2026 GHSAC Spring Meeting

The Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC) met April 8-9, 2026, in Nashville. The GHSAC regularly brings together Governors' homeland security advisors from states, commonwealths, territories and the District of Columbia. The mission of the GHSAC is to inform and shape national homeland security policy; keep Governors abreast of the current threat environment and the impacts of federal homeland security legislation, regulations, and policies; and promote best practices related to homeland security activities. The meeting serves to advance Governors' homeland security priorities, share best practices and improve the nation's overall homeland security enterprise.

The meeting included representatives from 44 states, territories and the District of Columbia. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee welcomed participants to Tennessee and shared ways his administration has advanced homeland security within the state. The GHSAC also met with Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel and other federal officials.

The meeting provided an opportunity for GHSAC members to share and collaborate on approaches to prevent and mitigate a variety of threats, including those posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), targeted violence, cyberattacks, natural disasters and communications interruptions, among others. Key aspects addressed were programmatic and policy approaches, including those focused on training, personnel, funding, and technology management, as well as state-federal coordination, to triage the wide spectrum of threats faced by states and territories. Advancing work along these lines of effort continues to improve prevention and mitigation, as well as serve as greater deterrence to potential threat actors.