[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E703-E707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          LISTING OF CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS INITIATIVES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. C. W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican 
standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting 
the following information regarding projects that were included at my 
request in H.R. 1105, the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act:

       BayCare Health System Electronic Health Record Initiative

       Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, 
     Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: BayCare Health 
     System, 16331 Bay Vista Drive, Clearwater, FL 33760.
       Description of request: $523,000 is included in the bill 
     for BayCare Health System to incorporate a hand held 
     prescription drug order system into its ongoing electronic 
     health record initiative. BayCare will develop a medication 
     order entry project for physicians, which is a sub-component 
     of a much larger Electronic Health Record initiative for 
     BayCare Health System. The demonstration project involves the 
     purchase of application software, installation and training 
     as well as the purchase of handheld devices for the physician 
     and other clinician users of the system. The project is a 
     critical element of the overall Information Services plan for 
     BayCare Health System. This particular patient care clinical 
     information system will significantly assist in accomplishing 
     improvements in the following areas: (1) Real time 
     communication between physicians, hospitals and pharmacies 
     regarding medication orders which will result in the 
     improvements of prescription legibility, dispensing time and 
     a reduction in drug errors; (2) A decrease in adverse events 
     by improved electronic communication and the use of standard 
     formularies; (3) An increase in the efficiency of operations 
     by reducing the costs of consolidating redundant functions 
     and reducing duplicate orders or inappropriate testing; (4) 
     Knowledge at the point of care will improve the patient care 
     experience. Previous funding for BayCare's electronic health 
     record initiative is as follows: FY 2002-$1,000,000, FY 2003-
     $1,000,000, FY 2004-$1,000,000, FY 2005-$1,000,000, FY 2008-
     $341,000.

              Bayfront Medical Center Obstetrical Services

       Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, 
     Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Bayfront 
     Medical Center, 701 Sixth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 
     33701.
       Description of request: $571,000 is included in the bill 
     for Bayfront Hospital to expand the availability of 
     obstetrical services and its Level III neonatal intensive 
     care unit, which will allow for the care of mothers and their 
     babies under the same roof. In 2009, Bayfront Medical Center 
     will open Bayfront Baby Place in the brand-new All Children's 
     Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg. It will feature 13 
     private birthing suites, an eight-bed assessment area, 40-bed 
     postpartum unit, 12-bed ante partum unit, four-room C-section 
     suite with dedicated prep/recovery area and a nursery. Babies 
     needing special care will be transferred to All Children's 
     neonatal intensive care unit. New mothers will be in the same 
     building as their sick babies, separated by a brief elevator 
     ride. Bayfront Baby Place will feature a dedicated entrance 
     for birthing mothers and their families, as well as a skywalk 
     connecting Baby Place with Bayfront's main hospital building. 
     Bayfront delivers more than 3,400 babies annually. Some of 
     those babies need special care after they are born. 
     Currently, they are taken from the hospital's joint team of 
     specialists, through a tunnel that connects the two hospital 
     campuses, to specialized neonatal care at All Children's 
     Hospital. Moving the birthing team and unit on the All 
     Children's campus will put the patient at the middle of this 
     process, enabling families to stay together throughout their 
     time in the hospital. These are the first federal funds 
     provided for this project. Bayfront Hospital will contribute 
     $8,000,000 toward the cost of this project.

             Blind Pass Road Reconstruction, St. Pete Beach

       Account: Federal Highway Administration.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. 
     Pete Beach, 155 Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706.
       Description of request: $175,750 is included in the bill 
     for the city of St. Pete Beach to reconstruct Blind Pass 
     Road. This project will narrow the roadway to provide 
     adequate vehicular access, while installing new sidewalks and 
     bike lanes to greatly enhance the intermodal transportation 
     options available. In addition, it is anticipated that 
     enhanced lighting and landscaping will be installed, as well 
     as various drainage improvement to the area. Blind Pass road 
     is a half-mile segment that provides an alternate route to a 
     state road. This is the first federal funding provided for 
     this project. The city will provide $400,000.

         Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Enhancements

       Account: Federal Transit Administration, Bus and Bus 
     Facilities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. 
     Petersburg, 175 Fifth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
       Description of request: $475,000 is included in the bill 
     for the city of St. Petersburg for the development of a 
     Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit corridor along Central 
     Avenue. The funding will be used for station development, 
     streetscaping, signalization, surface street improvements, 
     and pedestrian connectors. This is the first federal funding 
     provided for this project. The city will provide $100,000.

               Clearwater Downtown Redevelopment Project

       Account: Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
     Economic Development Initiative.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of 
     Clearwater, 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33756.
       Description of request: $237,500 is included in the bill 
     for the City of Clearwater to implement projects that will 
     revitalize downtown Clearwater. These funds will enable the 
     city to undertake Phase 2 of the project and to transform 
     Cleveland Street into a pedestrian friendly area with 
     landscaped sidewalks and medians. The project also includes 
     new benches, trash receptacles, and bike racks. The city will 
     also implement waterfront upland improvements with seawall 
     cap repairs, sidewalk widening, parking lot upgrades and 
     landscaping. The city received $300,000 in appropriations for 
     this project in FY 2008.

                        Egmont Key Stabilization

       Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Investigations.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Tampa Port 
     Authority, P.O. Box 2192, Tampa, FL 33601.
       Description of request: $38,000 is included in the bill to 
     continue work on a feasibility study authorized by the Water 
     Resources and Development Act of 2002 to protect this 
     historic island, which is a National Wildlife Refuge and is 
     listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Egmont 
     Key is a 290 acre island located at the mouth of Tampa Bay 
     that contains a unique collection of natural and cultural 
     resources. The majority of the land is owned by the U.S. Fish 
     and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Tampa Bay 
     Pilots Association own smaller portions of the island. The 
     island and the fortifications on that island have played an 
     important role in the history of Tampa Bay. Tidal action from 
     Tampa Bay waters is threatening the historic fort and gun 
     emplacements located on the western shore. The purpose of the 
     feasibility study is to determine a long-term strategy for 
     protecting the beach and restoring the shoreline. Previous 
     funding in the amount of $916,900 has been provided for this 
     project through FY 2008.

    Florida Cancer Clinical Trial Patient/Physician Information and 
                           Education Project

       Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, 
     Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: University of 
     South Florida, College of Education, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, 
     Tampa, FL 33620.
       Description of request: $190,000 is included in the bill 
     for the Florida Cancer Clinical Trial Patient/Physician 
     Information and Education Project sponsored by the University 
     of South Florida. This program has developed continuing 
     education and databases for the public on clinical trials for 
     cancer treatments focusing on the nature of clinical trials 
     and how patients might benefit, what trials are being 
     conducted in Florida, the criteria for participation, and 
     contact information. It also has developed an interactive web 
     based program that lists all current cancer clinical trials 
     and allows patients to determine programs for which they 
     might be eligible. Further, it allows patients to share this 
     information with their physicians. Previous funding was 
     provided for this project as follows: FY 2004-$500,000, FY 
     2005-$500,000, FY 2008-$536,000.

Florida Regional Community Policing Institute at St. Petersburg College

       Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 
     Byrne Discretionary Grants.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: St. Petersburg 
     College, 3200 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711.
       Description of request: $400,000 is included in the bill to 
     allow the Florida Regional Community Policing Institute at 
     St. Petersburg College to continue providing, for the 
     Department of Justice, low- and no-cost training and 
     technical assistance to public safety professionals and the 
     people of the communities they serve throughout the nation. 
     This institute has assisted youth, volunteers, city and state 
     employees, community colleges, social service agencies, and 
     community leaders on public safety issues important to their 
     communities. The Department of Justice has asked the 
     institute to develop training materials in areas such as 
     Human Trafficking, Gangs, School Violence, Methamphetamine 
     Labs, Law Enforcement Suicide, Counter-Terrorism Awareness, 
     Community Policing, Offender Re-Entry, Workplace and Domestic 
     Violence, Diversity, Ethics, Problem Solving, and Citizens 
     Police Academies. Over the past 10 years, the institute has 
     delivered training to more than 75,000 participants 
     representing 870 different agencies by customizing 
     curriculum, developing web and CD courses, and providing on-

[[Page E704]]

     line registration. No previous funding has been provided to 
     the institute.

