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§ 101. Definitions

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In this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(1) Each of the terms “American homeland” and “homeland” means the United States.
(2) The term “appropriate congressional committee” means any committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate having legislative or oversight jurisdiction under the Rules of the House of Representatives or the Senate, respectively, over the matter concerned.
(3) The term “assets” includes contracts, facilities, property, records, unobligated or unexpended balances of appropriations, and other funds or resources (other than personnel).
(4) The term “critical infrastructure” has the meaning given that term in section 5195c (e) of title 42.
(5) The term “Department” means the Department of Homeland Security.
(6) The term “emergency response providers” includes Federal, State, and local governmental and nongovernmental emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement, emergency response, emergency medical (including hospital emergency facilities), and related personnel, agencies, and authorities.
(7) The term “executive agency” means an executive agency and a military department, as defined, respectively, in sections 105 and 102 of title 5.
(8) The term “functions” includes authorities, powers, rights, privileges, immunities, programs, projects, activities, duties, and responsibilities.
(9) The term “key resources” means publicly or privately controlled resources essential to the minimal operations of the economy and government.
(10) The term “local government” means—
(A) a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments (regardless of whether the council of governments is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under State law), regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government;
(B) an Indian tribe or authorized tribal organization, or in Alaska a Native village or Alaska Regional Native Corporation; and
(C) a rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.
(11) The term “major disaster” has the meaning given in section 5122 (2) of title 42.
(12) The term “personnel” means officers and employees.
(13) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
(14) The term “State” means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any possession of the United States.
(15) The term “terrorism” means any activity that—
(A) involves an act that—
(i) is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources; and
(ii) is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State or other subdivision of the United States; and
(B) appears to be intended—
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping.
(16)
(A) The term “United States”, when used in a geographic sense, means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, any possession of the United States, and any waters within the jurisdiction of the United States.
(B) Nothing in this paragraph or any other provision of this chapter shall be construed to modify the definition of “United States” for the purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act [8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.] or any other immigration or nationality law.
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