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Friday, March 29, 2024

Bill to Increase Federal Research on Domestic Terrorism Passes House

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act (H.R. 3106), bipartisan legislation to foster greater transparency into the federal government’s handling of domestic terrorism and to increase research on the issue. This is the first bill the House of Representatives has passed that gives needed attention to domestic terrorism.

The Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act will:

  • Require FBI, DOJ, and DHS to produce an unclassified yearly report with: data on domestic terrorist incidents; assessments, investigations, indictments, prosecutions, and convictions with a domestic terrorism nexus; and the number of DOJ and DHS full-time staff working on domestic terrorism.
  • Require GAO to audit the annual report.
  • Require DHS to study transnational links between groups linked to domestic terrorism in the U.S., such as white supremacists, and their counterparts abroad.

“Fueled largely by a surge in white supremacist extremism, domestic terrorism is a growing and persistent threat to the security of the nation. Yet very few Americans know what the federal government is doing about it.  Even Congress is too often left in the dark,” said sponsor and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)

“H.R. 3106 is a commonsense bill that will improve transparency into this growing homeland security threat. There is a clear and urgent need for quality data to inform counterterrorism policymaking. The federal government has a responsibility to be straight with the American people about the threats we face and what resources it is allocating to confront them,” he said. “Enacting this bill will help Americans, over time, understand the nature of the terrorism threat and how it is evolving. I urge my Senate colleagues to follow our bipartisan lead and pass this timely legislation.”

The bill is endorsed by ADL (Anti-Defamation League), Arab American Institute, Jewish Federations of North America, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Muslim Advocates, NAACP, National Action Network, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Read more at the House Homeland Security Committee

Bill to Increase Federal Research on Domestic Terrorism Passes House Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Today
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.
Homeland Security Today
Homeland Security Todayhttp://www.hstoday.us
The Government Technology & Services Coalition's Homeland Security Today (HSToday) is the premier news and information resource for the homeland security community, dedicated to elevating the discussions and insights that can support a safe and secure nation. A non-profit magazine and media platform, HSToday provides readers with the whole story, placing facts and comments in context to inform debate and drive realistic solutions to some of the nation’s most vexing security challenges.

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