On December 7, 2004, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), which included many of the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission and incorporated provisions from the President's Executive Order (E.O) 13356. This new legislation sets out new requirements, mandates, and provisions for creation of an "Information Sharing Environment" (ISE). The new ISE will provide the national policy framework, overarching strategy and technical interoperability critically needed to unify sharing approaches, coordinate initiatives and address the longstanding and emerging challenges that have impeded information sharing in the past.

When designing and using information systems for the dissemination of information, federal agencies are directed by this E.O. to give the highest priority allowable by law to the:

• detection, prevention, disruption, preemption, and mitigation of the effects of terrorist activities against the territory, people, and interests of the United States of America
  
  
• exchange of terrorism information among agencies
  
  
• exchange of terrorism information between agencies and appropriate authorities of State and local governments

The primary focus of IRTPA is the sharing of intelligence or terrorism information and not the full spectrum of law enforcement information. LEISP addresses a broader area of law enforcement data which is vital to solving other crimes for the protection of American citizens. In many cases, traditional federal, state, local, and tribal criminal activity information may contain links to terrorism that are deeply hidden but remain outside the direct scope of terrorism intelligence.