Security: New Policies and Procedures Are Needed to Fill Gaps in the Visa Revocation Process. GAO-03-908T. Washington, D.C.: June 18, 2003. Border Security: New Policies and Procedures Are Needed to Fill Gaps in the Visa Revocation Process. GAO-03-798. Washington, D.C.: June 18, 2003. Rail Safety and Security: Some Actions Already Taken to Enhance Rail Security, but Risk-based Plan Needed. GAO-03-435. Washington, D.C.: April 30, 2003. Critical Infrastructure Protection: Efforts of the Financial Services Sector to Address Cyber Threats. GAO-03-173. Washington, D.C.: January 30, 2003. Justice Department: Better Management Oversight and Internal Controls Needed to Ensure Accuracy of Terrorism-Related Statistics. GAO-03-266. Washington, D.C.: January 17, 2003. Aviation Security: Undeclared Air Shipments of Dangerous Goods and DOT's Enforcement Approach. GAO-03-22. Washington, D.C.: January 10, 2003. Mass Transit: Federal Action Could Help Transit Agencies Address Security Challenges. GAO-03-263. Washington, D.C.: December 13, 2002. Combating Terrorism: Actions Needed to Improve Force Protection for DOD Deployments through Domestic Seaports. GAO-03-15. Washington, D.C.: October 22, 2002. Border Security: Visa Process Should Be Strengthened as an Antiterrorism Tool. GAO-03-132NI. Washington, D.C.: October 21, 2002. Pipeline Safety and Security: Improved Workforce Planning and Communication Needed. GAO-02-785. Washington, D.C.: August 26, 2002. Nonproliferation R&D: NNSA's Program Develops Successful Technologies, but Project Management Can Be Strengthened. GAO-02-904. Washington, D.C.: August 23, 2002. Nuclear Nonproliferation: U.S. Efforts to Help Other Countries Combat Nuclear Smuggling Need Strengthened Coordination and Planning. GAO-02- 426. Washington, D.C.: May 16, 2002. Environmental Cleanup: Better Communication Needed for Dealing with Formerly Used Defense Sites in Guam. GAO-02-423. Washington, D.C.: April 11, 2002. Combating Terrorism: Selected Challenges and Related Recommendations. GAO-01-822. Washington, D.C.: September 20, 2001. Combating Terrorism: Actions Needed to Improve DOD Antiterrorism Program Implementation and Management. GAO-01-909. Washington, D.C.: September 19, 2001. FBI Intelligence Investigations: Coordination Within Justice on Counterintelligence Criminal Matters Is Limited. GAO-01-780. Washington, D.C.: July 16, 2001. Combating Terrorism: Accountability Over Medical Supplies Needs Further Improvement. GAO-01-463. Washington, D.C.: March 30, 2001. Critical Infrastructure Protection: Significant Challenges in Developing National Capabilities. GAO-01-323. Washington, D.C.: April 25, 2001. Combating Terrorism: Federal Response Teams Provide Varied Capabilities; Opportunities Remain to Improve Coordination. GAO-01-14. Washington, D.C.: November 30, 2000. Combating Terrorism: Action Taken but Considerable Risks Remain for Forces Overseas. GAO/NSIAD-00-181. Washington, D.C.: July 19, 2000. Combating Terrorism: Need to Eliminate Duplicate Federal Weapons of Mass Destruction Training. GAO/NSIAD-00-64. Washington, D.C.: March 21, 2000. Combating Terrorism: Chemical and Biological Medical Supplies Are Poorly Managed. GAO/HEHS/AIMD-00-36. Washington, D.C.: October 29, 1999. Combating Terrorism: Need for Comprehensive Threat and Risk Assessments of Chemical and Biological Attacks. GAO/NSIAD-99-163 Washington, D.C.: September 7, 1999. Combating Terrorism: Use of National Guard Response Teams Is Unclear. GAO/NSIAD-99-110. Washington, D.C.: May 21, 1999. Combating Terrorism: Opportunities to Improve Domestic Preparedness Program Focus and Efficiency. GAO/NSIAD-99-3. Washington, D.C.: November 12, 1998. Combating Terrorism: Status of DOD Efforts to Protect Its Force Overseas. GAO/NSIAD-97-207. Washington, D.C.: July 21, 1997. FOOTNOTES [1] As agreed with subcommittee staff, the fifth Gilmore commission report was excluded because of time constraints. [2] The strategic commission recommendations considered derived from a review of more than 200 recommendations from the eight commission reports; the strategic GAO recommendations considered derived from a review of more than 400 GAO recommendations, from 180 reports, during the 6-year time frame. [3] Many of these recommendations were developed before the effective date of agency transfers to the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in March 2003. Thus, recommendations made to the agencies that were subsequently transferred to DHS or to the Office of Homeland Security might now be more applicable to DHS. Legislative and executive branch actions taken with respect to the creation and development of DHS might also have satisfied certain federal reorganization recommendations. 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