H.R. 7435

[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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