In four pages this paper discusses how state and local governments have been affected by the US Homeland Security Act. Five sources are cited in the bibliography.
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recover from any terrorist attacks" (Clark et al, 2003) - has had significant impact upon both the state and local levels, as well as both private and public sectors.
Indeed, the extent to which the Homeland Security Act impacts these respective divisions is both grand and far-reaching; that certain agencies and their primary functions have been significantly modified as
now being under the umbrella of the new Department of Homeland Security clearly illustrates the magnitude of change that both state and local governments have experienced. For example, Section
214 reflects one particularly pertinent alteration that addresses both local and state governments, as well as the private sector, by encouraging these groups to come forward with information pertaining to
terrorist activities in exchange for promising that such disclosure "will not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Furthermore, the information would not become subject to
disclosure if the Department forwarded it to other federal departments or agencies" (Clark et al, 2003). Critics, however, argue how this particular section of the Act "severely weakens the
federal and state freedom of information laws" (McMasters, 2003, pp. 12-13). Moreover, the issues of privacy rights, secrecy and workers rights have come full circle to represent three of
the most pressing issues critics contend reflect a botched attempt toward better security at the expense of Americans natural born liberties (Anonymous, 2002). Further evidence of local impact comes by
way of the private sector, where certain activities reap even more severe consequences than they did prior to the Acts implementation. Cyber crime represents one area in which a
particularly stringent focus is now maintained upon those whose activities "threaten public health and safety" (Clark et al, 2003), with Section 225 specifying how 1) cyber crime penalties have been