S. 1884 would require the primary government agency investigating an act of terrorism that occurs in the United States to report to the Congress not later than one year after completing the investigation. That agency would have to collaborate with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal bodies as appropriate. The report would identify weaknesses in national security and recommend additional measures to improve homeland security and prevent terrorist acts.
In recent years there have been few incidents of domestic terrorism, so CBO expects that implementing S. 1884 would require a small number of reports each year, on average. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that providing the reports would cost less than $500,000 annually; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 1884 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
S. 1884 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
On May 30, 2017, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 625, the Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism Act of 2017, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on May 3, 2017. The two bills are similar and CBO’s estimates of the budgetary effects are the same.
