¶ … Operation of the Homeland Security Council Creates the Homeland Security Council and sets down is functions.

This directive creates the Homeland Security Council (HSC) and lists its functions. The purpose of the HSC is to synchronize homeland security-related efforts across executive departments and agencies of all levels all through the country, and to put into practice the Department's policies by way of eleven Policy Coordination Committees.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 3: Homeland Security Advisory System

Creates a Homeland Security Advisory Board to issue security threat levels. There are five threat levels, each identified by a description and corresponding color. From lowest to highest, the levels and colors are: Low = Green; Guarded = Blue; Elevated = Yellow; High = Orange; Severe = Red. The higher the threat level is, the greater the risk of a terrorist attack. Risk includes both the likelihood of an attack taking place and its potential seriousness. The decision of whether to publicly announce threat levels is made on a case-by-case basis by the Attorney General and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. This system is intended to generate a universal vocabulary, context, and structure for an ongoing national discussion about the nature of the threats that confront the homeland and the suitable measures that should be taken in response.

3. This directive creates a Homeland Security Advisory System to inform all levels of government and local authority, as well as the public, to the current risk of terrorist acts. The System involves a five-level, color-coded Threat Condition gauge to correspond to the present situation. Agency-specific Protective Measures connected with each Threat Condition allows for a flexible, graduated and proper response to a change in the nation's level of risk.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5: Management of Domestic Incidents

2. Enhances the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents by establishing a single, comprehensive national incident management system. The objective of the United States Government is to ensure that all levels of government across the Nation have the capability to work efficiently and effectively together, using a national approach to domestic incident management.

3. This directive serves to improve the ability of the United States to handle domestic incidents by establishing a single, all-inclusive national incident management system. This management system is intended to cover the deterrence, preparation, response, and recovery from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. The implementation of such a system would permit all levels of government all through the nation to work competently and effectively together. The directive gives further detail on which government officials oversee and have authority for various parts of the national incident management system.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7: Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection

2. 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.

3. This directive establishes a national policy for Federal departments and agencies to recognize and prioritize critical infrastructure and to protect them from terrorist attacks. The directive defines pertinent terms and delivers thirty one policy statements. These policy statements define what the directive covers and the roles various federal, state, and local agencies will play in carrying it out.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 Annex 1 National Planning

2. Replaces the previous directive of National Preparedness.

3. This directive replaces Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-8 (National Preparedness), issued December 17, 2003, and HSPD-8 Annex I (National Planning), issued December 4, 2007, which is rescinded, except for paragraph 44. Individual plans developed under HSPD-8 and Annex I remain effective until rescinded or otherwise replaced.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 9: Defense of United States Agriculture and Food

2. Establishes a national policy to defend the agriculture and food system against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. America's agriculture and food system is a widespread, open, interrelated, varied, and complex structure providing likely targets for terrorist attacks. U.S. agriculture and food systems are susceptible to disease, pest, or poisonous agents that happen...

This directive establishes a national policy to defend the agriculture and food system against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. The directive lays out policies, including roles and responsibilities, awareness and warning, and vulnerability assessments, to provide the best protection possible against a successful attack on the U.S. agriculture and food system. This plan will make sure a coordinated response to an agriculture or food incident and will delineate the proper roles of Federal, State, local, and private sector partners, and will address risk communication for the general public.
1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 10: Biodefense for the 21st Century

2. Biological weapons in the possession of hostile states or terrorists pose unique and grave threats to the safety and security of the United States and our allies. Biological weapons attacks could cause catastrophic harm. They could impose widespread injury and result in massive casualties and economic disruption. Bioterror attacks could imitate naturally-occurring disease, potentially setting back recognition of an attack and creating indecision about whether one has even taken place or not. An attacker may therefore believe that he could escape identification, capture or retaliation.

3. This directive outlines policy for Biodefense in the 21st century. The United States has pursued assertively a broad range of programs and capabilities to confront the biological weapons threat. The results of a comprehensive study of the capabilities provide a blueprint for the future biodefense program that fully integrates the sustained efforts of the national and homeland security, medical, public health, intelligence, diplomatic, and law enforcement communities. The pillars of this national biodefense program are Threat Awareness, Prevention and Protection, Surveillance and Detection, and Response and Recovery. A classified version of this directive contains specific direction to departments and agencies.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 11: Comprehensive Terrorist-Related Screening Procedures

2. Established screening procedures for individuals that are believed to be connected to terrorism.

3. This directive establishes wide-ranging terrorist-related screening procedures in order to more successfully detect and interdict individuals known or reasonably suspected to be engaged in terrorist activities. It enhances terrorist-related screening through comprehensive, coordinated procedures that detect, identify, track, and interdict people, cargo, and other entities. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report setting forth plans and progress in the implementation of this directive. The report shall outline a strategy to enhance the effectiveness of terrorist-related screening activities.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 18: Medical Countermeasures against Weapons of Mass Destruction

2. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents (CBRN), in the possession of unfriendly states or terrorists represent one of the greatest security challenges that face the United States. This kind of attack using WMD potentially could cause mass fatalities, compromise critical infrastructure, unfavorably affect the economy, and inflict social and psychological damage that could negatively affect the American way of life.

3. This directive HSPD addresses the need for preparation against an attack by terrorist forces using a weapon of mass destruction. It recognizes that having adequate resources on hand at all times and at all places is not a realistic option. The policy set forth in the HSPD is a two-tiered approach for development and acquisition of medical countermeasures. Tier I is a focused development of Agent-Specific Medical Countermeasures and Tier II concerns the development of a Flexible Capability for New Medical Countermeasures.

1. Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20 Annex A

2. This Federal Continuity Directive (FCD) provides direction to the Federal executive branch for developing continuity plans and programs. Continuity planning facilitates the performance of executive branch vital functions during all-hazards emergencies or other situations that may disrupt normal operations. The eventual goal of continuity in the executive branch is the continuance of National Essential Functions.

3. In accordance with the National Continuity Policy, executive departments and agencies are assigned to one of four categories corresponding with…