Washington, D.C. -- A Senate Appropriations Subcommittee approved legislation today recommending $29.3 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 chairs the subcommittee.

Senator Cochran said, "The Department of Homeland Security was created to help protect American citizens against terrorists and other threats to our homeland. The funding in this bill will help ensure that the Department has the resources it needs to be successful."

The Subcommittee approved $8 billion for border protection and related activities; including $380 million for improved immigrant status technology; $105.6 million for additional personnel; $119 million for inspection technologies for vehicles and cargo; $61.7 million for the container security initiative; and $257 million for air and marine interdiction.

The legislation provides $5.395 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, including: $1.807 billion for passenger screening; $1.378 billion for baggage screening efforts; $150.1 million for port security grants; $60 million for air cargo security; $10 million for intercity bus security; and $38 million for highway and trucking security.

For the U.S. Coast Guard the bill provides $6.8 billion including: $340 million for defense-related activities and $134 million for Rescue 21 program. In addition, the Subcommittee approved $76 million for the Maritime Safety and Security Teams and $702 million for the Integrated Deepwater Systems program.

The U.S. Secret Service will receive $1.118 billion for fiscal year 2004 operations, including $5 million for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Subcommittee provided $3.6 billion for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate, including: $1.9 billion for disaster relief; $200 million for flood map modernization activities; and $153 million for the emergency food and shelter program, as proposed in the President's budget. In addition, the bill provides continued funding of $165 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 $835.7 million is provided for the following: $98.5 million for cyber security protection; $305.9 million for critical infrastructure and key asset identification, field assessments, and key asset protection implementation; and $155 million for the National Communications System.

The Subcommittee approved $866 million for Science and Technology. These funds include: $440 million for development of nuclear, chemical, biological, and high explosives countermeasures; $70 million for the rapid development and prototyping of homeland security technologies; $18 million for cyber security efforts; $60 million for research, development, and testing of antimissile devices for commercial aircraft; and $55 million for university-based centers of excellence.

The bill provides $3.6 billion for the Office for Domestic Preparedness assistance to "first responders" including police, fire, rescue and other emergency personnel who are first on the scene of a terrorist attack or other emergency, including: $1.25 billion for the Office for Domestic Preparedness basic formula grant program; $500 million for state and local law enforcement terrorism prevention grants; $750 million for high-threat urban areas; $750 million for firefighter grants; and $75 million for a new competitive grant program for training.

The bill will now be considered by the full Appropriations Committee.###