Site Map - Maritime Security

09/24/2007 - Two cargo security bills (S. 2459 and H.R. 4954) are pending in Congress. The two are companion bills. Lawmakers are expected to merge the two into a single bill. S. 2459, the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act, has been approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and has been taken up by the Senate. The bill would establish a program to certify all supply chain participants to increase security. The bill would also set minimum security standards for all cargo containers entering the United States and create a joint operations center to coordinate maritime commerce at a federal level. H.R. 4954, also referred to as the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act, or the SAFE Port Act, has been approved by the House and has now been taken up by the Senate. The bill would establish security standards for cargo containers and require nuclear and radiological detection screening at all U.S. seaports. The bill would also provide an extra $400 million annually in port security grants.

09/21/2007 - A report released by the Department of Justice criticizes the FBI’s efforts to protect the nation’s ports and recommends written threat assessments.

09/19/2007 - Approximately 95 percent of U.S. trade enters or leaves through the nation’s 361 seaports. Despite renewed attention on ports, security efforts continue to fall short of stated government goals.

09/19/2007 - The Coast Guard has issued an interim rule that will include several new items in the definition of "dangerous cargo."

09/06/2007 - The Puget Sound in Washington state and waterways in San Diego will be the test sites for a new Department of Homeland Security pilot program to test small vessels for radiological devices and materials.