Al Green (D-TX)
Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act
A Democratic bill with 22 Democratic cosponsors · See all 22 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Authorization Act," seeks to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It focuses on improving the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within the Department of Homeland Security. The legislation establishes the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, who reports directly to the Secretary. It outlines specific duties, such as overseeing compliance, investigating complaints, and integrating protections into Department activities. The bill also establishes protocols for coordination with the Inspector General and requirements for public reporting.
Yes· 3 of 19
- Scored +7
Would LGBTQ people be better off under this?
The bill provides explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Scored +7
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill mandates public reporting and summaries of investigations to increase departmental transparency.
- Scored +6
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill protects against profiling based on national origin and promotes better community engagement.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
Increased oversight may act as a check on, but also necessitates monitoring of, surveillance activities.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Oversight of Civil Rights: The Office is tasked with overseeing compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements to protect individuals affected by Department policies (Section 2(a)(b)(1)).
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Protection Against Profiling: The Officer is responsible for reviewing information concerning abuses of civil rights or civil liberties, including profiling based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability (Section 2(a)(b)(2)).
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Improved Communication and Redress: The bill requires the Office to engage with communities and stakeholders to inform them about Department activities and provide information on how to report issues and access redress processes (Section 2(a)(b)(12)).
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Increased Transparency: The Office must make certain information publicly available through accessible channels, including summaries of investigations and assessments (Section 2(a)(b)(11)).
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Language Access: The Officer is directed to lead language access work to ensure the Department engages effectively with various communities (Section 2(a)(b)(13)).
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Workforce Diversity: The Officer will lead equal employment opportunity programs, including workforce diversity and merit system principles (Section s 2(a)(b)(10)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Investigation Delays due to Coordination: Before the Officer can start an investigation into a complaint, the matter must be referred to the Inspector General, who has a specific timeframe to determine if they will initiate their own investigation (Section 2(a)(e)).
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Limited Information Access: While summaries of investigations are made public, the law prohibits the inclusion of any personally identifiable information related to individuals involved in those investigations (Section 2(a)(f)(1)(C) and Section 2(a)(g)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? — The bill provides explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill protects against profiling based on national origin and promotes better community engagement. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill provides explicit protections against profiling based on disability. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides enhanced protections against racial profiling. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides enhanced protections against profiling based on national origin. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides enhanced protections against ethnic profiling. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides enhanced protections against profiling and promotes engagement with Tribal partners. Would women be better off under this? — The bill protects against profiling based on sex.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill includes protections against profiling based on disability. Does this expand the rights of LGBTQ people? — The bill explicitly mandates the review of profiling based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill addresses profiling based on race and ethnicity through enhanced oversight. Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill protects against discrimination based on sex and gender identity. Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill increases oversight of Department of Homeland Security employees regarding civil rights abuses. Does this protect the freedom to practise a religion? — The bill protects against profiling based on religion.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates public reporting and summaries of investigations to increase departmental transparency. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill establishes formal complaint, notification, and redress procedures. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill mandates coordination between civil rights and privacy officers. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill enhances the administrative authority of a specific office within a federal department.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill integrates civil rights protections with privacy considerations.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — Increased oversight may act as a check on, but also necessitates monitoring of, surveillance activities.
- 8/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/3/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
- 7/2/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
- 20 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Julia BrownleyDemocrat · California
Wesley BellDemocrat · Missouri
Yvette ClarkeDemocrat · New York
Judy ChuDemocrat · California
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Jasmine CrockettDemocrat · Texas
Danny DavisDemocrat · Illinois
Shomari FiguresDemocrat · Alabama
Daniel GoldmanDemocrat · New York
Adelita GrijalvaDemocrat · Arizona
Julie JohnsonDemocrat · Texas
Gwen MooreDemocrat · Wisconsin
Grace MengDemocrat · New York
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
LaMonica McIverDemocrat · New Jersey
Analilia MejiaDemocrat · New Jersey
Emily RandallDemocrat · Washington
Bennie ThompsonDemocrat · Mississippi
Shri ThanedarDemocrat · Michigan
Debbie Wasserman SchultzDemocrat · Florida
Bonnie Watson ColemanDemocrat · New Jersey
James WalkinshawDemocrat · Virginia