Terrorist Watchlist Data Accuracy and Transparency Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4971 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4971

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the accuracy of
the Department of Homeland Security's terrorism screening information,
                        and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 15, 2025

 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 improve the accuracy of
the Department of Homeland Security's terrorism screening information,
                        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 ``Terrorist Watchlist Data Accuracy
and Transparency Act''.

SEC. 2. QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS OF DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
              NOMINATIONS TO THE TERRORIST WATCHLIST AND OTHER
              TERRORISM DATABASES.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title II of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:

``SEC. 210H. QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS OF DEPARTMENTAL NOMINATIONS TO
              THE TERRORIST WATCHLIST AND OTHER TERRORISM DATABASES.

    ``(a) Quality Assurance Reviews.--
            ``(1) In general.--Prior to submission to the Federal
        Bureau of Investigation's Terrorist Screening Center and the
        National Counterterrorism Center of an initial Department
        nomination of an individual for inclusion in the terrorist
        watchlist, including subsets of such watchlist, such as the No
        Fly List, the Selectee List, and watchlist exceptions, or other
        terrorism databases, or successors of such watchlist or other
        terrorism databases, the Secretary shall conduct a quality
        assurance review of such initial nomination to determine if all
        information contained in such initial Department nomination is
        free from error.
            ``(2) Submission of review and determination.--The
        Secretary shall ensure that reviews and determinations under
        paragraph (1) are included in each initial Department
        nomination submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's
        Terrorist Screening Center and the National Counterterrorism
        Center.
    ``(b) Annual Audits of United States Persons Nominations.--Not
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section and
annually thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary
for Intelligence and Analysis, shall review, as of the date of each
such review, all Department nominations of United States persons for
inclusion in the terrorist watchlist, including subsets of such
watchlist, such as the No Fly List, the Selectee List, and watchlist
exceptions, or other terrorism databases, or successors of such
watchlist or other terrorism databases, and determine the following for
each such nomination:
            ``(1) If all information contained in each such Department
        nomination is free from error.
            ``(2) If each such Department nomination continues to
        satisfy the criteria specified in the Watchlisting Advisory
        Council's Watchlisting Guidance for such inclusion.
    ``(c) Random Audits.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this section and monthly thereafter, the Secretary, acting
through the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, shall
establish a random audit program to periodically review, as of the date
of each such review, all Department nominations of individuals for
inclusion in the terrorist watchlist, including subsets of such
watchlist, such as the No Fly List, the Selectee List, and watchlist
exceptions, or other terrorism databases, or successors of such
watchlist or other terrorism databases, and determine the following for
each such Department nomination:
            ``(1) If all information contained in each such Department
        nomination is free from error.
            ``(2) If each such Department nomination continues to
        satisfy the criteria referred to in subsection (b)(2) for such
        inclusions.
    ``(d) Correcting or Retracting Records.--The Secretary, acting
through the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, shall notify
the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Terrorist Screening Center and
the National Counterterrorism Center not later than 24 hours after
making a determination in the negative pursuant to subsection (b) or
(c), as the case may be, with respect to a Department nomination of an
individual for inclusion in the terrorist watchlist, including subsets
of such watchlist, such as the No Fly List, the Selectee List, and
watchlist exceptions, or other terrorism databases, or successors of
such watchlist or other terrorism databases, and include in any such
notification a request, if appropriate, for an associated correction or
retraction with respect to such inclusion.
    ``(e) Consultation With FBI and NCTC.--If the Secretary determines
a correction or retraction, as appropriate and as the case may be,
under subsection (d) with respect to the inclusion of an individual in
the terrorist watchlist, including subsets of such watchlist, such as
the No Fly List, the Selectee List, and watchlist exceptions, or other
terrorism databases, or successors of such watchlist or other terrorism
databases has not been effectuated by the date that is 30 days after a
request relating thereto was made pursuant to such subsection, the
Secretary shall promptly consult with the Director of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation or the Director of the National
Counterterrorism Center, as appropriate, regarding any decision or
justification by either such Director, as appropriate, relating to such
correction or retraction, as the case may be.
    ``(f) Report to Congress.--The Secretary shall annually 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 containing information relating to the number of
identities, disaggregated by United States person identities and non-
United States person identities, referred for corrections or
retractions pursuant to this section, and the number of nominations
recalled or reissued as a result of such referrals.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Terrorist watchlist.--The term `terrorist watchlist'
        has the meaning given the term `terrorist screening database'
        in section 2101.
            ``(2) Other terrorism databases.--The term `other terrorism
        databases' means the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment
        or any other database maintained by the National
        Counterterrorism Center pursuant to section 119(d)(6) of the
        National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3056(d)(6)).
            ``(3) United states person.--The term `United States
        person' means any United States citizen or alien admitted for
        permanent residence in the United States.''.
    (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 210G the following new item:

``Sec. 210G. Quality assurance reviews of departmental nominations to
                            the terrorist watchlist and other terrorism
                            databases.''.
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