Overview
Title
An Act 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.
ELI5 AI
The bill wants the big bosses at the Department of Homeland Security to make sure their secret projects stay secret, and they have to tell adults in charge if they're doing a good job at it.
Summary AI
H.R. 901 is a bill that instructs the Under Secretary of the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security to develop policies to protect sensitive research and development information from unauthorized access or disclosure. The bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to include this requirement. Additionally, it mandates a report from the Comptroller General on the Department's compliance with federal research security guidelines and a briefing to Congress on the implementation of these protective measures.
Published
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AnalysisAI
General Summary of the Bill
The bill titled "Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act" aims to enhance the security of sensitive research and development activities within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It seeks to establish a comprehensive policy and process to safeguard such activities from unauthorized access or dissemination of sensitive information. The legislation mandates the DHS Science and Technology Directorate to coordinate this effort and includes requirements for reporting compliance with existing national guidelines on research security.
Summary of Significant Issues
Several issues arise from the proposed legislation:
Resource Allocation: The amendment to Section 302 of the Homeland Security Act does not specify the resources needed for implementing the new security measures, which could lead to budgetary challenges or inefficient use of funds.
Lack of Accountability: The bill lacks explicit consequences if DHS fails to comply with the set guidelines, potentially weakening oversight and accountability.
Ambiguity in Terms: Terms like "unauthorized access" are vague without clear definitions, leading to potential misinterpretation and enforcement difficulties.
Time Constraints: The bill requires a Congressional briefing within 90 days, which may be insufficient for developing comprehensive policies, resulting in rushed or incomplete measures.
Coordination Challenges: Coordination with multiple agencies like the National Science Foundation might lead to overlapping responsibilities and confusion without definitive role distribution.
Impact on the Public
This bill could have significant implications for the public, particularly in terms of national security. By protecting sensitive information related to research and development within DHS, it potentially enhances the country's security posture against threats. However, the bill's ambiguous terms and lack of specified resources might dampen its effectiveness until these areas are clarified and addressed.
On a broader scale, the legislation seeks to ensure that taxpayer resources invested in research and development are protected from unauthorized access, maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of work that could directly affect national security and public safety.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For the DHS, this bill proposes significant changes in how research security is managed. While the intention is to provide a coherent framework, implementation might strain current resources without additional support. The scientific community engaged in federal research might experience heightened scrutiny and additional bureaucracy, which could delay project timelines or affect collaborative engagements.
For lawmakers and oversight bodies such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the bill entails increased responsibility for monitoring compliance with national security policies. This could introduce new layers of oversight, potentially leading to improvements in research security measures but also requiring careful coordination to avoid inefficiencies.
Overall, while the bill proposes necessary advancements in securing sensitive research, its success heavily relies on how effectively DHS, legislative bodies, and other involved stakeholders can navigate and mitigate the outlined issues.
Issues
The amendment of Section 302 lacks specificity about the resources required for developing the Department-wide policy and process to safeguard research and development, which could lead to potential budgetary concerns or misallocation of funds. This could have significant financial implications and impact the Department's ability to implement effective security measures (Section 2(a)).
The GAO report requirement does not specify any consequences or actions to be taken if the Department of Homeland Security fails to comply with NSPM-33, which could weaken the accountability of the intended oversight. This lack of accountability measures may result in non-compliance or ineffective implementation of necessary safeguards (Section 2(b)).
The language in paragraph (15) regarding 'unauthorized access to or disclosure of sensitive information' is somewhat vague and does not define what constitutes 'unauthorized,' potentially leading to varying interpretations. This ambiguity can create legal ambiguities and challenges in enforcement (Section 2(a)(3)).
The requirement for a Congressional briefing within 90 days may not provide enough time for thorough development and review of the necessary policies and processes, potentially resulting in incomplete or rushed preparation. This could undermine the effectiveness of the safeguarding measures intended by the bill (Section 2(c)).
The provision for coordination with various bodies (National Science Foundation, National Science Technology Council, etc.) might result in overlapping responsibilities and confusion without clear guidelines on roles and expectations. This could lead to inefficiencies and conflicts among agencies responsible for research security (Section 2(b)(2)).
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states that the short title of the Act is the “Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act.”
2. Safeguarding sensitive research in the Department of Homeland Security Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The bill amends the Homeland Security Act to ensure that sensitive research and development information is protected from unauthorized access. It also requires the Department of Homeland Security to report on its compliance with certain guidelines related to research security and to brief Congress on the development of new policies to safeguard this information.