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WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence passed the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (IAA) by a bipartisan voice vote. This legislation authorizes funding for the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and strengthens congressional oversight of the IC’s methods of collecting and analyzing information.
“China, Russia, and Iran continue to push the boundaries of international norms and are constantly working to undermine the United States. Members of the Intelligence Committee must remain laser-focused on keeping the American people safe both at home and abroad. This year’s Intelligence Authorization Act provides the Intelligence Community with the resources and advanced technology they need to defend the homeland from nation-state adversaries and transnational criminal organizations. The Committee’s passage of the IAA is a testament to our members’ work on a bipartisan basis to address the serious threats facing our country,” said Chairman Mike Turner and Ranking Member Jim Himes.
The legislation advances significant bipartisan Committee priorities, including:
Retaining and Recruiting a Strong Intelligence Community Workforce
A priority of the Committee is to ensure that the Intelligence Community continues to hire the best and brightest to serve our nation. HPSCI, through this legislation, has enhanced hiring incentives and talent management authorities for the Intelligence Community to recruit and retain the most capable and patriotic public servants. The Committee also reduced waste in government by limiting cumbersome reporting requirements, making space for the Intelligence Community to dedicate and focus resources on current and emerging threats.
Bolstering Intelligence Collection and Processing From Sea to Space
This bill seeks to improve the Intelligence Community’s collection capabilities with investments to pursue advantages in all operational environments (air, cyber, land, sea, and space). Investments in seaborne and space-borne sensors are intended to create intelligence opportunities while reducing risks associated with new space architectures. This bill also supports the Committee’s oversight mechanisms while enhancing appropriate information sharing between agencies.
Adopting Cutting-Edge Technology
America faces an evolving and disruptive global landscape that requires us to be agile and at the forefront of cutting-edge research and development and technology adoption. The speed at which we move is imperative. The bill paves the way for an Intelligence Community Innovation Unit to identify relevant capabilities and quickly adopt technology useful to the Intelligence Community. Pivotal improvements need to be made between the Intelligence Community and the private sector, academia, government research organizations, and our allies. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence must be at the forefront of the 21st Century’s competition to leverage a national approach to addressing the many and varied threats we face.
Utilization of the Commercial Cloud
The Intelligence Community continues to invest in commercial cloud services for data storage and special analytic tools. The IAA includes several provisions to ensure transparency, fairness, and accurate cost and utilization assessments. The Commercial Cloud Enterprise (C2E) contract will cost tax payers billions of dollars over the next decade. HPSCI’s legislation will ensure the Intelligence Community is achieving the best value by utilizing advanced commercial tools and services while remaining within budget.
Securing Classified Systems
Among HPSCI’s priorities this year, the Committee has taken great measures to secure classified systems and documents from insider threats. This is just a starting point, and the Committee acknowledges that more must be done to protect U.S. national security information. The legislation includes a requirement for the entire Intelligence Community to appropriately budget to meet vital cyber security requirements for national security systems no later than September 30, 2026. Threats to our classified and sensitive networks are growing, as evidenced by nation-state intrusions and insider threats. The Intelligence Community must move with a sense of urgency to add additional security measures to our classified networks.
Addressing Deficiencies in CIA’s Response to Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Workforce
Pursuant to a bipartisan Committee investigation initiated after CIA whistleblowers approached Congress, this year’s IAA will require the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to establish and implement significant policy and procedural reforms necessary to better protect and support survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment within the Agency, and ensure that perpetrators of any crimes are appropriately held accountable.
Taking Steps to Improve Counterintelligence Posture Against Foreign Intelligence Threats to the United States
The IAA takes multiple steps to build the counterintelligence capabilities the nation needs to protect against the growing threats from diverse foreign actors. This includes initiatives such as codifying and growing the CIA’s counterintelligence school, increasing resources for counter intelligence programs, and establishing necessary counterintelligence support to the Department of Agriculture to help address threats to the homeland.
Concrete Actions to Support the CIA Workforce
This year’s IAA includes several provisions specifically designed to address challenges experienced by the CIA’s workforce, with the intent to improve the recruitment, retention, and rewarding of personnel who put their lives at risk on behalf of the nation. This includes technical fixes to administrative challenges experienced by intelligence officers, aligning retention rewards to vital career fields, and providing rewards to high-demand personnel who perform important tasks.
Continuing Support Related to Anomalous Health Incidents
The 2024 IAA ensures the necessary structures, support, and resources to continue the important task of taking care of affected personnel, effectively investing in necessary research, and continuing the administration’s investigation into anomalous health incidents.
Click here to read the full text of the legislation.
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