 Great Explorations, The Children's Museum, Services for At-Risk Youth

       Account: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Office 
     of Museum and Library Services, Grants and Administration.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Great 
     Explorations, The Children's Museum, 1925 Fourth Street 
     North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704.
       Description of Request: $95,000 is included in the bill for 
     Great Explorations, the Children's Museum, for the 
     development of ``The Urban Youth Leadership Institute of 
     Florida.'' This institute will increase the museum's capacity 
     to strengthen communities by providing services to vulnerable 
     children and families throughout the Central Florida region 
     by providing a safe place to gather for early education, 
     marketable vocational skills, mentoring, a healthy start, 
     structured activities and a chance to give back through 
     community service. Great Explorations offers unique academic 
     and leadership initiatives to engage thousands of the most 
     vulnerable youth each year to discontinue the generational 
     pattern of low-income youth living in and depending on 
     programs such as housing assistance from the U.S. Housing and 
     Urban Development Department. These programs are based on 
     national models implemented by Great Explorations Children's 
     Museum's leaders for more than 65 museums throughout the 
     nation in partnership with multiple community-based 
     organizations also serving our most vulnerable youth and 
     families, including local housing authorities. The goal of 
     these partnerships continues to be the implementation of 
     extensive leadership development programs that have led to 
     proven methods for ensuring a higher income and educational 
     experiences for thousands of youth. This is the first federal 
     funding provided for this project.

       Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services Community Care Facility

       Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, 
     Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Gulf Coast 
     Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 
     33760.
       Description of request: $190,000 is included in the bill 
     for Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services to consolidate its 
     operations into one facility to increase the number of 
     patients served, enhance patient privacy, provide a more 
     seamless system of care, and reduce overhead costs. Gulf 
     Coast serves more than 50,000 at-risk children, youth, 
     adults, and elderly. This is the first federal funding 
     provided for this project.

  Intracoastal Waterway Operation and Maintenance from Calddsahatchee 
                         River to Anclote River

       Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and 
     Maintenance.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: West Coast 
     Inland Navigation District, P.O. Box 1845, Venice, FL 34284.
       Description of request: $2,076,000 is included in the bill 
     for the maintenance dredging of sections of the Intracoastal 
     Waterway through six Florida counties, including Pinellas 
     County. The 1945 Rivers and Harbors Act authorized the 
     Intracoastal Waterway to be maintained at a width of 100-
     feet, and a depth of nine-feet between the mouth of the 
     Caloosahatchee River, near Ft. Myers, and the Anclote River, 
     north of Tampa. The channel runs through six counties 
     (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and 
     Lee) and links natural deep-water sections of bays through a 
     series of man-made channels, thereby providing for the safe 
     passage of commercial goods and access to commercial fishing 
     grounds. Dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway commenced in 
     1960 and was completed in 1967, at which time the West Coast 
     Inland Navigation District began maintenance activities. This 
     funding will support maintenance dredging for Longboat Pass 
     (Manatee County), Venice Inlet (Sarasota County), mouth of 
     Caloosahatchee River (Miserable Mile in Lee County), the Boca 
     Grande Bayou area (Miller's Marina in Lee County), and a 
     section of the Intracoastal Waterway in Pinellas County just 
     north of the Tampa Bay port shipping channel. Previous 
     funding totaling $1,400,000 was included in FY 2004 and FY 
     2005 for the design, engineering, and permitting for this 
     project and $1,215,000 was included in FY 2008 for the 
     initial dredging of this waterway.

