PRINTER'S NO. 3742
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
961
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SACCONE, PHILLIPS-HILL, MILLARD, READSHAW, BAKER,
TRUITT, KIRKLAND, GROVE, BOBACK, ROTHMAN, WARD, KAUFFMAN,
SAYLOR, SONNEY, DUSH AND MILNE, JULY 28, 2016
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JULY 28, 2016
A RESOLUTION
Establishing the select subcommittee on Commonwealth Security to
investigate, review and make recommendations concerning the
Commonwealth's policies and programs to keep Pennsylvanians
safe.
WHEREAS, The most important responsibility of our State
government is the safety and security of all Pennsylvanians; and
WHEREAS, Threats to our national security have grown more and
more sophisticated and deadly; and
WHEREAS, The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has in
the last 12 months successfully attacked the United States,
France and Belgium; and
WHEREAS, Terrorist groups like ISIS have identified more
effective ways to fund their operations in the West; and
WHEREAS, Research from the Federal government shows that
state policies have an impact on national security; and
WHEREAS, National security of the United States and the
safety of Pennsylvanians is impacted by the actions of gangs,
drug cartels and rogue nations; and
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WHEREAS, Reports from the Federal government detail how these
organizations are responsible for dangerous criminal activity,
including smuggling narcotics, arms trafficking, human
trafficking, kidnapping and murder; and
WHEREAS, Foreign nations have increased the amount of cyber
attacks on corporations based in the United States to steal
proprietary information; and
WHEREAS, Foreign nations have increasingly used cyber attacks
to target government agencies; and
WHEREAS, Protecting the security of Pennsylvanians is the top
priority for the Commonwealth and preserving Pennsylvanians'
freedoms requires both vigilance and open discussion; therefore
be it
RESOLVED, That the Committee on State Government be
authorized and directed to establish a select subcommittee on
Commonwealth security to do all of the following:
(1) Investigate, review and make findings and
recommendations regarding:
(i) Current or proposed Commonwealth policies and
their impact on national security and the safety of
Pennsylvanians.
(ii) Methods to improve the security of
Pennsylvanians against actions of foreign or domestic
terrorist groups.
(iii) Methods to improve cyber security of State
agencies.
(2) Discuss and coordinate with Federal and State
agencies policies which assist the efforts of law enforcement
to secure Pennsylvanians from crimes committed by the
following:
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(i) Domestic criminal organizations.
(ii) International drug cartels.
(iii) Foreign criminal organizations.
(iv) Organizations recognized by the Federal
Government to be a foreign or domestic terrorist group.
(v) Agents of foreign nations;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the select subcommittee consist of six members
of the Committee on State Government, with four members
appointed by the chairperson of the Committee on State
Government and two members appointed by the minority chairperson
of the Committee on State Government; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the chairperson of the Committee on State
Government be an ex officio member of the select subcommittee;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the chairperson of the Committee on State
Government appoint the chairperson of the select subcommittee
from among the members of the select subcommittee; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the select subcommittee hold hearings, call
witnesses, take testimony and conduct investigations at places
deemed necessary in this Commonwealth, instruct any person to
appear before the select subcommittee to answer questions within
the scope of inquiry by the select subcommittee and to produce
books, papers, records, accounts, reports and documents as the
select subcommittee deems necessary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Committee on State Government assist the
select subcommittee to the fullest extent possible.
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