DHS Reform Act of 2020
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
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.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on November 19, 2020. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on November 20, 2020: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 116th Congress (2019-20), 344 of the 14,345 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.4 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS) introduced it on November 19, 2020, and 19 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 19 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on November 19, 2020, 2121 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 2120 days ago, on November 20, 2020.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 116th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2021 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers