"This funding bill rightly recognizes the high priority we all must place on securing our airports, ports and other transportation facilities," said Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. "The legislation – which constitutes a nine percent increase over last year's bill - provides crucial funding for emergency preparedness to our first responders, significant federal resources for Border and Customs officials and the U.S. Coast Guard, and vital investments in research and development of advanced screening technologies."
The bill includes the following projects:
Transportation Security · $5.2 billion for the Transportation Security Administration. $4.353 billion of the funding is for aviation security measures, including $2.049 billion for passenger screening. Also included is $1.452 billion for baggage screening, which includes $180 million for explosive detection systems. $115 million of the total funding is for air cargo security and enforcement and research and development. TSA will also receive $48 million for maritime and land security.
Borders and Security · $5 billion for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, including $126 million for expansion of the Container Security initiative, a cargo security program that stations CBP officers in foreign ports to target and pre-screen cargo containers before they are loaded on U.S.-bound ships. The bill also includes $145 million for inspection and detection technology investments of which $80 million will be used for radiation detection and non-intrusive inspection technology used in inspecting conveyances and cargo entering the country at ports of entry, and $37.8 million for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) – a supply chain security program that engages participating private sector actors in securing their own supply chains · $3.1 billion for the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including $662 million for federal air marshals. · $340 million for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program to incorporates biometrics and new technologies. Coast Guard
· $7.371 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard, including $5.157 billion for operating expenses. · $724 million for the Deepwater project, included within the $982 million for vessel acquisition, upgrade and maintenance. Deepwater is a 20-year project to recapitalize the Coast Guard offshore fleet of 93 cutters and 207 aircraft that operate more than 50 miles offshore. Completing the project in the shortest time frame possible will ensure that the Coast Guard and our nation have the resources to capably defend against maritime threats far out at sea.
Preparedness and Recovery · $3 billion for state and local preparedness through programs made available to local units of government, including states, counties, towns, and other subdivisions of states. The funding includes $1.6 billion to be made available to states within 45 days of enactment of the Appropriations Bill through formula-based grants. · $180 million for emergency management performance grants to assist in the development, maintenance, and improvement of state and local emergency management capabilities, to respond to disasters and emergencies that are man-made, natural, or accidental. · $885 million for discretionary grants to high threat urban areas, including $150 million for port security and $150 million for rail and transit security. · $715 million for the Firefighter Assistance program, to be kept in a separate account and managed in accordance with the existing FIRE Act.
Miscellaneous
· $222.3 million for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. · $160 million for Citizenship & Immigration Services. · $20 million for high explosives countermeasures. · $67.3 million for cyber-security technology and initiatives.
This bill will now be sent to the President for consideration. ###