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HR 1692
Passed House Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.

PATHS Act

Introduced Feb 27, 2025

Latest action (Mar 12, 2025) Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Referred to
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Homeland Security Committee
Policy area
Government Operations and Politics
Legislative subjects (5)
Advanced technology and technological innovationsComputers and information technologyInternet, web applications, social mediaPublic contracts and procurementResearch and development

Summary

This bill extends the Homeland Security Research and Development Acquisition Pilot Program through September 30, 2028, allowing the Department of Homeland Security to continue using flexible contracting authority for technology development. It adds a requirement that the Secretary notify Congress and brief relevant committees within 72 hours whenever the department uses this contracting authority for artificial intelligence technology. The bill also reduces the contract award threshold for covered contracts from $4 million to $1 million.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor

Actions (12)
  1. Mar 12, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. · senate
  2. Mar 11, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
  3. Mar 11, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: 3/10/2025 CR H1055) · house
  4. Mar 11, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: 3/10/2025 CR H1055)
  5. Mar 11, 2025 Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H1127) · house
  6. Mar 10, 2025 At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Green (TN) objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was considered as withdrawn. · house
  7. Mar 10, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1692. · house
  8. Mar 10, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1055-1056) · house
  9. Mar 10, 2025 Mr. Green (TN) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. · house
  10. Feb 27, 2025 Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. · house
  11. Feb 27, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security. · house
  12. Feb 27, 2025 Introduced in House

More bills on these subjects (8)

Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).

  • HR 3838 — Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 5 subjects)
  • HR 191 — Inflation Reduction Act of 2025 (shares 5 subjects)
  • S 4638 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (shares 5 subjects)
  • S 3923 — Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 4503 — ePermit Act (shares 4 subjects)
  • HR 5167 — Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • S 2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (shares 4 subjects)
  • S 1462 — Fix Our Forests Act (shares 4 subjects)

Text versions (3)
  • Referred in Senate · Mar 12, 2025
  • Engrossed in House · Mar 11, 2025
  • Introduced in House · Feb 27, 2025

Full text

AN ACT

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enable secure and trustworthy technology through other transaction contracting authority, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Producing Advanced Technologies for Homeland Security Act” or the “PATHS Act”.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACQUISITION PILOT PROGRAM EXTENSION.

(a) In General.—Section 831 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 391) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “Until September 30, 2024, and subject to subsection (d)” and inserting “Until September 30, 2028, and subject to subsection (c)”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(3) Other transaction authority involving artificial intelligence.—Not later than 72 hours after the use or extension of the transaction authority authorized under paragraph (1) involving artificial intelligence technology, the Secretary shall notify the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and offer a briefing explaining the reason for the use or extension.”; and

(2) in subsection (c)(1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “September 30, 2024” and inserting “September 30, 2028”.

(b) Reduction in Amount of Covered Contract Award.—Subparagraph

(A) of section 7113(d)(1) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (6 U.S.C. 112 note; Public Law 117-263) is amended by striking “$4,000,000” and inserting “$1,000,000”.

Passed the House of Representatives March 11, 2025.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1692

AN ACT

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enable secure and trustworthy technology through other transaction contracting authority, and for other purposes.

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