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Lesson 4: The Establishment of the Department of Homeland Security
Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs)
In October 2001, President George W. Bush issued the first of many Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPDs). Over the course of the next 10 years, many other directives have been signed including several recently issued by President Obama. For your review, the most current listing of HSPDs and their time frame of enactment is below. Note that several of these directives, including HSPD 5, HSPD 7, PPD-8, and the cybersecurity directives, will be discussed in detail in upcoming lessons as we further investigate the specific mission areas of DHS.
Please note how the White House and DHS, over the course of the Bush Administration and through the first three years of the Obama Administration, have remained focused on the evolving threats confronting our nation. From combating terrorism in broad terms to weapons of mass destruction (WMD), critical infrastructure, biological weapons, public health, and from biometrics to cybersecurity, our country is faced with many issues and enemies that must be confronted on a daily basis.
Homeland Security Presidential Directives
Click on the buttons below to learn more about each directive.
HSPD-1: Organization and Operation of the Homeland Security Council, October 2001
Ensures coordination of all homeland security-related activities among executive departments and agencies and promote the effective development and implementation of all homeland security policies.
HSPD-2: Combating Terrorism Through Immigration Polices, October 2001
Provides for the creation of a task force, which will work aggressively to prevent aliens who engage in or support terrorist activity from entering the United States and to detain, prosecute, or deport any such aliens who are within the United States.
HSPD-3: Creation of the Homeland Security Advisory System, March 2002
Establishes a comprehensive and effective means to disseminate information regarding the risk of terrorist acts to federal, state, and local authorities and to the American people.
HSPD-4: National Strategy to Combat WMD's, December 2002
Applies new technologies, increased emphasis on intelligence collection and analysis, strengthens alliance relationships, and establishes new partnerships with former adversaries to counter this threat in all of its dimensions.
HSPD-5: Management of Domestic Incidents (Creation of a National Incident Management System (NIMS)), February 2003
Enhances the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents by establishing a single, comprehensive national incident management system.
HSPD-6: Integration and Use of Screening Information (Creation of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC)), September 2003
Provides for the establishment of the Terrorist Threat Integration Center.
HSPD-7: Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection, December 2003
Establishes a national policy for federal departments and agencies to identify and prioritize United States critical infrastructure and key resources and to protect them from terrorist attacks.
HSPD-8: Strengthen National Preparedness (Establish mechanisms for improved delivery of federal preparedness assistance to state and local governments), December 2003
Identifies steps for improved coordination in response to incidents. This directive describes the way federal departments and agencies will prepare for such a response, including prevention activities during the early stages of a terrorism incident. This directive is a companion to HSPD-5.
HSPD-9: Defense of U.S. Agriculture and Food, January 2004
Establishes a national policy to defend the agriculture and food system against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
HSPD-10: Defense from Biological Weapons, April 2004
Provides a comprehensive framework for our nation's bio-defense.
HSPD-11: Comprehensive Terrorist-Related Screening Procedures, August 2004
Implements a coordinated and comprehensive approach to terrorist-related screening. This approach supports homeland security at home and abroad. This directive builds upon HSPD-6.
HSPD-12: Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, August 2004
Establishes a mandatory, government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification issued by the federal government to its employees and contractors (including contractor employees).
HSPD-13: Maritime Security, December 2004
Establishes policy guidelines to enhance national and homeland security by protecting U.S. maritime interests.
HSPD-14: Domestic Nuclear Detection, April 2005
HSPD-15: On the War on Terrorism (Classified), March 2006
HSPD-16: On Aviation Security and Threats to Commercial Aircraft (Classified), June 2006
Details a strategic vision for aviation security while recognizing ongoing efforts, and directs the production of a National Strategy for Aviation Security and supporting plans.
HSPD-17: National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction (Classified), August 2006
HSPD-18: Medical Countermeasures Against Weapons of Mass Destruction, January 2007
Establishes policy guidelines to draw upon the considerable potential of the scientific community in the public and private sectors to address medical countermeasure requirements relating to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) threats.
HSPD-19: Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States, February 2007
Establishes a national policy and calls for the development of a national strategy and implementation plan for the prevention and detection of, protection against, and response to terrorists' use of explosives in the United States.
HSPD-20: National Continuity Policy, April 2007
Establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of federal government structures and operations and a single national continuity coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of federal continuity policies.
HSPD-21: Public Health and Medical Preparedness, October 2007
Establishes a national strategy that will enable a level of public health and medical preparedness sufficient to address a range of possible disasters.
HSPD-22: Cyber Security and Monitoring
HSPD-23: National Cyber Security Initiative, January 2008
HSPD-24: Biometrics for Identification and Screening to Enhance National Security, June 2008
Establishes a framework to ensure that federal executive departments use mutually compatible methods and procedures regarding biometric information of individuals, while respecting their information privacy and other legal rights.
HSPD-25: Arctic Region Policy, January 2009