H.R. 1608
Department of Homeland Security Vehicular Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2025
Sponsor: Carlos A. Gimenez
2 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Department of Homeland Security Vehicular Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2025
This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit a report to Congress on the department's efforts to prevent, deter, and respond to vehicular terrorism (i.e., an action that utilizes automotive transportation to commit terrorism). DHS must submit the report in coordination with the Transportation Security Administration and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Among other things, the report on vehicular terrorism must include
- an assessment of the current and emerging threats;
- a review of higher-risk locations and events that may be vulnerable, including critical infrastructure sites (e.g., airports and government facilities);
- a description of DHS’s coordination efforts with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies related to prevention; and
- recommendations for the research, development, and deployment of technologies to detect, deter, and mitigate vehicular terrorism.
DHS must submit a classified report to Congress, but may include an unclassified executive summary. DHS must publish the executive summary on the department's website.
In addition, DHS must brief Congress on the report's findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Text of the bill
Where this section came from
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Feb 26, 2025 · Introduced in House Referred to House Committee on Homeland Security, Feb 26, 2025
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Aug 8, 2025 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Homeland Security, Apr 9, 2025 Reported by House Committee on Homeland Security, Aug 8, 2025 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On January 1, 2025, a devastating vehicular terrorist attack occurred on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, when an assailant inspired by the Islamic State drove a vehicle into a crowd and engaged in a shootout with law enforcement. This tragic incident resulted in the loss of
fifteen
14
lives and injuries to at least thirty-five others, including two police officers.
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What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
Congress finds the following:
(1) On January 1, 2025, a devastating vehicular terrorist attack occurred on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, when an assailant inspired by the Islamic State drove a vehicle into a crowd and engaged in a shootout with law enforcement. This tragic incident resulted in the loss of 14 lives and injuries to at least thirty-five others, including two police officers.
(2) Vehicle-ramming attacks and other vehicular terrorist incidents represent an enduring and evolving threat to public safety in the United States and around the world, targeting innocent civilians and first responders.
(3) These attacks, carried out by both organized terrorist groups and individual actors, often aim to exploit high-density public gatherings, critical infrastructure, and key transportation hubs, causing mass casualties and widespread disruption.
(4) Emerging automotive technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) capabilities, and ride-sharing platforms, create new vulnerabilities that could be leveraged by malicious actors to conduct sophisticated vehicle-based attacks.
(5) The Department of Homeland Security, through agencies like the Transportation Security Administration and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, plays a vital role in detecting, assessing, and mitigating the risks associated with vehicle-based threats.
(6) Strengthened coordination between Federal, State, local, Tribal, territorial, and private sector stakeholders is essential to enhance prevention, preparedness, and response efforts, ensuring the safety of communities across the nation.