National Clearing House for Science, Technology, and the Law at Stetson 
                       University College of Law

       Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 
     Byrne Discretionary Grants.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Stetson 
     University College of Law, 1401 61st Street South, Gulfport, 
     FL 33707.
       Description of request: $400,000 is included in the bill 
     for the National Clearing House for Science, Technology, and 
     the Law at Stetson University College of Law to build and 
     maintain the world's only searchable comprehensive 
     bibliography on law, science, and technology. This database 
     contains court decisions and commentary, scholarly 
     publications, commercial applications, professional 
     associations and institutions, and other resources about 
     traditional and new forensic topics, such as Identity Theft, 
     Intra and Interstate Tracking of Sexual Predators, Canine 
     Sniff Detection, and Less Lethal Technologies. It contains 18 
     resource categories for each of 33 topics in science and 
     technology. At present, it contains more than 65,000 records, 
     and more than 1,500 entries a month are added. Visitors from 
     more than 110 countries have visited the site. In addition, 
     comprehensive Cold Case and Identifying the Missing resources 
     have recently been added to the site. No other such national 
     resource exists. The online database also includes a 
     quarterly newsletter which focuses on the latest topics such 
     as Methamphetamine, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Cyber Forensics, 
     Post-Conviction DNA Testing, Bioterror and the Physician, and 
     Virtual Autopsies. Funding will also enable Stetson to 
     continue building an important reference collection of law, 
     science, and technology material to meet the needs of law 
     enforcement personnel, legal professionals, crime lab 
     personnel, national security professionals, medical 
     examiners, and public health professionals. These professions 
     face challenges due to a lack of access to information 
     regarding new areas of science and technology. The 
     Clearinghouse reference collection allows access via 
     interlibrary loan to physical materials not readily available 
     at local libraries. Important forensic science collections 
     are being donated to the clearinghouse on a regular basis for 
     use by these professionals. Stetson will use this funding for 
     two new initiatives. The first is the development of training 
     modules and primers to be made available through distance 
     education technology. These cross-disciplinary modules will 
     focus on training scientists in the complex workings of the 
     legal system. They also provide lawyers with much needed 
     education in various scientific and technological 
     disciplines. Law 101 will focus on testimony skills for 
     expert witnesses, scientists and law enforcement personnel. 
     The primers, written by lawyers, scientists, and educators, 
     will cover the basic elements of a science or technology and 
     principles of law. They will provide practical advice 
     regarding motions in limine, locating and qualifying an 
     expert, direct and cross-examination of the expert, and legal 
     issues that arise in such cases. The second initiative will 
     be to support the federal DNA initiative. The goal of this 
     project is to provide training about the applications and 
     limitations of DNA evidence to defense counsel handling cases 
     involving biological evidence, as stated in the President's 
     DNA Initiative. To achieve this goal, the Clearinghouse is 
     working closely with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 
     and an expert Advisory Group to develop training that will 
     provide defense attorneys with the general knowledge of the 
     uses of DNA evidence in judicial proceedings as it pertains 
     to discovery and ethics, proper closing arguments, case 
     assessment, etc. The training will complement other forensic 
     DNA evidence resources developed by NIJ, such as the 
     ``Officers of the Court'' CD-ROM, which provides a 
     foundational understanding of the science, technology, 
     statistics, and other non-advocacy topics. Training will 
     occur across the country and will incorporate ``Train the 
     Trainer'' sessions to further broaden outreach efforts. 
     Previous funding has been provided to Stetson for the 
     National Clearinghouse in the following amounts: FY 2003-
     $1,768,430, FY 2004-$2,968,432, FY 2005-$2,959,930, FY 06-
     $1,682,119.

