I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4971 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the accuracy 
of the Department of Homeland Security’s terrorism screening informa-
tion, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 15, 2025 
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve 
the accuracy of the Department of Homeland Security’s 
terrorism screening information, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Terrorist Watchlist 
Data Accuracy and Transparency Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS OF DEPARTMENT 
OF HOMELAND SECURITY NOMINATIONS TO 
THE TERRORIST WATCHLIST AND OTHER 
TERRORISM DATABASES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title II of the Home-
land Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et seq.) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 210H. QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS OF DEPART-
MENTAL NOMINATIONS TO THE TERRORIST 
WATCHLIST AND OTHER TERRORISM DATA-
BASES. 
‘‘(a) QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Prior to submission to the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorist Screen-
ing Center and the National Counterterrorism Cen-
ter of an initial Department nomination of an indi-
vidual for inclusion in the terrorist watchlist, includ-
ing subsets of such watchlist, such as the No Fly 
List, the Selectee List, and watchlist exceptions, or 
other terrorism databases, or successors of such 
watchlist or other terrorism databases, the Secretary 
shall conduct a quality assurance review of such ini-
tial nomination to determine if all information con-
tained in such initial Department nomination is free 
from error. 
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‘‘(2) SUBMISSION OF REVIEW AND DETERMINA-
TION.—The Secretary shall ensure that reviews and 
determinations under paragraph (1) are included in 
each initial Department nomination submitted to the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Terrorist Screen-
ing Center and the National Counterterrorism Cen-
ter. 
‘‘(b) ANNUAL AUDITS OF UNITED STATES PERSONS 
NOMINATIONS.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Intel-
ligence and Analysis, shall review, as of the date of each 
such review, all Department nominations of United States 
persons for inclusion in the terrorist watchlist, including 
subsets of such watchlist, such as the No Fly List, the 
Selectee List, and watchlist exceptions, or other terrorism 
databases, or successors of such watchlist or other ter-
rorism databases, and determine the following for each 
such nomination: 
‘‘(1) If all information contained in each such 
Department nomination is free from error. 
‘‘(2) If each such Department nomination con-
tinues to satisfy the criteria specified in the 
Watchlisting Advisory Council’s Watchlisting Guid-
ance for such inclusion. 
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‘‘(c) RANDOM AUDITS.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section and monthly 
thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Under Sec-
retary for Intelligence and Analysis, shall establish a ran-
dom audit program to periodically review, as of the date 
of each such review, all Department nominations of indi-
viduals for inclusion in the terrorist watchlist, including 
subsets of such watchlist, such as the No Fly List, the 
Selectee List, and watchlist exceptions, or other terrorism 
databases, or successors of such watchlist or other ter-
rorism databases, and determine the following for each 
such Department nomination: 
‘‘(1) If all information contained in each such 
Department nomination is free from error. 
‘‘(2) If each such Department nomination con-
tinues to satisfy the criteria referred to in subsection 
(b)(2) for such inclusions. 
‘‘(d) CORRECTING OR RETRACTING RECORDS.—The 
Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Intel-
ligence and Analysis, shall notify the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation’s Terrorist Screening Center and the Na-
tional Counterterrorism Center not later than 24 hours 
after making a determination in the negative pursuant to 
subsection (b) or (c), as the case may be, with respect 
to a Department nomination of an individual for inclusion 
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in the terrorist watchlist, including subsets of such 
watchlist, such as the No Fly List, the Selectee List, and 
watchlist exceptions, or other terrorism databases, or suc-
cessors of such watchlist or other terrorism databases, and 
include in any such notification a request, if appropriate, 
for an associated correction or retraction with respect to 
such inclusion. 
‘‘(e) CONSULTATION WITH FBI AND NCTC.—If the 
Secretary determines a correction or retraction, as appro-
priate and as the case may be, under subsection (d) with 
respect to the inclusion of an individual in the terrorist 
watchlist, including subsets of such watchlist, such as the 
No Fly List, the Selectee List, and watchlist exceptions, 
or other terrorism databases, or successors of such 
watchlist or other terrorism databases has not been effec-
tuated by the date that is 30 days after a request relating 
thereto was made pursuant to such subsection, the Sec-
retary shall promptly consult with the Director of the Fed-
eral Bureau of Investigation or the Director of the Na-
tional Counterterrorism Center, as appropriate, regarding 
any decision or justification by either such Director, as 
appropriate, relating to such correction or retraction, as 
the case may be. 
‘‘(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 
annually submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 
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of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate a report containing information relating to the number 
of identities, disaggregated by United States person iden-
tities and non-United States person identities, referred for 
corrections or retractions pursuant to this section, and the 
number of nominations recalled or reissued as a result of 
such referrals. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) TERRORIST WATCHLIST.—The term ‘ter-
rorist watchlist’ has the meaning given the term ‘ter-
rorist screening database’ in section 2101. 
‘‘(2) OTHER
TERRORISM
DATABASES.—The 
term ‘other terrorism databases’ means the Terrorist 
Identities Datamart Environment or any other data-
base maintained by the National Counterterrorism 
Center pursuant to section 119(d)(6) of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3056(d)(6)). 
‘‘(3) UNITED
STATES
PERSON.—The term 
‘United States person’ means any United States cit-
izen or alien admitted for permanent residence in 
the United States.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 
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amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
210G the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 210G. Quality assurance reviews of departmental nominations to the ter-
rorist watchlist and other terrorism databases.’’. 
Æ 
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