Sponsors
The bill centralizes and streamlines DHS intelligence-liaison functions to improve coordination and reduce administrative waste, but it risks short-term disruptions to state/local intelligence access, constraints on DHS staffing flexibility, and personnel impacts for federal employees.
State, local, tribal, and federal law-enforcement agencies will have clearer, centralized points of contact at DHS Intelligence & Analysis, improving information-sharing and coordination on threats.
Taxpayers and DHS operations may see lower administrative costs and improved efficiency because DHS is required to identify and eliminate redundant positions and functions.
State and local partners and DHS staff benefit from required internal oversight and a transition timeline that increases accountability and helps maintain continuity of services during the reorganization.
State, local, and tribal partners risk temporary disruption to intelligence access, convenings, or established working relationships during the reorganization despite continuity assurances.
The prohibition on expanding the Emergency Liaison Officer (ELO) staffing, budget, or scope while the plan is pending could limit DHS’s flexibility to respond quickly to emerging threats.
Reassigning or eliminating redundant positions may cause job losses, redeployments, or stress for affected DHS employees.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DHS to submit a 120‑day plan to realign the ELO Office into I&A’s Partner Engagement directorate and bars ELO expansion until plan submission and implementation certification.
Introduced February 13, 2026 by Gabe Evans · Last progress February 13, 2026
Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit, within 120 days of enactment, a detailed plan to reorganize and realign the Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach (ELO) Office into a Partner Engagement directorate inside the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A). The plan must identify redundant or non‑essential positions and programs, provide cost‑benefit and organizational analyses, staffing and reassignment proposals, a transition timeline, internal oversight measures, and assurances that state, local, tribal, and territorial partners will continue to receive intelligence support (including HSIN‑INTEL access). Bars the Department from expanding ELO’s staffing, budget, or mission scope or from creating new DHS offices that duplicate ELO/Partner Engagement functions until the required plan is submitted and the Secretary certifies that implementation has begun (certification due to relevant congressional committees within 60 days after starting implementation). One section of the Act only provides a short title and contains no operational duties or funding changes.