To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enable secure and trustworthy technology through other transaction contracting authority, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The PATHS Act extends the Department of Homeland Security research and development acquisition pilot program and related other transaction authority under section 831 of the Homeland Security Act from September 30, 2024, to September 30, 2028. It adds a fast oversight requirement for artificial intelligence: within 72 hours after DHS uses or extends the transaction authority for AI technology, the Secretary must notify the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and House Homeland Security Committee and offer a briefing explaining the reason for the use or extension. It also amends a separate FY2023 NDAA provision by lowering a transaction threshold from $4 million to $1 million.
Who Benefits and How
DHS Science and Technology Directorate, DHS procurement officers, artificial intelligence vendors, homeland-security technology startups, defense technology contractors, small technology firms, prototype developers, and congressional oversight committees benefit from continued flexible contracting authority, a lower-dollar transaction path, and faster notice for AI-related uses. DHS can keep using other transaction agreements for advanced homeland-security prototypes while Congress gets rapid visibility into AI uses.
Who Bears the Burden and How
DHS administrative staff, DHS congressional affairs staff, DHS procurement officers, AI program managers, traditional FAR contractors, congressional committee staff, and oversight analysts must manage 72-hour notices, prepare offered briefings, track AI-related other transaction uses, and operate under the extended pilot authority through 2028.
Key Provisions
- Extends DHS section 831 other transaction authority through September 30, 2028.
- Requires notice and an offered briefing within 72 hours for AI-related use or extension of the authority.
- Requires notice to House and Senate appropriations and homeland-security committees.
- Lowers a separate transaction threshold from $4 million to $1 million.
- Preserves flexible procurement for homeland-security research and development prototypes.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Extends DHS section 831 research-and-development other transaction authority through September 30, 2028, requires DHS to notify four congressional committees and offer a briefing within 72 hours when the authority is used or extended for artificial intelligence technology, and lowers a separate covered transaction threshold from $4 million to $1 million.
Key Policy Areas
Homeland Security, Procurement, Artificial Intelligence
Primary Purpose
Extends DHS section 831 research-and-development other transaction authority through September 30, 2028, requires DHS to notify four congressional committees and offer a briefing within 72 hours when the authority is used or extended for artificial intelligence technology, and lowers a separate covered transaction threshold from $4 million to $1 million.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- DHS Science and Technology Directorate
- DHS procurement officers
- Artificial intelligence vendors
- Homeland-security technology startups
- Defense technology contractors
- Prototype developers
- Congressional oversight committees
Identified Costs
- DHS administrative staff
- DHS congressional affairs staff
- DHS procurement officers
- AI program managers
- Traditional FAR contractors
- Congressional committee staff
- Oversight analysts
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Passed HouseReceived; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland …
Passed House (inferred from eh version)
Mr. Guest (for himself and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Congressional oversight committees, DHS Science and Technology Directorate, DHS congressional affairs staff
Positive-direction: Congressional oversight committees, DHS Science and Technology Directorate
Negative-direction: DHS congressional affairs staff
AI program managers, Artificial intelligence vendors, Homeland-security technology startups
Positive-direction: Artificial intelligence vendors, Homeland-security technology startups
Negative-direction: AI program managers
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology