118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9748
_______________________________________________________________________
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 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 December 20, 2024.
Attest:
Clerk.
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
