This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FYI
The American Institute of Physics Bulletin of Science Policy News
Number 81: June 26, 2003

House Passes FY 2004 Homeland Security Funding Bill

The House of Representatives has passed the FY 2004 Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.  This measure, H.R. 2555, was
passed on June 24, and includes higher funding for the Science and
Technology budget than that requested by the Bush Administration.

The current budget for Science and Technology - Research,
Development, Acquisition, and Operations is $551.9 million.  The
Administration requested $803.4 million for FY 2004.  The House
approved $900.4 million, an increase of $348.4 million or 63.1%.

There is fairly extensive language regarding science and technology
programs in the accompanying House appropriations committee report,
H. Report 108-169.   In addition to the selections below, the report
contains language regarding Deployment of Radiation Detection
Technologies, Interoperable Public Safety Communications,
Coordination with Other Federal Agencies, Biological
Countermeasures, Nuclear and Radiological Countermeasures, Chemical
and High Explosives Countermeasures, Threat and Vulnerability -
Testing and Assessment, Conventional Missions in Support of the
Department, Standards/State and Local Program, Emerging Threats, and
Critical Infrastructure Protection. The committee report, available
at  http://thomas.loc.gov/ details recommended funding levels for
each of these programs.  Selections from the committee's report
follows:

"MISSION: The mission of Science and Technology is to develop and
deploy cutting edge technologies and new capabilities to secure our
homeland. The program will conduct, stimulate and enable research,
development, test, evaluation, and timely transition of homeland
security capabilities to federal, state, and local operational
end-users. This includes investments in both evolutionary and
revolutionary capabilities with high payoff potential, early
deployment of off-the-shelf technologies to provide initial defense
capability and near-term utilization of emerging technologies to
counter today's terrorist threats, and development of new
capabilities to thwart future and emerging threats."

"As part of the Science and Technology program, the Homeland
Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) will have an
essential role in engaging the private sector, the academic
community, and others in innovative technology development, rapid
prototyping, and prototype systems engineering and development of
new homeland security technologies. A Homeland Security Institute
will also be established for studies and analysis."

"SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES: The Department is directed to
provide a report to the Committee by December 15, 2003, identifying
all research, development, test and evaluation, and standards
development work being performed by Departmental elements other than
the Office of Science and Technology. The report should provide a
brief description of the work being performed, the total estimated
cost, the annual cost, the schedule for completion; and an
explanation of why this work is not being funded in the Science and
Technology program."

"PUBLIC SAFETY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER CENTERS: The Committee is aware
that a critical mission of the Office of Science and Technology is
to identify, research, develop, test and evaluate, and facilitate
the transfer of technologies to enhance the nation's security. To
accomplish this, Science and Technology will establish a number of
centers and institutes to provide these services. The Committee is
also aware there are numerous organizations, agencies, universities,
and others that have the capability to provide a variety of these
services. The Committee encourages Science and Technology to work
with a public safety institute with experience in establishing and
working with public safety-oriented technology centers to serve as a
`hub' for this network and to assist the Department in establishing
the architecture and coordination of the Department's network of
centers."

"RAPID PROTOTYPING PROGRAM/TECHNICAL SUPPORT WORKING GROUP: The
Committee recommends $80,000,000, an increase of $50,000,000 over
the budget request of $30,000,000, for the Rapid Prototyping
Program. Working in partnership with the Technical Support Working
Group, the Department will access the capabilities of private
industry for rapid development and prototyping of technologies. The
Committee strongly supports this effort and has provided an
additional $50,000,000 to encourage and support innovative solutions
to enhance homeland security and engage the private sector in rapid
prototyping of homeland security technologies.

"The Committee has received numerous requests for funding homeland
security research projects and technologies proposed by
universities, national laboratories, not-for-profit institutions,
and private companies. The Committee expects the Department to
identify areas of importance for new homeland security products and
technologies and issue competitive solicitations to provide
additional opportunities for participation by a wide variety of
interested participants.

"The Committee believes that distance learning technologies can be
of great benefit to local first responders, especially rural
communities that may otherwise have difficulties receiving important
information and training. The Committee is aware that the department
is already using distance learning technologies in its agency field
offices and encourages the Department to use this important tool."

"UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS/FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS: The Committee recommends
$35,000,000, an increase of $25,000,000 over the budget request, for
University Program/Fellowship Programs. The Committee has provided
an additional $25,000,000 for university-based centers of
excellence. There has been intense interest from universities with
proposals to perform homeland security activities. This additional
funding will allow the Department to evaluate and fund more
university proposals in fiscal year 2004. In addition to this
program, universities will also have access to specific project
funding in each of the other program areas on a competitive basis.

"Not all funding for universities is included in this account.
Funding for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium and the
Centers for Emergency Preparedness is provided in the Office for
Domestic Preparedness. The Committee expects the Department to
coordinate the university activities conducted by the Office for
Domestic Preparedness with the university centers of excellence in
the Science and Technology program. The Department should report to
the Committee on how these university programs will be coordinated
within the Department to prevent duplication, leverage existing
academic resources, and provide maximum benefit to meet homeland
security needs."

###############
Richard M. Jones
Media and Government Relations Division
The American Institute of Physics
fyi{at}aip.org    http://www.aip.org/gov
(301) 209-3094
##END##########

 - END OF FILE -
==========

@Message posted automagically by IMTHINGS POST 1.30
---