United States Commission on an Open Society with Security Act of 2026
Key claim: HR9386 would establish a United States Commission on an Open Society with Security to study how to provide both security and public access to federal buildings and sites, weighing counterterrorism, design, technology, and civil liberties.
Abstract
(HR9386 · 119th Congress) United States Commission on an Open Society with Security Act of 2026 This bill establishes the United States Commission on an Open Society with Security to study how the government may provide for both security in, and public access to, federal buildings and other federal property and sites. The commission shall examine (1) government and private security practices and proposals, building design, public space management, counterterrorism needs, and refurbishment of existing federal facilities; (2) the effect of access to public facilities and spaces on constitutional rights and civil liberties, economies of affected jurisdictions, architectural aesthetics, traffic and congestion, and employee job performance; (3) technology to augment or replace traditional modes of security; and (4) methods of assessing the risks posed by terrorism, balanced against the needs and values of open access. Latest action (2026-07-07): Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.
Why this matters
Physical access to federal buildings shapes citizens’ ability to petition government, attend hearings, and interact with agencies — a core civil-liberties concern that often gets subordinated to security choices made without public input. A dedicated commission would formalize a deliberative process for weighing counterterrorism, design, and technology tradeoffs against open-access and civil-liberties values, potentially affecting how disabled visitors, protesters, journalists, and the general public experience federal space.