Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens DHS research‑security and congressional oversight to better protect sensitive R&D, but it imposes new compliance burdens and costs that could slow collaboration and increase expenses for researchers and taxpayers.
DHS researchers, contractors, and federal research staff will have clearer, department‑wide rules to protect sensitive R&D from unauthorized access or disclosure.
Congressional homeland‑security committees and taxpayers will get faster and independent oversight—via a required 90‑day briefing and a GAO assessment within one year—improving transparency and accountability for DHS research‑security compliance.
Scientists, universities, and federal research offices will benefit from improved cross‑agency consistency because DHS must coordinate with NSF, NSTC, OSTP and other agencies on research‑security practices.
Researchers, contractors, and small research firms will face new administrative burdens and compliance costs from department‑wide security processes.
Scientists, students, and universities could see increased scrutiny and reporting requirements that slow collaborations, hinder open scientific exchange, and reduce the pace of innovation in federally funded R&D.
Taxpayers and federal agencies may incur higher costs because implementing tighter safeguards requires expanded compliance, oversight, and monitoring resources at DHS.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires DHS S&T to adopt a department-wide policy to safeguard R&D acquisitions and directs GAO to report within 1 year on DHS compliance with NSPM–33 and NSTC guidance; DHS must brief Congress within 90 days.
Requires the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology (S&T) leadership to create a department-wide policy and process to protect research and development (R&D) acquisitions from unauthorized access or disclosure. It also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report within one year on DHS’s compliance with National Security Presidential Memorandum–33 (NSPM–33) and the National Science and Technology Council’s 2022 implementation guidance, and requires DHS to brief congressional homeland security committees within 90 days on its policy development. The changes focus on research security procedures, interagency coordination with civilian science and technology bodies, and oversight of DHS’s role in establishing a research security framework for R&D acquisitions. No new funding is specified in the text; deadlines for briefing and reporting are set relative to enactment.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Dale Strong · Last progress March 11, 2025