U.S. House Representative Laura Richardson (D-CA) recently introduced two bills that would expand the ways grantees can use grant money awarded under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Port Security Grant Program (PSGP): H.R. 5802, the Port Security Equipment Act of 2012 and H.R. 5803, the Port Security Boots on the Ground Act.
H.R. 5802 would amend the PSGP authorizing statute to allow funding to be used not only for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of security equipment but also for the replacement of such security equipment. This amendment would certainly make sense as the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) program is now nearly 10 years old and much of the security equipment initially purchased by chemical and petrochemical facilities for MTSA compliance may be outdated and require replacement.