Signed by President George Bush

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to implement certain recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Highlights:

• Establishes the Urban Area Security Initiative to provide grants to assist high-risk urban areas in "preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism," and authorizes $5.3 billion to be appropriated through fiscal year 2012 [Title I (Sec. 101)].

• Establishes the State Homeland Security Grant Program to assist state, local, and tribal governments in "preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism," authorizes $950 million to be appropriated each fiscal year through 2012, and gradually decreases the minimum grant level per state from 0.375 percent of the total appropriated grant funds in fiscal year 2008 to 0.35 percent in fiscal year 2012 [Title I (Sec. 101)].

• Establishes the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program to assist states in carrying out initiatives to improve international emergency communications and authorizes $400 million to be appropriated each fiscal year from 2009-2012 [Title III (Sec. 301)].

• Establishes the International Border Community Interoperable Communications Demonstration Project in no fewer than six border communities, three on each border, to help identify and implement solutions to cross-border communications and cooperation [Title III (Sec. 302)].

• Requires the secretary of homeland security to establish department-wide procedures by which to receive and analyze intelligence from state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector [Title V (Sec. 501)].

• Establishes the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG) to improve interagency communications, creates an ITACG Advisory Council composed of representatives from federal agencies to set policies to improve communication within the information sharing environment, and establishes an ITACG Detail comprised of State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts to work in the National Counterterrorism Center [Title V (Sec. 521)].

• Requires the director of national intelligence to disclose the aggregate amount of appropriated funds for the National Intelligence Program within thirty days of the end of each fiscal year [Title VI (Sec. 601)].

• Requires that the secretary of homeland security, in consultation with the secretary of state, determine that a country's participation in the visa waiver program will not compromise the security and law enforcement interests of the United States, the country has cooperated with the U.S. Government in counter-terrorism initiatives, the country has demonstrated a continuing sustained reduction in the rate of visa refusals, and there is demonstrated a low visa overstay rate, before allowing its participation in the visa waiver program [Title VII (Sec. 711 [c])].

• Exempts any passenger on a bus, train, plane, or ship who, in good faith, reports terrorist or suspicious activity, from civil liability [Title XII (Sec. 1206)].

• Authorizes funding levels for various efforts of Transportation Security Administration, including $1.99 billion for railroad security, $95 million for over-the-road bus and trucking security, and $36 million for hazardous material and pipeline security through fiscal year 2011 [Title XV (Sec. 1503[a])].

• Requires that, within three years of passage, the secretary of homeland security establish a system that screens 100 percent of cargo transported on passenger aircraft [Title XVI (Sec. 1602 [a])].

• Requires all maritime cargo to be scanned by non-obtrusive imaging equipment by July 1, 2012, and allows the secretary of homeland security to extend the deadline by two year increments if certain benchmarks are not met [Title XVII (Sec. 1701 [a])].

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to implement certain recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Highlights:

• Establishes the Urban Area Security Initiative to provide grants to assist high-risk urban areas in "preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism," and authorizes $5.3 billion to be appropriated through fiscal year 2012 [Title I (Sec. 101)].

• Establishes the State Homeland Security Grant Program to assist state, local, and tribal governments in "preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism," authorizes $950 million to be appropriated each fiscal year through 2012, and gradually decreases the minimum grant level per state from 0.375 percent of the total appropriated grant funds in fiscal year 2008 to 0.35 percent in fiscal year 2012 [Title I (Sec. 101)].

• Establishes the Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program to assist states in carrying out initiatives to improve international emergency communications and authorizes $400 million to be appropriated each fiscal year from 2009-2012 [Title III (Sec. 301)].

• Establishes the International Border Community Interoperable Communications Demonstration Project in no fewer than six border communities, three on each border, to help identify and implement solutions to cross-border communications and cooperation [Title III (Sec. 302)].

• Requires the secretary of homeland security to establish department-wide procedures by which to receive and analyze intelligence from state, local, and tribal governments and the private sector [Title V (Sec. 501)].

• Establishes the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG) to improve interagency communications, creates an ITACG Advisory Council composed of representatives from federal agencies to set policies to improve communication within the information sharing environment, and establishes an ITACG Detail comprised of State, local, and tribal homeland security and law enforcement officers and intelligence analysts to work in the National Counterterrorism Center [Title V (Sec. 521)].

• Requires the director of national intelligence to disclose the aggregate amount of appropriated funds for the National Intelligence Program within thirty days of the end of each fiscal year [Title VI (Sec. 601)].

• Requires that the secretary of homeland security, in consultation with the secretary of state, determine that a country's participation in the visa waiver program will not compromise the security and law enforcement interests of the United States, the country has cooperated with the U.S. Government in counter-terrorism initiatives, the country has demonstrated a continuing sustained reduction in the rate of visa refusals, and there is demonstrated a low visa overstay rate, before allowing its participation in the visa waiver program [Title VII (Sec. 711 [c])].

• Exempts any passenger on a bus, train, plane, or ship who, in good faith, reports terrorist or suspicious activity, from civil liability [Title XII (Sec. 1206)].

• Authorizes funding levels for various efforts of Transportation Security Administration, including $1.99 billion for railroad security, $95 million for over-the-road bus and trucking security, and $36 million for hazardous material and pipeline security through fiscal year 2011 [Title XV (Sec. 1503[a])].

• Requires that, within three years of passage, the secretary of homeland security establish a system that screens 100 percent of cargo transported on passenger aircraft [Title XVI (Sec. 1602 [a])].

• Requires all maritime cargo to be scanned by non-obtrusive imaging equipment by July 1, 2012, and allows the secretary of homeland security to extend the deadline by two year increments if certain benchmarks are not met [Title XVII (Sec. 1701 [a])].

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to implement certain recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Highlights:

• Provides that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security will supply grants to states, urban areas, regions, or directly eligible tribes to be used to improve the ability for first responders to react to and prevent terrorist attacks.

• Appropriates funds to the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration for the purpose of opposing terrorism.

• States that all cargo transported on passenger aircraft must be inspected.

• Establishes the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.

• Establishes the State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative and the Homeland Security Information Sharing Fellows Program.

• Requires reports on the implementation of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations in regard to the detention and treatment of captured terrorists.

Full Bill Text
Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to implement certain recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Full Bill Text