Sponsors (14)
The bill centralizes safety and grant information to help nonprofits and houses of worship better prepare for and recover from threats and improves oversight of existing programs, but it raises privacy and equity concerns, requires taxpayer funding, and may provide only temporary continuity without further action.
Nonprofits, faith-based groups, and houses of worship will get a centralized federal Clearinghouse (online) that provides evidence-based safety and security best practices, prevention/recovery guidance, and links to grant applications and performance requirements, making it substantially easier to prepare for threats and find federal support.
State and local officials and federal policymakers will have consolidated information (including a GAO report) about grants and programs supporting nonprofit and worship-site safety, helping identify gaps or duplication and enabling more informed oversight and allocation of existing security resources.
Improved preparedness and response guidance from the Clearinghouse can reduce harm from natural disasters, targeted violence, or other incidents at community organizations and houses of worship.
Religious organizations and nonprofits may face increased federal scrutiny, privacy risks, and trust concerns because DHS could designate groups as 'at risk', centralize security assessments, and link organizations to law enforcement or fusion centers.
The bill limits covered organizations to 501(c)(3) entities and centralizes resources in ways that may exclude advocacy groups and leave smaller or under-resourced nonprofits unable to compete for grants or implement recommended security practices, increasing inequities.
Taxpayers will incur additional costs to create, staff, and maintain the Clearinghouse and website for up to four years.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Establishes a DHS clearinghouse to publish tiered, evidence-based safety and security best practices and list federal grants for nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and houses of worship; requires a GAO grants report.
Introduced September 30, 2025 by Margaret Wood Hassan · Last progress September 30, 2025
Creates a Federal Clearinghouse within the Department of Homeland Security to publish and promote evidence-based safety and security best practices and to list federal grant programs for nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and houses of worship. Requires the Clearinghouse to be staffed, to provide a public point of contact, and to use a tiered system that highlights practices supported by strong or promising evidence; also directs the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on federal grants and programs for these entities.