Review - HR 5616 Introduced – DHS Basic Training

Last week, Rep Demings (D,FL) introduced HR 5616, the DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2021. The bill would require periodic reporting to Congress by DHS on the accreditation status of various basic training programs for law enforcement positions within the Department. No funding authorization is provided in the bill.

As I noted earlier today, this bill is scheduled for consideration tomorrow by the House Homeland Security Committee. I expect that the bill will receive broad bipartisan support. The bill will almost certainly move to the full House under the suspension of the rules process. This would provide limited debate, no floor amendments and would require a super majority to pass.

Most of the DHS training programs are operated out of Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC). Those initial training programs that lead to law enforcement positions in the Department are being targeted by this bill. I know that in the early days of the CFATS program, CSI were trained at FLETC. While most of the early class of CSI came from federal law enforcement programs, the CSI positions are not considered to be law enforcement positions, so the CSI training program is not likely to be covered by this bill. I am not sure about the status of TSA’s surface inspectors.

For more details about the reporting requirements in the bill, and S&T research support requirements, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-5616-introduced - subscription required.