Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that makes changes to the Department of Homeland Security.

Highlights:

• Establishes the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG), to be composed of representatives from various Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies and located at the National Counter-terrorism Center of the office of the Director of National Intelligence, to help facilitate communications between these levels (Sec. 131).

• Establishes the State Homeland Security Grant Program to assist State, local, and tribal governments in protecting against terrorism, authorizes $913.2 million to be appropriated each fiscal year from 2008 to 2010, and sets the minimum grant level per state at 0.45 percent of total appropriated funds (Sec. 202).

• Establishes the Urban Area Security Initiative for grants to assist high-risk urban areas in protecting against terrorism and authorizes $3.84 billion to be appropriated through fiscal year 2010 (Sec. 202).

• Establishes Emergency Communications Operability and Interoperable Communications Grants to assist states in initiatives necessary to facilitate statewide, regional, national, and international emergency communications and authorizes $3.3 billion to be appropriated through fiscal year 2012 for (Sec. 301).

• Establishes the Border Interoperability Demonstration Project in no less than six border communities, three on each border, to help identify and implement solutions to cross-border communications (Sec. 302).

• Requires that the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, determine that a country's security risk mitigation measures provide assurance that 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 (Sec. 501).

• Allows federal airport screeners to appeal adverse action, as well as to engage in collective action over working conditions, but does not allow such action to extend to pay or the right to strike (Sec. 904).

• Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and implement a plan detailing a benchmark schedule of the percentage of cargo containers scanned, and an analysis of the scanning equipment, personnel, and technology necessary to scan 100 percent of the cargo containers destined for the United States (Sec. 905).

• Requires the President to disclose the aggregate amount of appropriations each fiscal year requested in the budget for the National Intelligence Program, and requires Congress to disclose the aggregate amount of funds appropriated (Sec. 1201).

• Authorizes $537 million to be appropriated for rail security through fiscal year 2010 (Sec. 1437).

• 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 operated by an air carrier for the purpose of air transportation (Sec. 1462).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text