security with State and local government personnel,
agencies, and authorities, the private sector, other
entities, and the public; and
(3) distributing or, as appropriate, coordinating
the distribution of, warnings and information to State
and local government personnel, agencies, and
authorities and to the public.
(d) Meetings of National Security Council.--The Secretary
may, subject to the direction of the President, attend and
participate in meetings of the National Security Council.
(e) Issuance of Regulations.--The issuance of regulations
by the Secretary shall be governed by the provisions of chapter
5 of title 5, United States Code, except as specifically
provided in this Act, in laws granting regulatory authorities
that are transferred by this Act, and in laws enacted after the
date of enactment of this Act.
(f) Special Assistant to the Secretary.--The Secretary
shall appoint a Special Assistant to the Secretary who shall be
responsible for--
(1) creating and fostering strategic communications
with the private sector to enhance the primary mission
of the Department to protect the American homeland;
(2) advising the Secretary on the impact of the
Department's policies, regulations, processes, and
actions on the private sector;
(3) interfacing with other relevant Federal
agencies with homeland security missions to assess the
impact of these agencies' actions on the private
sector;
(4) creating and managing private sector advisory
councils composed of representatives of industries and
associations designated by the Secretary to--
(A) advise the Secretary on private sector
products, applications, and solutions as they
relate to homeland security challenges;
(B) advise the Secretary on homeland
security policies, regulations, processes, and
actions that affect the participating
industries and associations; and
(C) advise the Secretary on private sector
preparedness issues, including effective
methods for--
(i) promoting voluntary
preparedness standards to the private
sector; and