S. 1281: Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2018

115th Congress · introduced 2017-05-25 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 752.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-05-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 752. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2018

Plain summary

Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2017 or the Hack DHS Act (Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish, within the Office of the Chief Information Officer, a bug bounty pilot program to minimize vulnerabilities to DHS Internet-facing information technology. A "bug bounty program" is a program under which an approved individual, organization, or company is temporarily authorized to identify and report vulnerabilities of Internet-facing information technology of DHS in exchange for compensation. Under such program, DHS shall: provide compensation for reports of previously unidentified security vulnerabilities within the websites, applications, and other DHS Internet-facing information technology that are accessible to the public; award a competitive contract tomanage the pilot program and for executing the remediation of vulnerabilities identified bythe program; designate mission-critical operations within DHS that should be excluded from the pilot program; consult with the Department of Justice on how to protect from prosecution approved individuals or entities who comply with the requirements of the program; develop an expeditious process for registration, background checks, and eligibility determinations for participation in the pilot program; and engage interested persons about the structure of the program. DHS must report to Congress on the program within 180 days of its completion.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2018

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 1281, Hack DHS Act (2017-10-20); CBO cost estimate: S. 1281, Hack DHS Act (2018-09-21)

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] reported raising $3.2 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

Agencies named in this bill

Department of Homeland Security: its federal spending and other bills that name it

Found automatically: the agency's full official name appears in the bill title. A bill can affect agencies it does not name, so this list may be incomplete.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed Senate amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s1281.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s1281 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115