DHS Intelligence Transparency and Oversight Program Office and Ombuds Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7435 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7435

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an Intelligence
   Transparency and Oversight Program Office and Intelligence Ombuds
  within the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2026

Mr. Magaziner (for himself and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) introduced
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland
                                Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an Intelligence
   Transparency and Oversight Program Office and Intelligence Ombuds
  within the Department of Homeland Security, 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 Intelligence Transparency and
Oversight Program Office and Ombuds Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT PROGRAM OFFICE
              AND INTELLIGENCE OMBUDS.

    (a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:

``SEC. 714. INTELLIGENCE TRANSPARENCY AND OVERSIGHT PROGRAM OFFICE;
              OMBUDS.

    ``(a) Establishment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish within the
        Department an Intelligence Transparency and Oversight Program
        Office (in this section referred to as the `Office') to carry
        out the following:
                    ``(A) Review and assess information concerning
                intelligence activities of the Department, including
                relating to the timeliness, objectivity, and
                independence from political considerations of such
                activities.
                    ``(B) Facilitate departmental decisions regarding
                making information publicly available in a manner that
                enhances public understanding of such activities.
            ``(2) Ombuds.--The Office shall be headed by an Ombuds, who
        shall--
                    ``(A) be a senior, career employee;
                    ``(B) not hold any other position within the
                Department;
                    ``(C) have a background in--
                            ``(i) intelligence;
                            ``(ii) civil rights enforcement; and
                            ``(iii) addressing matters of intelligence
                        timeliness, objectivity, and politicization;
                    ``(D) report directly to the Under Secretary for
                Intelligence and Analysis; and
                    ``(E) report directly to Congress with respect to
                any urgent concerns.
    ``(b) Duties of the Ombuds.--The Ombuds shall have the following
duties:
            ``(1) Serve, in consultation with the Privacy Officer
        appointed under section 222 and the Officer for Civil Rights
        and Civil Liberties, as the Department's principal advisor
        regarding the following:
                    ``(A) Safeguarding objectivity in intelligence
                activities of the Department.
                    ``(B) Ensuring such activities are independent from
                political considerations.
            ``(2) Remain current and well-informed of issues affecting
        intelligence activities.
            ``(3) Promote awareness among intelligence components of
        the Department of the requirement that all intelligence
        activities of the Department shall be--
                    ``(A) conducted in a manner consistent with the
                protection of privacy rights, civil rights, and civil
                liberties; and
                    ``(B) objective and independent from political
                considerations.
            ``(4) Provide, without fear of retaliation, confidential
        forums to hear and help resolve individual and organizational
        concerns regarding intelligence activities of the Department,
        including relating to real or perceived occurrences of civil
        rights or civil liberties abuses, or politicization of
        analysis, biased reporting, or lack of objectivity in
        intelligence collection or analysis.
            ``(5) Initiate reviews and make recommendations to the
        heads of the intelligence components of the Department, as
        appropriate, related to the matters described in paragraph (4).
            ``(6) Facilitate departmental decisions regarding making
        information publicly available in a manner that enhances public
        understanding of the intelligence activities of the Department,
        while continuing to protect information when disclosure of such
        information would harm homeland security.
            ``(7) Ensure that the functions performed by the Ombuds are
        complementary to existing functions within the Department.
    ``(c) Coordination With Intelligence Components of the
Department.--
            ``(1) In general.--The heads of the intelligence components
        of the Department shall each establish procedures to provide
        formal responses to recommendations submitted to such officials
        by the Ombuds pursuant to subsection (b)(5) within 60 days of
        receiving such recommendations.
            ``(2) Access to information.--The Secretary shall establish
        procedures to provide the Ombuds access to all departmental
        information necessary to execute the responsibilities of the
        Ombuds under this section. The Ombuds may submit to the
        Secretary a request for such information, and not later than 60
        days after receiving such a request, the Secretary shall
        provide the Ombuds with such information.
    ``(d) Annual Reports.--Not later than one year after the enactment
of this Act and annually thereafter, the Ombuds shall submit to the
Committee on Homeland Security and the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Select Committee on
Intelligence of the Senate a report on its activities, findings, and
recommendations of the Ombuds over the immediately preceding 12-month
period.
    ``(e) Definition.--In this section the term `intelligence activity'
means the collection, gathering, processing, analysis, production, or
dissemination of information, including homeland security information,
terrorism information, and weapons of mass destruction information.''.
    (b) 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 713 the following new item:

``Sec. 714. Intelligence transparency and oversight program office;
                            Ombuds.''.
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