Bill in House aims to relocate special events program to Office of Situational Awareness within Homeland Security

Authored by U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a new House bill seeks to strengthen coordination by relocating the Special Events Program to the Office of Situational Awareness, according to the U.S. Congress.

Designated as H.R.8142, the bill was filed on March 27, 2026 as part of the 119th Congress’s regular session. The summary below, informed by the official bill text, also interprets select provisions for clarity.

The proposal calls for the Special Events Program to shift from its current placement within the Department of Homeland Security to the Office of Situational Awareness, still under the agency’s umbrella. The transition, required within 180 days of the legislation’s enactment, includes transferring personnel, assets, records, and all associated unspent funds. The overall goal is to make Homeland Security’s event response more efficient and to improve overall situational awareness during special events.

The measure was brought forward by Rep. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA-7th District) and Rep. Eugene Simon Vindman (D-PA-7th District) signed on as a co-sponsor.

Since this session began, Rep. Mackenzie has filed an additional 12 bills in the House.

Congressional bills may originate in either the U.S. House or Senate, with the exception of revenue bills, which are required to start in the House. After introduction, each bill is assigned for committee consideration—where hearings, reviews, modifications and debates are conducted—before potential floor votes in both chambers. Once the House and Senate approve the same text, it goes to the president for signature or veto. Congress is structured in two-year terms (numbered sequentially), each divided into two yearly sessions. Legislative records and processes are documented by the U.S. Congress and made available through Congress.gov.

Ryan Mackenzie is a Pennsylvania representative who was born in Allentown on Aug. 2, 1982. He holds a B.S. from New York University (2004) and an M.B.A. from Harvard University (2010), and he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2012 to 2024.

Mackenzie’s experience also includes staff work for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey in 2004 and employment at the Department of Labor in 2007. He was the policy director for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, served as a delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention, and started as a Republican in the 119th Congress on Jan. 3, 2025.

The facts in this article are sourced from the U.S. Congress. The original data is available here.