[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H4391-H4392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HOMELAND SECURITY CAPABILITIES PRESERVATION REPORTING ACT OF 2026

  Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 8874) to amend the James M. Inhofe National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 to require recurring reports on 
the transition of jurisdictions no longer eligible for Urban Area 
Security Initiative funding, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 8874

       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 ``Homeland Security 
     Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026''.

     SEC. 2. REPORTS ON TRANSITION OF JURISDICTIONS NO LONGER 
                   ELIGIBLE FOR URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE 
                   FUNDING.

       Paragraph (1) of section 7102(b) of the James M. Inhofe 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 
     (Public Law 117-263) is amended, in the matter preceding 
     subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and every three years 
     thereafter'' after ``Not later than 18 months after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Garbarino) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include any extraneous material on H.R. 8874.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8874, the Homeland Security 
Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026.

[[Page H4392]]

  This legislation requires DHS to provide a report to Congress every 3 
years on the Homeland Security capabilities of urban areas that have 
previously received funding through the Urban Area Security Initiative, 
or UASI.
  The FEMA Grant Programs Directorate provides preparedness funding to 
assist States, localities, urban areas, and Tribal and territorial 
governments and strengthen the Nation's ability to prevent, protect 
against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major 
disasters, and other emergencies.
  Every year, FEMA determines eligible high-risk urban areas for UASI 
funding through analysis of relative risk of terrorism experienced by 
urban areas in the United States. As relative terrorism risk undertaken 
by urban area jurisdictions changes every year, this can sometimes lead 
to urban areas that were once eligible for UASI funding in one year no 
longer being eligible in future years.
  This legislation will provide consistent information to Congress on 
the ability of urban areas at risk of terrorism threats to maintain 
their Homeland Security capabilities.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative 
Walkinshaw for yielding.
  I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 8874, the Homeland Security 
Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026.
  In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, it became evident that 
cities across the United States could become targets for terrorist 
attacks and that they lacked the capacity and resources to 
independently build the critical capabilities needed to prevent, 
protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks and other 
catastrophic events.
  Beginning in 2003, urban areas across the Nation began receiving 
dedicated counterterrorism grants from the Department of Homeland 
Security through the Urban Area Security Initiative, or UASI.
  For more than two decades, this program has equipped our local first 
responders with advanced tools, equipment, and training necessary to 
protect their communities. These investments have built critical 
capabilities that strengthen preparedness and emergency responses 
across the region.
  However, maintaining these capabilities cannot be sustained by locals 
alone. They require reliable, predictable Federal funding. 
Unfortunately, unpredictable changes to DHS' risk formula, which 
determines which areas receive funding, have often created year-to-year 
uncertainty, leaving many cities wondering whether their 
counterterrorism funding will suddenly disappear. Recently, these 
funding changes have been politically arbitrary.
  We saw this danger firsthand last year, when under the leadership of 
former Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security 
attempted to abruptly remove historically funded cities--including, in 
my district, the city of New Orleans--from this program.
  Former Secretary Noem tried to cut our Federal counterterrorism 
funding support in the same year our community suffered the horrific 
attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day, which killed 
14 people and injured dozens more. It took a lawsuit to stop them.
  Here is the bottom line: Expecting locals to independently finance 
the massive security required for everyday safety--let alone high-
profile events like Mardi Gras, the World Cup, or Super Bowl--is 
unrealistic and unfair. Abruptly turning off these resources is 
dangerous.
  Congress previously acknowledged the value of UASI funding to 
communities by requiring a one-time report in the 2023 National Defense 
Authorization Act, examining how DHS could help cities transition when 
they lose grant eligibility.
  I am grateful to former Congresswoman Val Demings for championing 
this previous NDAA provision and for her leadership in recognizing the 
need to support communities if they transition out of the UASI program. 
However, a one-time report leaves Congress in the dark going forward. 
We need ongoing data to monitor vulnerable communities after they are 
removed from the program and identify whether their security 
capabilities are at risk of degrading.
  That is why I introduced H.R. 8874, the Homeland Security 
Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026. This bipartisan bill 
closes this oversight gap by requiring FEMA to submit recurring reports 
every 3 years on how cities manage and maintain their federally funded 
counterterrorism and security capabilities after they lose UASI 
funding.
  This bill will improve public safety across the Nation and ensure our 
communities are never left defenseless, which is why it is endorsed by 
the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the 
National League of Cities, and the National Fusion Center Association, 
to name a few.
  I thank Ranking Member Bennie Thompson and Representative Gimenez for 
their partnership on this bill. I urge all my colleagues to support 
this vital, commonsense legislation.
  Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I 
thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter) for his work on this 
legislation. I also thank the chairman for his work.
  UASI grants have played a critical role in my region, the D.C. 
metropolitan region, in protecting Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the 
District of Columbia, including this Capitol complex. This bill that 
will improve transparency, strengthen congressional oversight, and 
ensure that important security investments made over many years are not 
lost is a wonderful piece of legislation.
  Passage of H.R. 8874 will ensure that Congress has the information 
needed to understand the impact of UASI transitions and help preserve 
the critical Homeland Security capabilities our communities rely on. It 
will strengthen oversight, support our local partners, and help ensure 
that years of Federal investment and preparedness are not lost.
  I applaud Congressman Carter for his leadership on this issue and 
strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8874. I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I also applaud the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter) for his 
leadership on this piece of legislation.
  As a Member from New York, I have seen firsthand the benefits and the 
need for UASI grants. I think it is very important that Congress be 
kept informed of decisions being made when it comes to these grants.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, H.R. 8874, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8874.
  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.

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