Real bill currently in Congress c/o HR/119/8874
Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026
Latest action (2026-07-14): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Official summary
Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026 This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to submit a report to Congress every three years (current law requires only one report) regarding urban areas’ security capabilities previously supported with funding from the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and at risk of being reduced or eliminated without additional federal assistance. FEMA’s UASI grants assist designated high-risk urban areas with developing and sustaining capabilities to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism. Each report must contain a proposal for FEMA to provide financial assistance for at least three consecutive years to urban areas previously receiving UASI funds to allow them to transition to other funding sources to preserve their security capabilities.
The Framers
“Founders’ Verdict”
Confidence 0.75
Synthesis
The bill is constitutional as a proper exercise of Congress's power to appropriate funds and require reports from executive departments, ensuring accountability and prudent stewardship of public resources without violating any constitutional prohibition.
The bill requires periodic reporting and a multi-year financial assistance proposal, which are proper exercises of Congress's power to appropriate funds and to require information from executive departments. Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 grants Congress the power to provide for the common defense and general welfare, and Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 requires that no money be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. The requirement for a report and a funding proposal is a legitimate condition on appropriations, as Congress may direct the executive to account …
The requirement for FEMA to submit periodic reports to Congress is a proper exercise of legislative oversight under Article I, as it seeks information necessary for Congress to judge the efficacy of federal expenditures for the common defense. However, the mandate that each report contain a proposal for multi-year financial assistance to urban areas risks expanding federal power beyond its enumerated limits. The Tenth Amendment reserves to the states the general police power over local security, and the Constitution grants Congress only the power to tax and spend for the general welfare, not t…
This bill is constitutional under the enumerated powers of Congress to provide for the common defense and general welfare, as well as the Necessary and Proper Clause. The Urban Area Security Initiative grants directly support the prevention and response to acts of terrorism, a matter of national security that falls within the federal government's responsibility to protect the nation. The requirement for periodic reports to Congress is a legitimate exercise of legislative oversight, ensuring that federal funds are effectively sustaining capabilities vital to the common defense. While I am ever …
This bill is a constitutional exercise of Congress's power to provide for the common defense and general welfare, and to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers vested in the federal government. The requirement that FEMA report to Congress and propose financial assistance for urban security capabilities is a legitimate means of ensuring the effective use of federal funds and maintaining national security preparedness. The action does not exceed the enumerated powers of Congress, nor does it infringe upon any constitutional prohibition. As held in McCulloch v. …
What should pass
“AI Consensus Solution”
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