HR 8791 116th Congress House Government Operations and Politics Accounting and auditing Administrative law and regulatory procedures Administrative remedies Advisory bodies Aviation and airports Buy American requirements Cardiovascular and respiratory health Child health Child safety and welfare Coast guard Computer security and identity theft Computers and information technology Congressional oversight Contracts and agency Crime prevention Crimes against property Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation Criminal justice information and records Department of Homeland Security

DHS Reform Act of 2020

Introduced: November 19, 2020 Introduced by: Thompson, Bennie G. Democratic · Mississippi See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Nov 20, 2020

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Nov 20, 2020

Referred to the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

Nov 19, 2020

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, the Judiciary, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.

Nov 19, 2020

Introduced in House

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Department of Homeland Security Reform Act of 2020 or the DHS Reform Act of 2020

This bill makes extensive changes to the structure of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and to the responsbilities of DHS components.

Specifically, the bill, among other things

creates a new Associate Secretary responsible for overseeing DHS's law enforcement functions;
modifies the responsibilities of the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, including to engage with individuals and communities whose civil rights and liberties may be affected by DHS programs and activities;
directs DHS to establish an employee engagement steering committee to identify factors that have a negative impact on employee engagement, morale, and communications within DHS;
establishes within DHS a school security coordinating council;
requires that DHS's use-of-force policy be updated to emphasize de-escalation;
requires DHS to carry out an intelligence and cybersecurity diversity fellowship program;
grants rights to Transportation Security Administration officers under the federal personnel system; and
requires DHS to issue a DHS-wide strategy to enhance partnerships with historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutes that includes yearly goals.