[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7342-H7343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESEARCH SECURITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN DHS ACT
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 9748) 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.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 9748
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).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy)
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. 9748.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
{time} 1430
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9748, the Research
Security and Accountability in DHS Act.
The Science and Technology Directorate is the principle of research
and development at DHS.
In 2022, the DHS Office of Inspector General found that S&T failed to
safeguard sensitive information in research and development projects.
This bill requires S&T to develop a proper standard for safeguarding
sensitive information, which has become especially critical given the
heightened activity of our adversaries.
I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito) for his
leadership on this issue, and I am proud to join him as a cosponsor.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to consider H.R.
9748, the Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act.
This legislation aims to improve security policies by requiring the
Department of Homeland Security's Science
[[Page H7343]]
and Technology Directorate 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.
Further, the bill would task the Government Accountability Office
with reporting how DHS has complied with the National Science and
Technology Council's 2022 implementation guidance and a 2021 National
Security Presidential Memorandum relating to protecting U.S. research
against foreign interference.
I am particularly pleased that this legislation includes a briefing
to Congress by the Secretary of Homeland Security about the bill's
implementation.
We have seen time and time again where bad actors have attempted to
access sensitive information. This measure will strengthen the
Department's abilities against those who wish to do us harm. This bill
is an important step in ensuring that DHS prioritizes policies and
procedures safeguarding research and development.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 9748,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito).
Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support and
leadership on the Homeland Security Subcommittee.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support H.R. 9748, the Research Security
and Accountability in DHS Act.
My grandfather was in his mid-nineties when he died a proud World War
II combat veteran. One of the things he always told us was to leave the
world a little bit better than you found it each day. From my time
serving as an NYPD detective or chief in the fire service or here in
Congress, that has been something I have been committed to.
I am proud of my bill. I urge my colleagues to support the Research
Security and Accountability in DHS Act.
As threats against the United States' homeland evolve, we must
continue to innovate quickly and ensure that our Nation's law
enforcement officers have the tools and technologies they need to keep
our communities safe.
Right now, Federal research and sensitive technologies are a target
for foreign theft, espionage, and influence, and we must ensure that
these technologies do not fall into the hands of bad actors.
It should come as no surprise that many of the Department of Homeland
Security's research and development projects contain sensitive
information about the United States' capabilities and vulnerabilities,
and it is common sense that the Department of Homeland Security's
research and development projects should be safeguarded from bad
actors.
Whether the Department of Homeland Security is working to prevent a
terrorist attack, vetting bad actors at the airport, or disrupting
transnational criminal organizations at the southwest border, the
Department of Homeland Security relies heavily on sensitive research
and development projects to keep pace with the evolving threats against
this great Nation.
H.R. 9748, the Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act,
requires that the Department of Homeland Security's Science and
Technology Directorate develop a process that safeguards sensitive
information projects across all components of the Department to limit
unauthorized access to and disclosure of sensitive information.
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have made Federal research
security a priority by issuing executive orders and Federal research
security guidance for government agencies like Homeland Security to
follow. However, it is unclear how DHS has complied under Secretary
Mayorkas with existing Federal guidelines to protect the $461 million
worth of research and development projects.
That is why my bill will also require the Government Accountability
Office to report how the Department of Homeland Security has complied
with existing Federal guidance to protect federally funded research
from foreign malign influence, ownership, and control.
By passing this commonsense bill, we will not only protect sensitive
projects throughout the Department of Homeland Security, but we will
also better protect the American people.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9748, to better
safeguard the Department of Homeland Security and this great Nation,
leaving our homeland better than we found it.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, passage of this legislation is an important step to
ensuring DHS research and development capabilities are safeguarded from
bad actors.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9748, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9748, and 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. 9748.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the
ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a
quorum is not present.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.
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