Washington, D.C. -- Senate-House conferees approved legislation today totaling $34.9 billion for the operations and programs of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in fiscal year 2004, according to Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), who chaired the conference.

Senator Cochran said, "This bill funds the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that it can carry out its mission to protect Americans against terrorists and other threats to the security and safety of our nation."

The conferees approved $8 billion for border protection and related activities; including $330 million for improved immigrant status technology; $76 million for additional personnel; $125 million for inspection technologies for vehicles and cargo; $61.7 million for the container security initiative; and $210.2 million for air and marine interdiction.

The legislation provides $4.591 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, including: $1.806 billion for passenger screening; $1.319 billion for baggage screening efforts; $125 million for port security grants; $85 million for air cargo security; $10 million for intercity bus security; and $29 million for highway and trucking security.

For the U.S. Coast Guard the bill provides $6.8 billion, including $668.2 million specifically for the Integrated Deepwater Systems program.

The U.S. Secret Service will receive $1.140 billion for fiscal year 2004 operations, including $5 million for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The conferees provided $9.1 billion for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, including: $180 million for the Emergency Management Performance Grants, a matching grant program that assists States in preparing for and recovering from all types of disasters.

For the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate, $839 million is provided for the following: $98.5 million for cyber security protection; $267.5 million for critical infrastructure and key asset identification, field assessments, and key asset protection implementation; and $141 million for the National Communications System.

The conferees approved $918.2 million for Science and Technology. These funds include: $387 million for development of nuclear, chemical, biological, and high explosives countermeasures; $75 million for the rapid development and prototyping of homeland security technologies; $18 million for cyber security efforts; and $60 million for research, development, and testing of antimissile devices for commercial aircraft.

The conferees approved $70 million in funding for research centers of excellence at colleges and universities.

The bill provides $4.037 billion for the Office for Domestic Preparedness assistance programs for police, fire, rescue and other emergency agencies which are first on the scene of a terrorist attack or other emergency, including: $1.7 billion for the basic formula grant program; $500 million for state and local law enforcement terrorism prevention grants; $725 million for high-threat urban areas; $750 million for firefighter grants; and $60 million for a new competitive grant program for training.

The conference report will now be considered by the Senate and House of Representatives.