DHS Special Events Program and Support Act

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6229 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6229

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize a program to
  assess the threat, vulnerability, and consequences of terrorism or
  other security threats, as appropriate, to certain events, and for
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 3, 2023

 Ms. Titus (for herself and Mr. Hudson) introduced the following bill;
   which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in
    addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize a program to
  assess the threat, vulnerability, and consequences of terrorism or
  other security threats, as appropriate, to certain events, and for
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Special Events Program and
Support Act''.

SEC. 2. DHS SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:

``SEC. 890E. SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--There is authorized within the Department a
program to assess the threat, vulnerability, and consequences of
terrorism or other security threats, as appropriate, at certain special
events in accordance with subsection (b).
    ``(b) Requirements.--The program authorized under subsection (a)
shall--
            ``(1) apply to special events that are pre-planned and not
        designated as National Special Security Events by the
        Secretary;
            ``(2) include a standard process for Federal, State, local,
        Tribal, and territorial officials to voluntarily submit to the
        Secretary requests for a special event rating that could result
        in direct support for security and situational awareness for
        such special event;
            ``(3) maintain a risk-based methodology to assess ratings
        requests, including requests submitted pursuant to paragraph
        (2), that considers the anticipated attendance by United States
        officials or foreign dignitaries, the size and venue of the
        special event, credible threats of terrorism or other security
        threats, and other homeland security information, as
        appropriate; and
            ``(4) include a process for expedited consideration and,
        where appropriate, a process for the reassessment, of a special
        event rating.
    ``(c) Support to Special Events.--For purposes of protecting a
special event described in subsection (b), the Secretary may provide
security and situational awareness support to a Federal, State, local,
Tribal, or territorial official at the request of an appropriate
Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial official.
    ``(d) Annual Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs of the Senate a report on the program authorized under
subsection (a). Each such report shall include information relating to
the following:
            ``(1) The total number of special events submitted to the
        program authorized under subsection (a) in the prior year,
        including the number of special events at each rating level.
            ``(2) The total number of events in the prior year for
        which the Secretary designated a Federal coordinator or
        coordinated security and situational awareness support,
        including a summary of Federal support provided.
            ``(3) The total number of requests for special event rating
        reassessment under subsection (b)(4), including the following:
                    ``(A) The identification of the requesting entity.
                    ``(B) The special event name, date, and location.
                    ``(C) The initial and final rating determination.
                    ``(D) The justification for such final rating
                determination.
    ``(e) Periodic Assessments.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this section and every five years thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate an assessment of the program
authorized under subsection (a).
    ``(f) Definition.--In this section, the term `homeland security
information' has the meaning given such term in section 892.''.
    (b) Mass Gathering Research.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security,
in coordination with the Undersecretary for Science and Technology of
the Department of Homeland Security and the official responsible for
carrying out section 890E of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as
added by subsection (a), shall, to the extent practicable, carry out
research and development, including operational testing, of
technologies and techniques for enhancing the Department's security and
situational awareness support to Federal, State, local, Tribal, and
territorial officials relating to mass gatherings consistent with
applicable constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties
protections.
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 890D the following new item:

``Sec. 890E. Special events program.''.
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