The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has passed broad legislation aimed at implementing unfulfilled recommendations of the 9-11 commission.
Similar to recently approved legislation in the House, a narrowly accepted amendment to the bill offered by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., would extend collective bargaining rights to TSA screeners.
The "Improving America’s Security Act of 2007" includes provisions to increase risk-based homeland security grants to states, and would authorize over $3 billion for each of the next three years to be allocated through grants such as urban area security grants and state homeland security grants, according to a committee statement.
It said the bill would create a dedicated interoperable communications grant program within FEMA to enable first responders from different organizations to talk to each other, and require DHS and the Department of State to step up reporting of lost or stolen passports, require countries to share information on passengers traveling to the US, and set up a system by which individuals would apply online for authorization to enter the US.
The program manager of the information-sharing environment would be made permanent under the act, which the committee said is expected to be taken up by the full Senate soon.
The bill would also create standards for state and local information "fusion centers," assign federal intelligence analysts to them, and create intelligence fellowship programs for state and local officials, the committee said.
It said a privacy and civil liberties oversight board would also be strengthened by giving members fixed terms and requiring Senate confirmation, charging it with keeping the public informed, and giving it the authority to obtain documents and testimony from the government and private sector.