H.R. 1692 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Mar 11, 2025. Received Mar 12, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryDHS gets more flexibility for advanced technology research
The Department of Homeland Security uses special agreements called 'other transactions' to test out new technology and research ideas faster than traditional government contracts allow. This bill extends DHS's ability to use these flexible agreements through 2028, particularly for artificial intelligence projects. It also requires DHS to tell Congress within 72 hours whenever it uses this authority for AI work, and it lowers the threshold for reporting contract awards on the DHS website.
How it affects you
This bill doesn't directly change anything most people experience day-to-day. It gives DHS more tools to develop new security technologies behind the scenes, and it adds a requirement to keep Congress informed about AI spending, which may lead to more transparency in how these research dollars are used.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 27, 2025)
Producing Advanced Technologies for Homeland Security Act or the PATHS Act
This bill extends through FY2028 the authority of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use other transactions (OT) to carry out research and prototype projects when the use of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements is not feasible or appropriate. (OTs, in contrast to traditional procurement contracts, are exempt from many federal procurement laws and regulations.) DHS must notify Congress within 72 hours of using or extending this authority for research and development projects related to artificial intelligence technology and must offer to brief Congress on the rationale for such a decision.
The bill also lowers from $4 million to $1 million the minimum value of contract awards that DHS must publicly report on its website.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1692
AN ACT
Producing Advanced Technologies for Homeland Security Act
PATHS Act
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS-3) · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Government Operations and Politics · 3 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 12, 2025: “Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
Sections
The wording of this bill hasn’t changed across its 3 official versions.