DHS Announces 2-Day HSAC Meeting

DHS announced in today’s Federal Register (77 FR 55218-55219) that the Homeland Security Advisory Council will be conducting a 2-day meeting on September 24^th and 25^th. The portions of the second day of the meeting will be open to public participation by conference call.

Agenda

The public portions of the program will include a briefing from USCIS on the Administration's “deferred action for the childhood arrivals program” and a report from the Sustainability and Efficiency Task Force.

During the closed portions of the meeting the HSAC will receive sensitive operational briefings and updates from senior DHS leadership on the following issues:

• The strategic implementation plan to counter violent extremism domestically;

• The current threat environment;

• Evolving threats in cybersecurity;

• Transportation Security Administration operations;

• DHS transition planning; and

• U.S. Coast Guard counterterrorism efforts around the world.

I’m assuming that the ‘transition planning’ topic is dealing with contingency planning for the possible transition to a new administration in January. This shouldn’t be taken as a sign that DHS or any other part of the Administration has concluded that the President isn’t going to be re-elected. It would just seem prudent DHS would start planning on what actions it would begin to take in November if Romney did win the election.

Public Participation

The public is invited to listen to the open portions of the program via conference call. Registration is required. Personnel wishing to listen in should provide their full legal name, email address and phone number to an HSAC staff member at HSAC@dhs.gov. Registration must be accomplished by September 20^th.

Written comments on the above topics can be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.Regulations.gov; Docket # DHS-2012-0055). Such comments should be submitted by September 21^st.