Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Senators sponsor homeland security grant bill

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 10:11:20 -0400

Senators sponsor homeland security grant bill
BY Dibya Sarkar
July 12, 2004

Two senators introduced bipartisan legislation last week to establish an
intergovernmental grant program to develop or modify homeland security
equipment, technologies, capabilities and services.

The bill (S. 2635), introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen.
Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), would require Homeland Security Department
officials to conduct a needs assessment of federal, state and local
governments and then survey existing products or services within the
United States or other countries, such as Israel, focused on homeland
security.

Grants would fund joint ventures among businesses, academic institutions
or nonprofit groups and other entities that have demonstrated
counterterrorism or homeland security capabilities. The bill authorizes
$25 million for fiscal 2005.
"This program will act as a revolving fund to develop new homeland
security technologies," Collins said in a statement introducing the
bill. "As these technologies are deployed and become profitable, the
businesses that developed them will be required to repay the program for
the amount of the funds. This requirement, which has worked for similar
existing programs, will help sustain the availability of funds for
future funds."

She also said the legislation, which has been referred to the Senate
Governmental Affairs Committee, builds on other international
public/private partnerships. The Maine senator cited the Israel-U.S.
Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, which has
invested $180 million during 27 years in hundreds of projects between
American and Israeli businesses.

"Similar partnerships also exist in the development of agricultural,
defense, telecommunications and other technologies," Collins said in her
statement. "This record demonstrates the potential of a similar
binational foundation in the area of homeland security."

Earlier this year, two House representatives introduced a bill (HR 3871)
earmarking $25 million for research and development of new homeland
security technologies conducted jointly by American and Israeli
companies.

In other news, Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) recently introduced a
bill (HR 4810) that would require that 50 percent of certain DHS grants
earmarked for first responders go directly to local entities.

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/0712/web-bills-07-12-04.asp

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