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CIVIC HERALD
HR 901 · 119th Congress · HouseIn committee

Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act

In plain language: This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish department-wide rules protecting its research and technology contracts from unauthorized access, leaks, or foreign interference. It also requires the Government Accountability Office to investigate and report on how effectively DHS enforces federal disclosure rules, such as identifying foreign funding among researchers and reporting security breaches to intelligence agencies. DHS leaders must brief Congress on their progress within 90 days of the bill becoming law.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.

Provisionalunreviewed: impact, provisions, stakeholders, summary
People affected—The operative text directs internal agency policy and oversight mechanisms and does not quantify an affected population.
Fiscal magnitude—The operative text does not authorize or appropriate funds, nor does it specify fee or penalty amounts.
Reach18provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
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Issues

What this bill touches.

Ethics & oversight+22

The sign shows the bill's direction on each issue (+ toward, − away); the number is its magnitude. Color never encodes good or bad, and never party.

Who it affects

Who it helps · who it burdens.

Who it burdens

  • Department of Homeland SecurityMust develop a department-wide policy and process to protect sensitive information in research and development acquisitions, and must brief congressional committees on these efforts within 90 days.provisional
  • Government Accountability OfficeMust conduct an evaluation and submit a report to congressional committees within one year regarding DHS compliance with federal research security rules and coordination with other science agencies.provisional

Dollar-level funding (FEC sector totals) is coming in a later phase.

What it does

The provisions, in plain language.

  1. Requires the Department of Homeland Security to create a department-wide policy and process to protect research and development acquisitions from unauthorized access or disclosure of sensitive information.

    Sec. 2(a)provisional

  2. Directs the Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress within one year evaluating how the Department of Homeland Security complies with federal research security rules, coordinates with other science agencies, and reports security violations.

    Sec. 2(b)provisional

  3. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to brief congressional committees within 90 days on the development of policies to safeguard research and development.

    Sec. 2(c)provisional

How your members of Congress line up

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Timeline

How it moved.

  1. Mar 11, 2025Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  2. Mar 10, 2025Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  3. Mar 10, 2025On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 410 - 1 (Roll no. 64). (text: CR H1051)
  4. Mar 10, 2025Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 410 - 1 (Roll no. 64). (text: CR H1051)
  5. Jan 31, 2025Introduced in House
  6. Jan 31, 2025Introduced in House

The original text

Read it for yourself.

Read the original text →

Sources & provenance

Congress.govrefreshed 9 days ago

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