DHS gets new power to vet foreign visitors to state officials—with few guardrails.
H.R. 7427 — SAFE VISITS Act · Filed by Dan Goldman (D-NY) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 9, 2026 · Reported out
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to analyze and report annually on terrorism and security threats posed by foreign nationals visiting state, local, tribal, and territorial government officials and facilities. DHS must provide guidance to these governments on protecting their officials, information, and systems, and may offer vetting assistance and tailored outreach when a foreign visitor is identified as a potential high-risk target.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to establish a DHS threat-analysis and guidance program focused on foreign nationals visiting state and local government, with vetting assistance and debriefing mechanisms. It is a security-coordination measure, not a commemorative, tax, or appropriations bill.
What the text implies
- The bill does not define what constitutes a 'high-risk' foreign national or establish criteria for vetting decisions, potentially enabling subjective or discriminatory profiling based on nationality, religion, or political affiliation without legislative or public oversight.
- Debriefing requirements (subsection (d)(2)) may create pressure on state and local governments to report on foreign nationals' 'techniques' and access attempts, potentially chilling legitimate diplomatic or business engagement and creating a de facto surveillance reporting obligation.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
DHS contractors specializing in threat analysis, vetting technology, and fusion-center operations