              National Forensic Science Technology Center

       Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 
     Byrne Discretionary Grants.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: The National 
     Forensic Science Technology Center, 7881 114th Avenue North, 
     Largo, FL 33773.
       Description of request: $1,750,000 is included in the bill 
     for the National Forensic Science and Training Center 
     (NFSTC), which is a Department of Justice-selected Forensic 
     Technology Center of Excellence. With these funds, the NFSTC 
     will continue to provide for the Office of Justice Programs 
     an assessment program to audit the capabilities and quality 
     of DNA laboratories throughout the United States which 
     receive agency funding. NFSTC not only assists laboratories 
     in improving their performance in DNA analysis, but also 
     provides grant recipients with an objective review of their 
     use of federal funds. Previous funding has been provided to 
     NFSTC, which employs 34 people in Pinellas County, Florida, 
     in the following amounts: FY 2000-$1,899,822, FY 2001-
     $2,594,280, FY 2002-$8,500,000, FY 2003-$2,980,000, FY 2004-
     $1,978,000, FY 2005-$1,973,286, FY 2007-$1,973,286, FY 2008-
     $2,030,400.

  National Terrorism Preparedness Institute at St. Petersburg College

       Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 
     Byrne Discretionary Grants.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: St. Petersburg 
     College, 3200 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711.
       Description of request: $800,000 is included in the bill 
     for the National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI) at 
     St. Petersburg College, for training support programs for law 
     enforcement and other emergency responders through the rapid 
     research, development, and delivery of customized anti-
     terrorism training and professional development materials and 
     scenario models. NTPI seeks to deliver the highest quality 
     content and instructional technology delivery systems to meet 
     the unique training needs and time constraints of the 
     trainees. These materials are delivered through traditional 
     classroom training or distance learning technologies and the 
     topics are determined by

[[Page E705]]

     and based on the needs of the Departments of Justice and 
     Homeland Security. Areas that have been covered in the past 
     include implementation of the National Infrastructure 
     Protection Plan, expanding regional collaboration, 
     implementation of the National Infrastructure Protection 
     Plan, strengthening information sharing and collaboration 
     capabilities, and enhancing Chemical, Biological, 
     Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive detection, response, and 
     decontamination capabilities.

                 Pinellas County Beach Erosion Control

       Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, 
     Clearwater, FL 33756.
       Description of request: $6,699,000 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners to 
     continue the Pinellas County beach erosion control program. 
     The Pinellas County program was first authorized by Congress 
     in 1966 and reauthorized in 1976 and has provided 
     immeasurable storm protection and recreation benefits to 
     Pinellas County residents and visitors. These funds will be 
     used for the regularly scheduled renourishment and 
     restoration of beaches at Treasure Island and Long Key. The 
     federal and state/local cost sharing averages 60/40 under the 
     current authorization. The combined state and local share of 
     this project will be an estimated $4,700,000. With the funds 
     appropriated in this bill, the total federal funds 
     appropriated for the Pinellas County Beach Erosion Control 
     Project will be $90,815,404 since Fiscal Year 1986.

            Pinellas County Ex-Offender Re-Entry Initiative

       Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 
     Byrne Discretionary Grants.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, 
     Clearwater, FL 33756.
       Description of request: $300,000 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners to 
     establish an ex-offender re-entry initiative. This funding 
     will enhance the services provided by a collaboration of 
     Pinellas County justice and consumer services departments and 
     other non-profit organizations to better enable the 
     reintegration of ex-offenders as productive members of their 
     communities and prevent recidivism. The Pinellas County Ex-
     Offender Re-Entry Program will provide a spectrum of services 
     to individuals released from incarceration that address the 
     unique needs of ex-offenders to assist their transition to a 
     stable, drug and crime-free, productive life within the 
     community, such as: (1) job training and employment 
     placement; (2) housing assistance; (3) filling literacy and 
     education gaps; (4) substance abuse and mental health 
     counseling; (5) healthcare; (6) legal assistance; and (7) 
     providing basic needs such as food and clothing. The county 
     estimates that the funding will enable the program to reach 
     7,500 to 10,000 ex-offenders. Federal programs, specifically 
     those administered by the Department of Justice, have 
     increasingly focused support toward offender reentry and 
     recidivism prevention programs, particularly regional and 
     interagency efforts to deliver comprehensive and coordinated 
     interventions across housing, workforce, and social services. 
     The Pinellas County Ex-Offender Re-Entry Initiative reduces 
     recidivism through targeted intervention and rehabilitation 
     services, which are aimed to improve employment outcomes for 
     ex-offenders and direct them toward a productive and self-
     sufficient lifestyle. The Pinellas County jail manages over 
     54,000 criminal bookings per year, with an average daily jail 
     population of approximately 3,600 individuals. Over 7,000 
     sentenced inmates re-enter society in Pinellas County each 
     year. Additionally, over 2,000 inmates from the Department of 
     Corrections come into Pinellas County per year after serving 
     a sentence in the State prison system. Recidivism rates in 
     Pinellas County are 60-70 percent for those coming from the 
     state system and 50-60 percent for those coming from the 
     county system. This is the first federal funding provided for 
     this project. Pinellas County will provide a $270,000 match.

