Official Summaries

Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act

This bill requires the Science and Technology Directorate in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a department-wide policy for safeguarding research and development from unauthorized access or disclosures of sensitive information in related acquisitions.

Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must report on the compliance of DHS with a 2021 presidential memorandum and related guidance that required certain disclosures about government-funded research and development (e.g., conflicts of interest involving foreign governments).

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 901 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 901


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               March 11 (legislative day, March 10), 2025

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
     To require the Under Secretary of the Science and Technology 
    Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security to develop a 
     Department-wide policy and process to safeguard research and 
  development from unauthorized access to or disclosure of sensitive 
  information in research and development acquisitions, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Research Security and Accountability 
in DHS Act''.

SEC. 2. SAFEGUARDING SENSITIVE RESEARCH IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
              SECURITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 302 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
(6 U.S.C. 182) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (13), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (14), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(15) developing, in coordination with appropriate agency 
        officials, a Department-wide policy and process to safeguard 
        research and development from unauthorized access to or 
        disclosure of sensitive information in research and development 
        acquisitions.''.
    (b) GAO Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
        United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
        Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
        Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 
        report on how the Department of Homeland Security has complied 
        with National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33) and 
        adopted the National Science and Technology Council's 2022 
        implementation guidance.
            (2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall address the following:
                    (A) How the Department of Homeland Security has 
                complied with disclosure requirements outlined in NSPM-
                33, and how violations are reported to the relevant 
                executive agencies, including in the intelligence 
                community (as such term is defined in section 3(4) of 
                the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).
                    (B) Coordination and compliance with guidelines 
                established by the National Science Foundation, the 
                National Science Technology Council, the Office of 
                Science and Technology Policy, and other executive 
                agencies regarding Federal research security.
                    (C) The role of the Science and Technology 
                Directorate of the Department regarding establishing a 
                research security framework for research and 
                development projects across the Department.
    (c) Congressional Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a briefing addressing the development of policies 
and processes to safeguard Department of Homeland Security research and 
development in accordance with paragraph (15) of section 302 of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 182), as added by subsection 
(a).

            Passed the House of Representatives March 10, 2025.

            Attest:

                                             KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

                                                                 Clerk.