HR 3106: Weatherizing Infrastructure in the North and Terrorism Emergency Readiness Act of 2025

HR 3106 in plain English: This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to design and run an exercise simulating a terrorist attack occurring during an extreme cold weather event, such as a polar vortex. The exercise must examine how critical infrastructure could be affected and how public and private entities can coordinate responses. Within 60 days of completing the exercise, DHS must report findings and lessons learned to Congress.

Stated purpose

The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to plan and carry out a practice exercise that tests how the country would respond to a terrorist attack happening during an extreme cold weather event, such as a polar vortex, and then report findings to Congress.

Key points

• Requires DHS to conduct a preparedness exercise simulating a terrorist attack during extreme cold weather, such as a polar vortex event.
• The exercise scenario must involve cascading effects on critical infrastructure vital to national security, public health, or safety.
• Must address coordination between public and private entities to reduce damage and strengthen community resilience.
• DHS must submit an after-action report to Congress within 60 days, including findings, lessons learned, and any proposed legislative changes.

Arguments supporters make

• A real terrorist attack during a polar vortex could overwhelm systems already strained by cold — practicing this scenario in advance could save lives by exposing gaps before a crisis happens.
• The bill costs relatively little since it builds on exercises DHS already runs, making it a low-cost way to improve national readiness.
• Requiring a written report to Congress ensures findings are shared broadly and lessons learned can actually improve future policy and operations.

Arguments opponents make

• Running one specific exercise scenario may not be the best use of limited DHS time and resources when many other threat combinations also go unpracticed.
• A single exercise and a 60-day report may produce surface-level findings without leading to real, lasting improvements in infrastructure protection.
• Mandating a specific exercise type through legislation reduces DHS's flexibility to prioritize the threats its experts judge to be most urgent or likely.

Tradeoffs

Directing DHS to conduct this specific exercise adds a concrete preparedness step but takes time and resources away from other priorities DHS might otherwise choose; the structured reporting requirement increases accountability but cannot guarantee that findings will lead to meaningful action.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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