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FEDERALhearing transcript

Hearing on Chemical Facility Security (CFATS Program)

Original title: SECURING OUR NATION'S CHEMICAL FACILITIES: BUILDING ON THE PROGRESS OF THE CFATS PROGRAM

January 1, 2019

chemical securityhomeland securityCFATSterrorism preventionregulatory oversight

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The Frame

What this does

The program regulates security at high-risk chemical facilities to prevent terrorist attacks, and its long-term authorization status affects how the Department of Homeland Security manages these safety requirements for private industry.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Chemical facility owners and operators

They are subject to federal security regulations and oversight regarding the storage and protection of dangerous chemicals.

Department of Homeland Security

The agency is responsible for administering the regulatory program and managing compliance across the chemical industry.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing to discuss the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards () program. The committee reviewed the program's history, its role in preventing terrorist access to dangerous chemicals, and the challenges caused by short-term funding cycles.

Key Facts

  • The CFATS program has been in operation since 2007 to regulate security at high-risk chemical facilities.
  • The program's authorization was extended until 2020 via a short-term bill passed in early 2019.
  • For 8 years, the CFATS program was tied to the annual appropriations cycle, which hindered long-term policy development and staffing.
  • A multi-year authorization for CFATS was previously passed by Congress in 2014.
  • The hearing was held on February 27, 2019, in room 310 of the Cannon House Office Building.
  • DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen formally requested that Congress reauthorize the CFATS program in November 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CFATS program?
stands for Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards; it is a regulatory program administered by the Department of Homeland Security to ensure high-risk chemical facilities have security measures to prevent terrorist attacks.
Why is the committee concerned about the program's authorization?
The committee noted that short-term, year-to-year funding makes it difficult for the Department of Homeland Security to retain staff, plan long-term security policies, and provide regulatory certainty to the chemical industry.

Why It Matters

The program regulates security at high-risk chemical facilities to prevent terrorist attacks, and its long-term authorization status affects how the Department of Homeland Security manages these safety requirements for private industry.

News Coverage

Center1
1 source
Blind spot - only covered by center outlets
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Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check

Sponsors

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Shift from Annual to Multi-year Authorization

The committee identified that tying security programs to annual appropriations cycles creates operational instability for federal agencies.

Department of Homeland SecurityCommittee on Homeland Security

Connected Entities

personBennie G. Thompson“Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security”Map →
personKirstjen Nielsen“Former DHS Secretary who urged Congress to reauthorize CFATS”Map →
personNathan Anderson“Acting Director, Homeland Security and Justice, GAO”Map →
personMike Rogers“Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security”Map →
personDavid Wulf“Director, Infrastructure Security Compliance Division, CISA”Map →
organizationCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency“Division within DHS overseeing chemical security”Map →
organizationDepartment of Homeland Security“Federal agency administering the CFATS program”Map →
organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Federal watchdog agency providing testimony”Map →
personMichael Chertoff“Former DHS Secretary”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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