119-HR-7574 Journalist Public Summary
119 · HR 7574 ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act of 2026
A bill to streamline DHS outreach by reorganizing its Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach office, centralizing law‑enforcement partnership management within DHS intelligence, and pausing expansion until a detailed reorganization plan is delivered.
Public Summary: H.R. 7574 — ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act of 2026
Headline Summary: Reorganizes a DHS outreach office to cut duplication, put one team in charge of key law‑enforcement partnerships, and require a detailed plan before anything expands.
What It Does: The bill gives the Homeland Security Secretary 120 days after enactment to submit a comprehensive plan to restructure the Department’s Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach (ELO) office. The plan must identify redundant positions and programs, move essential ELO functions and staff under the Office of Intelligence and Analysis’ Partner Engagement directorate, set clear points of contact and protocols for working with priority law‑enforcement agencies, improve information‑sharing and performance metrics, and ensure continuity of support for state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners. It also pauses any expansion of the ELO office until the plan is submitted and DHS certifies implementation has begun, with an additional certification due 60 days after implementation starts. For context, I&A’s Partner Engagement team already manages strategic relationships across government levels, and “SLTT” is defined in law as state, local, tribal, and territorial government entities. (dhs.gov)
- Who’s For It: Sponsor — Rep. Gabe Evans of Colorado. Supporters are likely to argue it streamlines overlapping outreach efforts and makes accountability clearer by placing one team in charge of law‑enforcement engagement across DHS.
- Who’s Against It: No formal opposition statements were available as of February 14, 2026. Potential concerns include centralizing too much under DHS intelligence, possible disruption to existing relationships (especially with SLTT partners) during the transition, and workforce impacts from identifying “redundant” positions.
What’s Next: As of February 13, 2026, the bill was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security. The next steps would typically be a committee hearing and markup, a House floor vote if reported, and then consideration in the Senate.
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