CRS Insights
Intelligence Authorization Legislation for FY2016: Selected Provisions
Anne Daugherty Miles, Analyst in Intelligence and National Security Policy (amiles@crs.loc.gov, 7-7739)
June 15, 2015 (IN10291)
The congressional intelligence committees include the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) (50 U.S.C. §401(a)(6)). The HPSCI recently reported
H.R. 2596
, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (IAA for FY2016), for consideration by the
House of Representatives. The bill provides guidance to, and authorizes appropriations for, components of the
U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) as defined in 50 U.S.C. §401a(4).
Each intelligence authorization bill is accompanied by a "Classified Annex" that contains a schedule of
authorization budget numbers as well as committee guidance and requirements that directly pertain to the
classified material and cannot be disclosed publicly. Both intelligence committees make the Annex available for
review by Members of their respective chambers, subject to appropriate disclosure restrictions. The SSCI has not
yet released its version of the intelligence bill.
Selected Legislative Provisions in H.R. 2596
Table 1 highlights a number of provisions in H.R. 2596. In several cases, similar or complementary language
exists in other legislation already passed by the House. Sections 304, 305, and 321-323 correspond to sections in
H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2016, passed by the House of Representatives
on May 15, 2015. Section 309 corresponds to a section in H.R. 1560, the Protecting Cyber Networks Act, passed
by the House of Representatives on April 22, 2015. A list of acronyms used in Table 1 is provided in the table
notes.
Table 1. The IAA for FY2016 (H.R. 2596): Selected Provisions
(to include analogous provisions in other House bills in the 114
th
Congress)
Section and Focus Provision Summary
Related provisions in House
bills
§304. JIEDDO and CTP
intelligence-related
fund transfers.
a
Requires notification to the
congressional intelligence
committees before transferring
funds from the JIEDDO and CTP
funds for intelligence activities.
H.R. 1735 §1542, the House
version of the NDAA for
FY2016, is related to the
JIEDDO fund.
§305. Designation of
lead intelligence officer
for tunnels.
Requires the DNI to designate an
official to manage the collection
and analysis of intelligence
regarding the tactical use of
tunnels by State and non-State
actors.
H.R. 1735 §1267 is related
to U.S.-Israel anti-tunnel
defense cooperation.
§306. PCLOB and
access to information
related to covert action.
Clarifies the Intelligence Reform
and Terrorism Prevention Act of
2004 to direct that nothing in the
statute authorizing the PCLOB
should be construed to allow that
Board to gain access to
information the executive branch
deems to be related to covert
No corresponding
provision.
