DHS Special Events Program and Support Act

DHS Special Events Program and Support Act

This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct security assessments and provide security and situational awareness support for pre-planned special events that are not designated as National Special Security Events. (National Special Security Events are major federal government or public events so designated by the President or DHS, such as presidential inaugurations, major international summits, and major sporting events.)

Under the bill, DHS must establish a standard process for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial officials to voluntarily submit requests to DHS for event assessment and possible security and situational awareness support. DHS must assess such requests using a risk-based methodology and include a process for expedited consideration and, where appropriate, for reassessment.

DHS must also carry out research and development of technologies and techniques for enhancing DHS's security and situational awareness support to such officials relating to mass gatherings in a manner consistent with constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1508 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1508

 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

                           February 21, 2025

    Ms. Titus (for herself, Mr. Hudson, and Ms. Pou) 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 such 
        program 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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