AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

A container ship passes the New York skyline. Cargo container examination standard operating procedures and a timeline for radiation portal monitors at U.S. ports are part of a new port security bill proposed by two House Republicans.

Two House Republicans yesterday introduced a bill to tighten port
security and create a risk-based funded Port Security Grant Program, legislation
that largely mirrors a bill introduced in the Senate last year.

The Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act would require
the Department of Homeland Security to complete a timeline for deploying
radiation portal monitors at remaining seaports and to establish standard
operating procedures for examining cargo containers. The bill would also require
DHS to establish joint operations centers at seaports bringing together federal,
state, local and private sector partners to coordinate security measures at the
ports and unify response efforts.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-Calif.), chairman of the
House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure
Protection, and Cybersecurity, and Rep. Jane Harman (R-Calif.).

The bill would also authorize DHS to loan detection equipment and provide
training to host nations to effectively examine containers bound for the U.S. It
would also revive the Operation Safe Commerce program at DHS to utilize private
sector initiatives for port and container security.

The legislation introduced in the Senate last year similar to the SAFE
Port Act is the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act. It was introduced by Sen.
Susan Collins (R-Me.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs Committee, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).

[Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]

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