Senators Hassan and Lee’s Bipartisan REPORT Act Advances Out of Homeland Security Committee, Bill Would Help Prevent Future Terrorist Attacks

To watch Senator Hassan’s remarks, click here.

WASHINGTON – The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today advanced several critical bills backed by Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) to bolster the country’s national security and protect the safety of all Americans.   

The Committee advanced the bipartisan Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism (REPORT) Act, which Senator Hassan introduced with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), to require federal agencies to report to Congress after a terrorist attack with information about exactly what happened and recommendations to prevent future attacks.

“In the event of a terrorist attack, it is imperative that Members of Congress, whose number one duty is to protect the homeland, are alerted about the nature of the attack and what we need to do to help prevent another tragedy,” Senator Hassan said. “I look forward to working with members from both parties to get this bipartisan legislation over the finish line and signed into law without delay.”

“As the Article One branch, Congress needs all of the information necessary to make better public policy to protect the American people’s lives and liberty following terrorist incidents,” Senator Lee said. “Responsible for electing our leaders, the American people also need the information necessary to inform their vote. The REPORT Act ensures that both Congress and the American people have the facts following a terrorist attack on the U.S.”

In addition to the bipartisan REPORT Act, the Committee also advanced bipartisan legislation that Senator Hassan cosponsored to help protect the health and safety of fire fighters and emergency responders who are frequently exposed to harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the course of their work, as well as require guidance to be issued on alternative firefighting foams and personal protective equipment that do not contain PFAS.

“Fire fighters put their lives at risk to protect the health and safety of their community, and as lawmakers we must work together to ensure that these heroes have what they need to stay safe,” Senator Hassan said. “I am pleased that the Homeland Security Committee advanced this critical bipartisan bill that I helped introduce to lessen fire fighters’ exposure to harmful PFAS chemicals, and I will continue working across the aisle to get this legislation signed into law.”  

The Committee also voted to advance bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Hassan to improve the cybersecurity of local, tribal, and territorial governments by encouraging them to use the “.gov” domain for their websites in order to make them more secure.

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