[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 148 (Monday, September 23, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5591-H5592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY POLICY ISSUANCE REVIEW ACT

  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 6231) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
require a prioritized policy issuance review process for the Department 
of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6231

       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 ``Department of Homeland 
     Security Policy Issuance Review Act''.

     SEC. 2. POLICY ISSUANCE REVIEW PROCESS.

       Section 701 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     341) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (14); and
       (B) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(13) Overseeing the Department's process for review and 
     approval of policy issuance documents.'';
       (2) by redesignating the second subsection (e) (relating to 
     the definition of interoperable communications) as subsection 
     (f); and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(g) Policy Issuance Review Process.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this subsection, the Under Secretary for 
     Management shall require a prioritized periodic review 
     process (in this subsection referred to as the `Review 
     Process') of Department policy issuance documents.
       ``(2) Congressional oversight.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this subsection and 
     annually thereafter, the Under Secretary for Management 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 on the Review 
     Process, including relating to the Department's record of 
     reviewing and updating existing policy issuance documents. 
     Each such briefing shall include information relating to the 
     following:
       ``(A) All policy issuance documents, including, with 
     respect to each such document, the title, policy number, 
     revision number, issue date, and last reviewed date.
       ``(B) All policy issuance documents canceled in the prior 
     year.
       ``(C) An explanation of the methodology used to prioritize 
     the review of policy issuance documents.
       ``(D) The procedures used by the Department to track and 
     coordinate with Department components the issuance, review, 
     and cancellations of policy issuance documents.
       ``(E) The number of staff and vacancies within the 
     Management Directorate responsible for supporting the Review 
     Process.
       ``(3) Definition.--In this subsection the term `policy 
     issuance document'--
       ``(A) means a Department-level directive, instruction, 
     designation, or delegation, issued in accordance with the 
     process referred to in subsection (a)(13) or any process for 
     issuing such documents consistent with Department policy as 
     may be in effect; and
       ``(B) does not include documents--
       ``(i) issued in accordance with a process other than a 
     process referred to in subsection (a)(13) or the Review 
     Process; or
       ``(ii) documents published in the Federal Register.
       ``(4) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
     be construed to--
       ``(A) invalidate any policy issuance document created on, 
     before, or after the date of the enactment of this 
     subsection;
       ``(B) serve as a basis for action to challenge the validity 
     of such a policy issuance document; or
       ``(C) create any right or benefit, whether substantive or 
     procedural, enforceable by any person in any administrative 
     or judicial proceeding.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6231.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 6231, the Department of Homeland Security 
Policy

[[Page H5592]]

Issuance Review Act. I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) for 
this commonsense oversight legislation. I urge support of the measure, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  The Department of Homeland Security Policy Issuance Review Act will 
codify the Department of Homeland Security's policy issuance and review 
process to ensure DHS provides up-to-date policy guidance for its more 
than 260,000 employees.
  Policies provide important clarity on what is expected of DHS 
employees as they carry out the critical work of the Department. These 
policies outline how to uphold civil liberties and civil rights while 
conducting criminal investigations, how to ensure grant funds are used 
in accordance with congressional intent, and how to incorporate new 
technology into the agency operations.
  Some DHS policies have not been reviewed or updated for many years in 
accordance with the Department's requirements. H.R. 6231 will address 
this by providing Congress greater insight into the issuance, review, 
and revision of the Departmentwide policies.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Ivey).
  Mr. IVEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of my bill, 
the Department of Homeland Security Policy Issuance Review Act, H.R. 
6231.
  DHS has over 800 Departmentwide policies. While many of these 
policies relate to internal management functions of the Department, 
others provide critical guidance for employees on issues such as use of 
force by law enforcement officers, the personal and professional use of 
social media, and the ethical code of conduct.
  The Department has a requirement that all policies be reviewed every 
2 years. However, a recent review by the Committee on Homeland Security 
found that DHS rarely met this deadline, and some foundational policies 
had not received meaningful review since their issuance.
  My bill addresses this shortcoming by making the Department's policy 
issuance and review process a formal responsibility of the DHS Under 
Secretary for management.
  My bill also provides Congress with greater transparency into how and 
when DHS updates policies by requiring the Department to provide 
Congress an annual briefing on policies issued, reviewed, and canceled. 
My bill also requires DHS to inform Congress on its staffing needs to 
help ensure the Department has the resources needed to review and 
revise its policies in a timely manner.
  H.R. 6231 is necessary to ensure that Congress has greater visibility 
into how the Department is managing its policy issuance program and to 
prevent any lengthy delays in the review and revision of critical 
departmental documents.
  In closing, I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for 
cosponsoring this bill, Representatives Clarke, Bishop of North 
Carolina, and Ezell. I would also like to thank my colleagues on the 
Homeland Security Committee for passing this legislation out of 
committee unanimously. Finally, I thank DHS staff, who provided 
valuable insight and feedback on the Department's policy review 
process.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  This bipartisan bill is a commonsense way for Congress to ensure that 
DHS policies are updated on time, and if they are not updated, that 
Congress will hear about it and take appropriate action.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6231, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time to close.
  Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This is a 
bipartisan bill. Mr. Ivey put a lot of work into this. It makes good 
common sense, and it allows us to oversee the Department with more 
authority and effectiveness. I fully support it, and I urge my 
colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6231.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________