Sponsors (3)
The bill improves DHS’s ability to share actionable intelligence with state/local/tribal governments and critical infrastructure partners—boosting threat awareness and local response—while raising significant privacy, data‑security, and funding/resource risks that must be addressed for benefits to be realized without harmful tradeoffs.
State, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments and their communities receive more timely, actionable intelligence from DHS to prevent and respond to threats.
Private-sector critical infrastructure operators gain improved two‑way information sharing with DHS, enabling faster threat detection and response for utilities, financial institutions, and other operators.
Stronger engagement with fusion centers and field partners strengthens coordination and trust between DHS and local partners, improving local public-safety responses and interjurisdictional collaboration.
Expanded proactive and two‑way intelligence collection and sharing increases privacy and civil‑liberties risks by broadening the scope of data DHS may receive or request from SLTT and private partners.
Greater information sharing with the private sector raises the risk that sensitive government, proprietary, or personally identifiable information will be exposed if information‑security and minimization safeguards are insufficient.
Implementation—especially forward‑deployed capabilities and sustained fusion center engagement—could require new resources or reallocation, raising taxpayer costs and potentially shifting workloads onto SLTT partners if funding is not provided.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by August Pfluger · Last progress February 9, 2026
Requires the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) to realign its mission so operational, two‑way intelligence support to State, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments and private‑sector entities is prioritized and resourced on par with support to elements of the intelligence community. It directs I&A to deploy forward intelligence capabilities, sustain engagement with fusion centers, facilitate both receipt and dissemination of information with SLTT partners and the private sector, and ensure support to DHS leadership does not crowd out those stakeholder responsibilities. The Under Secretary must report to relevant congressional committees within 180 days on implementation steps, metrics, progress, and any resource or organizational needs. The change does not alter I&A’s watchlisting functions.