Department of Homeland Security Policy Issuance Review Act

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of my bill, the Department of Homeland Security Policy Issuance Review Act, H.R. 6231.

DHS has over 800 Departmentwide policies. While many of these policies relate to internal management functions of the Department, others provide critical guidance for employees on issues such as use of force by law enforcement officers, the personal and professional use of social media, and the ethical code of conduct.

The Department has a requirement that all policies be reviewed every 2 years. However, a recent review by the Committee on Homeland Security found that DHS rarely met this deadline, and some foundational policies had not received meaningful review since their issuance.

My bill addresses this shortcoming by making the Department's policy issuance and review process a formal responsibility of the DHS Under Secretary for management.

My bill also provides Congress with greater transparency into how and when DHS updates policies by requiring the Department to provide Congress an annual briefing on policies issued, reviewed, and canceled. My bill also requires DHS to inform Congress on its staffing needs to help ensure the Department has the resources needed to review and revise its policies in a timely manner.

H.R. 6231 is necessary to ensure that Congress has greater visibility into how the Department is managing its policy issuance program and to prevent any lengthy delays in the review and revision of critical departmental documents.

In closing, I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for cosponsoring this bill, Representatives Clarke, Bishop of North Carolina, and Ezell. I would also like to thank my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee for passing this legislation out of committee unanimously. Finally, I thank DHS staff, who provided valuable insight and feedback on the Department's policy review process.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The Department of Homeland Security Policy Issuance Review Act will codify the Department of Homeland Security's policy issuance and review process to ensure DHS provides up-to-date policy guidance for its more than 260,000 employees.

Policies provide important clarity on what is expected of DHS employees as they carry out the critical work of the Department. These policies outline how to uphold civil liberties and civil rights while conducting criminal investigations, how to ensure grant funds are used in accordance with congressional intent, and how to incorporate new technology into the agency operations.

Some DHS policies have not been reviewed or updated for many years in accordance with the Department's requirements. H.R. 6231 will address this by providing Congress greater insight into the issuance, review, and revision of the Departmentwide policies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

This bipartisan bill is a commonsense way for Congress to ensure that DHS policies are updated on time, and if they are not updated, that Congress will hear about it and take appropriate action.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6231, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6231) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a prioritized policy issuance review process for the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6231.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 6231, the Department of Homeland Security Policy

Issuance Review Act. I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) for this commonsense oversight legislation. I urge support of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This is a bipartisan bill. Mr. Ivey put a lot of work into this. It makes good common sense, and it allows us to oversee the Department with more authority and effectiveness. I fully support it, and I urge my colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time.