I&A MISSION REORIENTATION ACT OF 2026

On 2026-09-16, Representative Seth Magaziner (D-RI-2) delivered a floor speech titled "I&A MISSION REORIENTATION ACT OF 2026" in the House.

I&A MISSION REORIENTATION ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5903-H5905] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] I&A MISSION REORIENTATION ACT OF 2026 Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7443) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to realign the mission of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7443 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 ``I&A Mission Reorientation Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following: (1) The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) of the Department of Homeland Security plays a critical role in supporting homeland security by providing actionable intelligence to Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities. (2) The Office's foundational mission is to serve as an intelligence component that supports such governments and entities by fusing law enforcement and intelligence information. (3) The Office's effectiveness depends on the mutual flow of information, collaboration, and trust between the Department and such governments and entities. (4) Emerging and evolving threats require a proactive approach to intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination. (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that-- (1) the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security should fully execute its statutory role in supporting State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities through actionable, relevant, and timely intelligence; (2) consistent with the requirements of section 201(d)(6) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121(d)(6)), the Department should avoid an intelligence posture that promotes a one-directional flow of information from field entities to the intelligence community (as such term is defined in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))), and should actively foster two-way collaboration; and (3) intelligence support to the Secretary of Homeland Security should complement the Office's broader stakeholder- facing mission. SEC. 3. REALIGNMENT OF MISSION OF DHS OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS. (a) In General.--Subsection (d) of section 201 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(24) To ensure the Office of Intelligence and Analysis's operational mission of providing timely and efficient intelligence support to State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities is sufficiently prioritized and resourced relevant to support provided to elements of the intelligence community by carrying out the following: ``(A) Identifying and addressing emerging threats through forward-deployed intelligence capabilities. ``(B) Facilitating two-way information sharing characterized by both the receipt of intelligence from such governments and entities, and the dissemination of actionable intelligence to such governments and entities. ``(C) Maintaining robust, proficient, and sustained engagement with fusion centers (as such term is defined in section 210A). ``(D) Ensuring intelligence support from the Office provided to departmental leadership, including the Secretary, does not hinder or deprioritize broader responsibilities of the Office to State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities.''. (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security 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 detailing the following: (1) Steps taken to implement the mission realignment of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department in accordance with paragraph (24) of section 201(d) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a). (2) Progress in enhancing two-way information sharing between the Office and State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities, in accordance with such paragraph (24). (3) Metrics used to evaluate the effectiveness of the Office's intelligence activitiese in support of State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments and private sector entities. (4) Any resource or organizational changes to the Office required to sustain such realignment. (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed to alter or otherwise change the watchlisting functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Van Epps) and the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee. general leave Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to [[Page H5904]] revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 7443. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Tennessee? There was no objection. Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7443, the I&A Mission Reorientation Act. This bill would amend the Office of Intelligence and Analysis statutory authorization to affirm the operational mission of providing timely intelligence support to our State, local, Tribal, and territorial partners by facilitating two-way information sharing and robust and sustained engagement with fusion centers, among other things. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is the key intelligence community member that works with State and local law enforcement and other partners to share intelligence in both directions. This is critical for day-to-day operations but also as our country hosts an increasing number of national special security events, like the World Cup, which just ended, and the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics. Unfortunately, as DHS has grown, so has the mission of I&A. This bill would ensure I&A continues to prioritize information sharing with State and local partners, as intended. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7443, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume in support of H.R. 7443, the I&A Mission Reorientation Act of 2026. I think everybody knows that the Department of Homeland Security was created after the horrific attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. One of the major contributing factors that allowed September 11 to occur was a lack of adequate information sharing between intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Different agencies saw warning signs, but because they weren't communicating with each other adequately and they didn't connect the dots, nearly 3,000 lives were lost on that tragic day. This bill seeks to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis, or I&A, engages in adequate two- way information sharing. I&A is the only member of the U.S. intelligence community charged with delivering intelligence to State, local, Tribal, territorial, and private-sector partners, while also gathering intelligence from them to feed back to the national intelligence community. This bill recognizes and reaffirms that two-directional flow of information is critical to keeping our homeland safe. For years, State and local partners have complained about information sharing with the Federal Government being a one-way street, where States and localities provide a lot more information to the Federal Government than what they get back. We all know that in many cases it is the State, local, Tribal, and territorial partners that are on the front lines of defending against threats to Americans. It is important that we have the most effective information-sharing capabilities and processes. This bill addresses that issue and works to ensure that I&A's information-sharing partnerships are mutually beneficial, which ultimately helps first responders on the ground produce better outcomes and more comprehensive threat assessments to better prepare and respond to emergencies. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this bill, and I thank my colleague from the committe, Mr. Pfluger, for his leadership on this issue. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger). Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, last week, the Nation marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a day that forever changed American history and, in fact, the world. The way that we think about our homeland security also changed. Terrorists did not win that day or any other day since then. The threat of terrorism exposed on 9/11 instead unleashed the force of American patriotism, innovation, and vigilance to ensure our homeland would never again be targeted. Preventing another 9/11 is exactly why the Department of Homeland Security was established, including its Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Recognizing that there were gaps in information sharing that hindered cohesive threat assessments, I&A was founded with a mandate unlike any other in the intelligence community: to share intelligence with State, local, and territo

Referenced legislation: HR7443, HR7443