DHS CANDOR Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9206
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-08: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-25T14:03:55Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a mandatory Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-wide policy governing public communications. Its goal is to ensure that information shared with the public by DHS personnel is accurate, objective, and reliable, while preventing misleading or unauthorized statements.
Key Provisions
- Policy Development and Standards: The DHS Secretary must issue a department-wide policy within 90 days of enactment. This policy requires public-facing materials to meet standards for accuracy, objectivity, and reliability; avoid partisan, speculative, or unsupported content; enable quick corrections for errors; and undergo legal review.
- Legal Compliance Requirements: The policy must align with existing laws, including the Data Quality Act (ensuring information integrity), the Hatch Act (restricting partisan political activity by federal employees), Freedom of Information Act provisions, civil rights protections, and ethics rules.
- Component-Level Policies: Individual DHS components may create their own policies that align with the department-wide rules, subject to review and approval by the Office of Public Affairs and Office of the General Counsel.
- Social Media Rules: Personnel using personal accounts must not represent personal views as official positions, disclose non-public information, or misuse official titles. Official accounts require approval, designated managers, and archiving upon closure.
- Oversight and Processes: The Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs oversees social media use, including content review before publication. A public list of all official accounts must be maintained, and records must follow federal retention rules.
- Training: All personnel receive annual training on communication standards, laws, and policies, with new employees required to complete it within 30 days. Component heads track completion rates.
- Enforcement and Review: Components must report and address misuse, with violations subject to disciplinary action. The DHS Inspector General must conduct an initial audit within one year and provide annual compliance reports to Congress.
- Definitions: Clarifies "public-facing material" (e.g., press releases, social media posts perceived as official) and "social media" (online platforms for sharing information).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new section (890E) to Subtitle H of Title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, creating the first department-wide framework for public communications and social media oversight. It builds on but does not replace prior laws by mandating specific implementation, training, and auditing processes where none existed in this form.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: DHS and its components would face new standardization requirements, increased training obligations, and internal review processes, potentially improving consistency but adding administrative workload.
- On Citizens: The public could receive more reliable information from DHS sources, with mechanisms for corrections of errors.
- On International Relations: No direct effects are specified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- DHS leadership and personnel involved in public communications or social media management.
- DHS component heads and offices such as Public Affairs and General Counsel.
- The DHS Inspector General.
- Congress, through required audit reports.
- The general public, as recipients of DHS communications.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill reinforces compliance with longstanding federal statutes like the Hatch Act and Data Quality Act without altering their core provisions. It emphasizes internal accountability and transparency in government communications but introduces no new constitutional issues or major political mandates beyond standard oversight by Congress and the Inspector General.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-08: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
- 2026-06-08: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-08: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Department of Homeland Security Communications, Accuracy, Neutrality, Disclosure, Oversight, and Review Act — issued 2026-06-08 — PDF (9 pages)