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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 21, 2025
DHS Special Events Program and Support Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct security assessments and provide security and situational awareness support for pre-planned special events that are not designated as National Special Security Events. (National Special Security Events are major federal government or public events so designated by the President or DHS, such as presidential inaugurations, major international summits, and major sporting events.)
Under the bill, DHS must establish a standard process for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial officials to voluntarily submit requests to DHS for event assessment and possible security and situational awareness support. DHS must assess such requests using a risk-based methodology and include a process for expedited consideration and, where appropriate, for reassessment.
DHS must also carry out research and development of technologies and techniques for enhancing DHS's security and situational awareness support to such officials relating to mass gatherings in a manner consistent with constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections.
People & committees
Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] · D–NV
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Jul 9, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-21 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would authorize a Department of Homeland Security program to assess security risks at pre-planned special events outside the National Special Security Event designation. Government officials could voluntarily request ratings that might lead to federal security assistance and help understanding conditions and threats at an event. Assistance would be discretionary. The bill would also require congressional reporting and, to the extent practicable, research on improving security support for mass gatherings.
There is authorized within the Department a program to assess the threat, vulnerability, and consequences of terrorism or other security threats, as appropriate, at certain special events in accordance with subsection (b).
(1) apply to special events that are pre-planned and not designated as National Special Security Events by the Secretary; (2) include a standard process for Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials to voluntarily submit to the Secretary requests for a special event rating that could result in direct support for security and situational awareness for such special event;
the Secretary may provide security and situational awareness support
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the program authorized under subsection (a).
shall, to the extent practicable, carry out research and development, including operational testing, of technologies and techniques for enhancing the Department’s security and situational awareness support to Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials relating to mass gatherings
Section 1 would name the bill the “DHS Special Events Program and Support Act.” Section 2 would add a new special-events program section to the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
This Act may be cited as the DHS Special Events Program and Support Act.
Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 890E. Special events program
The proposed program would cover pre-planned events that the Secretary has not designated as National Special Security Events. Federal, state, local, Tribal and territorial officials would have a standard process for voluntarily requesting an event rating; a rating could lead to direct security and situational-awareness support.
(1) apply to special events that are pre-planned and not designated as National Special Security Events by the Secretary; (2) include a standard process for Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials to voluntarily submit to the Secretary requests for a special event rating that could result in direct support for security and situational awareness for such special event;
The program would have to use a risk-based method for evaluating rating requests. It would consider expected attendance by U.S. officials or foreign dignitaries, the event’s size and venue, credible terrorism or other security threats, and other homeland security information as appropriate.
(3) maintain a risk-based methodology to assess ratings requests, including requests submitted pursuant to paragraph (2), that considers the anticipated attendance by United States officials or foreign dignitaries, the size and venue of the special event, credible threats of terrorism or other security threats, and other homeland security information, as appropriate;
The program would have to provide a process for faster consideration of ratings and, where appropriate, reconsideration of an event’s rating.
(4) include a process for expedited consideration and, where appropriate, a process for the reassessment, of a special event rating.
For a covered event, the Secretary could provide security and situational-awareness support to government officials when an appropriate federal, state, local, Tribal or territorial official requests it. The provision would permit assistance without requiring the Secretary to grant each request.
For purposes of protecting a special event described in subsection (b), the Secretary may provide security and situational awareness support to a Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial official at the request of an appropriate Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial official.
Within one year after enactment of the new section, and annually afterward, the Secretary would have to report to the House Homeland Security Committee and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Reports would count events submitted during the prior year by rating level, count events receiving a designated federal coordinator or coordinated support, and summarize federal support provided.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the program authorized under subsection (a).
(1) The total number of special events submitted to such program in the prior year, including the number of special events at each rating level. (2) The total number of events in the prior year for which the Secretary designated a Federal coordinator or coordinated security and situational awareness support, including a summary of Federal support provided.
Annual reports would also have to count requests to reconsider event ratings and identify the requesting entity, the event’s name, date and location, its initial and final ratings, and the reason for the final rating.
(3) The total number of requests for special event rating reassessment under subsection (b)(4), including the following: (A) The identification of the requesting entity. (B) The special event name, date, and location. (C) The initial and final rating determination. (D) The justification for such final rating determination.
The Secretary would separately have to submit a program assessment to the same two congressional committees within one year after enactment of the new section and every five years afterward.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section and every five years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate an assessment of the program authorized under subsection (a).
Within one year after enactment, the Homeland Security Secretary would have to conduct research and development, including operational testing, to the extent practicable, on improving security and situational-awareness support for mass gatherings. The work would be coordinated with the department’s Undersecretary for Science and Technology and the official running the special-events program, and would have to comply with applicable constitutional, privacy, civil rights and civil liberties protections.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Undersecretary for Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security and the official responsible for carrying out section 890E of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a), shall, to the extent practicable, carry out research and development, including operational testing, of technologies and techniques for enhancing the Department’s security and situational awareness support to Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials relating to mass gatherings consistent with applicable constitutional, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections.
The new program would use the existing definition of “homeland security information” in section 892. The bill would also add the program to the Homeland Security Act’s table of contents.
In this section, the term homeland security information has the meaning given such term in section 892.
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 890D the following new item: Sec. 890E. Special events program.
The supplied action snapshot, updated July 9, 2026, records introduction in the House on February 21, 2025, referral to the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, subcommittee forwarding by voice vote on March 25, and an order to report by voice vote on April 9. An order to report is a committee-stage action; this snapshot does not establish enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2026-07-09T13:27:22Z.
2025-02-21: Introduced in House
2025-02-21: Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
2025-03-25: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
2025-04-09: Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-21. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status in accompanying materials cannot be established.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Ordinary program eligibility does not itself constitute a targeted benefit. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Jul 9, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI