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News
Pres. Bush Signs Homeland Security Funding Act, Which Includes Sums For Port Security...Including a Container Security Initiative
(Oct. 2, 2003) -- President George W. Bush has signed the first-ever Homeland Security Appropriations Act, a $31 billion measure in which Congress provided sums for Port security...including a container security initiative.
The White House web site summarizes the Port security items as follows:
| White House Photo |
$62 million for the Container
Security Initiative (CSI), to deploy teams of inspectors, special agents,
and intelligence analysts to 20 foreign mega-ports and approximately 10 other
strategic ports to inspect containerized cargo for weapons of mass destruction
before it is ever shipped to the United States.
$64 million will support
technology for non-intrusive inspection (NII). This will add to a
variety of port inspection assets supported from prior year funding, including
radiation detection systems, large scale x-ray machines for trucks and
oceangoing shipping containers, mobile vehicle and cargo inspection systems
(VACIS), and isotope identifiers for international mail and express courier
hubs. The advantage to importers whose cargo warrants increased
inspection will be more efficient, timely, and less costly inspections than the
alternative of physical removal of cargo from a conveyance.
$14 million for the Customs-Trade
Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) that will more than double the
number of the Departments partnerships with foreign manufacturers and
importers. These partners agree to meet supply chain standards ensuring
that their shipment methods repel potential terrorist attempts to use those
shipments for introducing weapons of mass destruction into our ports.
· C-TPAT will add nearly 160 more supply chain security experts to provide training and technical assistance to those partners, who will benefit from the increased level of trust by
experiencing fewer port inspections and shorter wait times.
$125 million for port security grants
that fund security planning and projects to improve dockside and perimeter security at the nations ports. These funds represent the latest round of grants awarded to state and local governments and private companies that contribute to important security upgrades like new patrol boats in the harbor, surveillance equipment at roads and bridges, and
the construction of new command and control facilities.
[end White House text]
In signing the bill on Oct. 1 at the Dept. of Homeland Security, the President said, "We have been charged to protect our homeland, as well. And that's why we're taking actions to strengthen our defenses and to make our nation more secure. This bill is a major step forward in our ongoing effort..."
The White House summarizes other provisions of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act as follows:
[begin White House text]
Aviation
Security
Of nearly $4.6 billion in Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) funding, specific programs include:
· $150 million to purchase explosives detection
systems.
· $250 million to install these systems in
airports.
Another $85 million is allocated to improve
air cargo security, including:
· $30 million to enable TSA to improve its
oversight of the known shipper program, using a risk-weighted freight
screening system that will identify pieces of cargo that require closer
scrutiny before being loaded on passenger aircraft. Funds will also enable TSA
to hire an additional 100 staff to perform more in-depth audits of
shipper compliance with the known shipper requirement.
· $55 million to be used by TSAs Research and
Development to pursue a variety of technological solutions that would allow for
the most efficient and targeted inspections of cargo carried on
passenger aircraft.
Port Security
$14 million for the Customs-Trade
Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) that will more than double the
number of the Departments partnerships with foreign manufacturers and
importers. These partners agree to meet supply chain standards ensuring
that their shipment methods repel potential terrorist attempts to use those
shipments for introducing weapons of mass destruction into our ports.
· C-TPAT will add nearly 160 more
supply chain security experts to provide training and technical assistance to
those partners, who will benefit from the increased level of trust by
experiencing fewer port inspections and shorter wait times.
$62 million for the Container
Security Initiative (CSI), to deploy teams of inspectors, special agents,
and intelligence analysts to 20 foreign mega-ports and approximately 10 other
strategic ports to inspect containerized cargo for weapons of mass destruction
before it is ever shipped to the United States.
$64 million will support
technology for non-intrusive inspection (NII). This will add to a
variety of port inspection assets supported from prior year funding, including
radiation detection systems, large scale x-ray machines for trucks and
oceangoing shipping containers, mobile vehicle and cargo inspection systems
(VACIS), and isotope identifiers for international mail and express courier
hubs. The advantage to importers whose cargo warrants increased
inspection will be more efficient, timely, and less costly inspections than the
alternative of physical removal of cargo from a conveyance.
$125 million for port security grants
that fund security planning and projects to improve
dockside and perimeter security at the nations ports. These funds
represent the latest round of grants awarded to state and local governments and
private companies that contribute to important security upgrades like new
patrol boats in the harbor, surveillance equipment at roads and bridges, and
the construction of new command and control facilities.
Border
Security and Immigration Enforcement
$41 million for up to 570 additional Border
Patrol Agents.
$35.2 million for an air surveillance wing on
the Northern Border, of which $12.8 million is for the purchase of aircraft.
$6.7 million for 51 more Special Agents in
the Compliance Enforcement Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcements
(ICE) Office of Investigations. These agents will follow up on
overstays identified by the US VISIT, SEVIS and NSEERS databases.
US VISIT
$330 million is provided for the US
Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US VISIT) project under
the direct control of the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation
Security. This system will provide the capability to record the entry and
exit of non-US citizens into and out of the US, and provide officials with
information about persons who are in the US in violation of the terms of their
admission to the US.
Training More
Federal Agents
The Federal Law Enforcement Training
Center receives $192.78 million, chiefly to provide additional student
training days to federal law enforcement agents.
State and
Local Funding
$4.037 billion is allocated to the Office
for Domestic Preparedness for assistance to our nations first responders,
including:
· $1.7 billion for formula-based grants of
which 80% of the funds made available to the state shall be made available to
the localities within 60 days of the state receiving the funds.
· $750 million for Firefighters Assistance
Grants.
· $725 million for discretionary grants for
high-threat, high-density urban areas, of which 80% of the funds made available
to the state shall be made available to the localities within 60 days of the
state receiving the funds. In administering these grants, the Congress
has directed the Secretary to take into consideration credible threat, presence
of critical infrastructure, population, vulnerability, cooperation of multiple
jurisdictions in preparing domestic preparedness plans, and the identified
needs of public agencies when determining the allocation of these funds.
· $500 million for law enforcement terrorism
prevention grants, of which 80% of the funds made available to the state, shall
be made available to the localities within 60 days of the state receiving the
fund. This is a new appropriation not funded in FY 2003.
· $40 million for Citizen Corps grants.
Emergency
Preparedness
$9.1 billion is provided for Emergency
Preparedness and Response, including:
· $1.8 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund,
which provides federal assistance to supplement state and local governments
disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts. With
this funding, DHS provides a significant portion of the total Federal response
to victims in Presidentially-declared major disasters and emergencies.
· $484 million for Public Health Programs,
specifically $400 million for the Strategic National Stockpile, $50
million for the Metropolitan Medical Response System and $34 million for
the National Disaster Medical System. This activity provides for
the countermeasures needed to treat diseases caused by critical chemical and biological
agents, as well as medical and support personnel. This FY 2004
funding is a $184 million increase over the $300 million funded in 2003.
· $200 million for the flood map
modernization activities. This program uses state-of-the-art technology to
cost-effectively develop accurate and complete flood hazard information
nationwide. This capability will enable state and local planners to
better identify high risk areas susceptible to flood damage. Using
Hurricane Isabel as an example, FEMA, along with state and local land planning
agencies, could have used this technology to better help identify areas in
Virginia and North Carolina that are at risk for flood damage. This
information is then used to develop a mitigation strategy where the Chesapeake
Watershed is managed and improvements to coastal lands and structures are made
that would have minimized flood damage. The flood map modernization
program works in tandem with FEMAs National Flood Insurance Fund, and together
helps Americans limit losses in consequence of flood damage every year.
The FY 2004 budget allocates $51 million more in funds over the $149 million
funded in 2003.
· $180 million for Emergency Management
Performance Grants, of which no more than 3% may be used for administrative
expenses. These grants help reduce the risk of future damage in hazard
areas and ultimately reduce the need for disaster assistance. This is an
increase of $15 million over the $165 million funded in 2003.
· $153 million for the Emergency Food and
Shelter Program, of which no more than 3.5% may be used for administrative
expenses. This program is designed to help address the problems of hunger
and homelessness associated with disasters.
· $60 million for Urban Search and Rescue
Teams, of which no more than 3% may be used for administrative
expenses. This provides funding for the operations, equipment and
training of search and rescue teams.
· $5.6 billion in advance appropriations for
the years FY 2004 to FY 2013 for Project Bioshield, of which $890
million is available in FY 2004. Under this program, DHS will work with
the Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate the development and
procurement of advanced vaccines and treatments to protect Americans against
biological, chemical, and radiological threats.
Modernizing
the U.S. Coast Guard
Of $6.8 billion provided for the Coast Guard,
· $668 million is allocated to the
Integrated Deepwater System Project, the Coast Guards multi-year
recapitalization that will replace or modernize the Coast Guards large ships,
aircraft, sensors, command and control systems, and logistics system.
Deepwater funding in FY-04 including $143 million for aircraft, which will include
the purchase of a CASA 235 maritime patrol aircraft; $303 million to be used in
part for construction of the first 420-foot National Security Cutter; $101
million for use in part for continued development of a network-centric
command and control system that will provide a common operating picture; $24.7
million for a common logistics information system; and continued development of
the vertical unmanned aerial vehicle that will deploy from IDS cutters.
· The FY 2004 budget provides for 7 additional
deployable Maritime Safety and Security Teams for a total of 13
teams. Each team includes 90 people and 6 boats, which provide a robust
security posture in ports to protect vulnerable assets such as bridges, nuclear
power plants, passenger vessels, and vessels carrying hazardous cargo.
· An additional $26.3 million and 529 new
personnel increase the Coast Guards search and rescue capability, and the
safety of its people as they perform rescues during storms, floods, and
darkness.
Science and
Technology
$918.2 million is provided for Science and
Technology, including:
· $88 million for the National Biodefense
Analysis and Countermeasures Center to build a facility that will be the
DHS hub and spoke system that will further the mission of increasing
understanding of potential bioterrorism pathogens and improving protection of
human health and agriculture against biological terrorism.
· $75 million for the Rapid Prototyping
Program, to fund counterterrorism projects selected through last summers
and this falls Technical Support Working Group solicitations, and to support
the rapid adaptation of commercial technologies through the Homeland
Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) for use by DHS and state
and local first responders.
· $70 million for the Homeland Security
University Programs. This program will include the Homeland Security
Scholars and Fellows program that will provide scholarships to
undergraduate and graduate students pursuing scientific studies in homeland
security. In addition, it will include the Homeland Security Centers
of Excellence (HS-Centers) program that will establish a coordinated,
university-based system to enhance the Nations homeland security. The
HS-Centers will be a critical component of our nations defenses by providing a
dedicated capability that will enhance our ability to anticipate, prevent,
respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks.
· $66.5 million for critical infrastructure
protection, of which $60 million is provided for the research, development,
testing and evaluation of an anti-missile device for commercial aircraft.
· $39 million for developing a database of
homeland-security related standards from private sector standards
development organizations, for certification and accreditation models for
products and services, for testing and evaluation protocols for commercial
radiation detectors, and for developing standard chemical methods of analysis of
high explosives, chemical warfare agents, and toxic industrial chemicals.
· $38 million will be used to continue the
deployment of the Urban Monitoring Program, also known as
BioWatch. Through the BioWatch biosurveillance program, DHS, the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Controls Laboratory Response
Network provide early detection of bio-threats. These partners are
working with state and local officials to implement an effective consequence
management plan that incorporates the BioWatch system. In addition,
these funds are also being applied to develop the next generation of
bio-pathogen monitoring sensors.
· $127 million will be used to develop sensors
and other countermeasures to prevent the illicit transport and use of
radiological and nuclear materials within the United States.
Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection
A total of $839.3 million is provided for
information analysis and infrastructure protection, including:
·
· $20 million for the Departmental Command
Center, which provides 24 hour a day, 7 day a week live watch for command,
control, and monitoring capabilities of the Department.
· $28 million for threat determination and
assessment, which provides strategic assessments of our nations critical
infrastructures and key assets, including 168,000 public water systems; 300,000
oil and natural gas production facilities; 4,000 offshore platforms; 278,000
miles of natural gas pipelines; 361 seaports; 104 nuclear power plants; 80,000
dams; and tens of thousands of other potentially critical targets.
· $52.3 million for information warnings and
advisories, which will develop a comprehensive process to guide
intelligence collection, assessment, evaluation, and prioritization; and ensure
the required privacy protection related to the use, collection, and disclosure
of private sector and personal information.
· $84.2 million for infrastructure
vulnerability and risk assessment, which will develop and maintain a
complete, accurate, and prioritized mapping of the nations critical
infrastructures and key assets including agriculture, food, water, public
health, emergency services, government, defense industrial base, information
and telecommunications, energy, transportation, banking and finance, chemical
and hazardous materials, postal and shipping, and monuments and icons.
· $345 million for remediation and
protective actions, which includes work with state and local governments,
and industry, to identify and prioritize protective measures; and to develop
objective protection standards and performance measures.
· $141 million for the National Communications
System, which includes the emergency notification system, back-up
dial-tone, government emergency telecommunications network, and wireless
priority service.
Immigration
Services
· The CIS budget includes $1.8 billion, a 9%
increase ($143 million) over FY 2003 to support further improvements in
application processing as well as the processing of projected volume. The
$1.8 billion is comprised of $236 million in appropriated funding and
approximately $1.6 billion in projected fee revenues.
· The CIS budget supports the President's
five-year, $500 million initiative, begun in FY 2002, to attain a universal
six-month processing time standard for all immigration benefit applications,
and provide quality service to all legal immigrants, citizens, businesses and
other CIS customers. The third $100 million installment of the
President's five-year plan consists of $20 million from revenues generated by
the Premium Processing Service fee and $80 million in appropriated funds.
Secret Service
$1.14 billion is provided for the Secret
Service, which includes new funding for White House mail screening. The
bill also supports security enhancements at Secret Service protected
facilities.
The USSS will be the lead agency for multiple
National Special Security Events this year, including the G7/G8 meeting
and the Republican and Democratic National Conventions and protection of
presidential candidates during the campaign of 2004.
The bill also supports the Secret Service Electronic
Crimes Task Force initiative, promotes additional programs to protect our
nations financial infrastructure, and allows the Secret Service to continue to
provide grant and forensic support to the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children.
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