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.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop formal policies for protecting research and development projects from unauthorized access or disclosure of sensitive information. It also mandates government oversight through GAO audits and Congressional briefings.
Who Benefits and How
National security interests benefit from strengthened protections against foreign adversaries seeking to steal or access sensitive DHS research. The legislation creates accountability mechanisms that enhance oversight of how DHS handles research security, potentially closing gaps that could be exploited by hostile foreign actors.
Who Bears the Burden and How
DHS's Science and Technology Directorate faces new compliance requirements to develop and implement department-wide research protection policies. Research contractors, universities, and other institutions partnering with DHS on R&D projects will face increased disclosure requirements and must comply with NSPM-33 guidelines. The Government Accountability Office must conduct and submit a comprehensive compliance report within one year.
Key Provisions
- Amends the Homeland Security Act to add a new mandate for DHS to develop policies safeguarding R&D from unauthorized access
- Requires GAO to submit a report to Congress within one year on how DHS has complied with National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33)
- Mandates a Congressional briefing from the Secretary of Homeland Security within 90 days on policy development progress
- Establishes coordination requirements with NSF, OSTP, and other federal agencies on research security guidelines
- Creates accountability framework to ensure DHS follows the 2022 National Science and Technology Council implementation guidance
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement policies to safeguard research and development from unauthorized access or disclosure of sensitive information, with GAO oversight and Congressional reporting requirements.
Who Benefits
- National security apparatus (strengthened protections)
- Department of Homeland Security (clearer policy framework)
- Science and Technology Directorate (defined leadership role)
Who Bears Costs
- DHS research contractors (new compliance requirements)
- DHS Science and Technology Directorate (policy development and implementation burden)
- Research institutions partnering with DHS (disclosure requirements)
Key Policy Areas
National Security, Research & Development, Government Oversight
Primary Purpose
Requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement policies to safeguard research and development from unauthorized access or disclosure of sensitive information, with GAO oversight and Congressional reporting requirements.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Strengthen research security at DHS by codifying NSPM-33 compliance requirements and creating accountability through GAO oversight"
Identified Gains
- National security apparatus (strengthened protections)
- Department of Homeland Security (clearer policy framework)
- Science and Technology Directorate (defined leadership role)
Identified Costs
- DHS research contractors (new compliance requirements)
- DHS Science and Technology Directorate (policy development and implementation burden)
- Research institutions partnering with DHS (disclosure requirements)
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Introduced__________
Additional sponsor: Mr. Green of Tennessee
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the …
Mr. D'Esposito introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Government Accountability Office
Universities and research institutions partnering with DHS
National security interests and intelligence community
Foreign adversaries seeking unauthorized access to DHS research
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Homeland Security
- "the_under_secretary"
- → Under Secretary of Science and Technology Directorate
- "the_comptroller_general"
- → Comptroller General of the United States (GAO)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Presidential memorandum establishing disclosure requirements for federal research security
Information in research and development that requires protection from unauthorized access or disclosure
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