H.R. 4971, the Terrorist Watchlist Data Accuracy and Transparency Act, requires the Department of Homeland Security to conduct quality assurance reviews of all nominations it submits to the federal terrorist watchlist before those nominations are sent to the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center. The bill mandates annual audits of all nominations involving U.S. citizens and permanent residents, plus monthly random audits of all nominations, to verify the information is accurate and still meets watchlisting criteria. If errors are found, DHS must notify the FBI and counterterrorism officials within 24 hours and request corrections or retractions; if those corrections aren't made within 30 days, DHS must consult with the relevant agency directors about the delay. Finally, the bill requires DHS to submit annual reports to Congress detailing how many records were referred for corrections or retractions and how many nominations were recalled or reissued as a result. The legislation has no specified funding amount or implementation deadline beyond the 90-day window for establishing initial audit procedures.
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