    Pinellas County Regional Urban Sustainability Demonstration and 
                           Education Facility

       Account: Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and 
     Renewable Energy Projects.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, 
     Clearwater, FL 33756.
       Description of request: $475,750 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for the 
     construction of a regional facility to provide a 
     demonstration of green building techniques, alternative 
     energy initiatives and technologies, and reduced energy 
     consumption. Educational workshops available to the general 
     public also will be taught at the facility by university 
     representative and other experts in energy efficiency and 
     urban sustainability. A partnership among Pinellas County, 
     the University of Florida, Tampa Bay Builders Association, 
     and the Council for Sustainable Florida, the facility's 
     programmatic elements will encourage Leadership in Energy and 
     Environmental Design (LEED) development practices and 
     showcase green building techniques and sustainable resources 
     implementation. Located on the campus of the Pinellas County 
     Extension Service in Largo, the facility will serve the 
     nearly 1,000,000 residents of Pinellas County, and more from 
     surrounding counties, as an energy efficient model for future 
     development in the region and a training demonstration site 
     for area builders on how to build to green building 
     standards. The Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and 
     Renewable Energy account funds project by municipalities, 
     universities, and other entities to test and implement 
     solutions for alternative energy and conservation. This 
     program will equip builders and individuals throughout the 
     Central Florida region with knowledge to meet the nationally 
     accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and 
     operation of high-performance green buildings. This is the 
     first federal funding provided for this project.

  Pinellas County Sheriff, Criminal Intelligence Gathering Technology

       Account: Department of Justice, COPS Law Enforcement 
     Technology.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Sheriff, 10750 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33778.
       Description of request: $100,000 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County Sheriff to acquire high-technology 
     intelligence gathering equipment and a vehicle for 
     intelligence gathering operations. The equipment would be 
     used in counter terrorism and traditional crime control and 
     public safety operations. Because the Sheriff is a part of a 
     number of regional and state task forces, this equipment 
     would be used by Criminal Intelligence Section detectives 
     assigned to the Regional Domestic Security Task Force, the 
     Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Florida Intelligence 
     Unit. This is the first federal funding provided for this 
     project.

        Pinellas County Sheriff, Joint-Use Outdoor Firing Range

       Account: Department of Justice, COPS Law Enforcement 
     Technology.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Sheriff, 10750 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33778.
       Description of request: $500,000 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County Sheriff to develop an outdoor firing 
     range for joint use by local, state, and federal agencies, 
     including military and federal law enforcement personnel. The 
     demonstrated need for such a range is the result of a survey 
     of these agencies, including DEA, U.S. Marshal, U.S. Secret 
     Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, U.S. Coast 
     Guard, Florida National Guard, U.S. Air Force, NCIS, and U.S. 
     Marine Corps which found that these agencies lack sufficient 
     outdoor facilities to practice and qualify for firearms 
     proficiency. The Pinellas County Board of County 
     Commissioners has provided $500,000 to complete pre-
     construction requirements including architectural services; 
     civil engineering; environmental site assessment; structural 
     engineering; mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering; 
     site surveying and geotechnical testing. This is the first 
     federal funding provided for this project.

 St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Terminal Improvements

       Account: Federal Aviation Administration, Grants-in-Aid for 
     Airports.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, 
     Clearwater, FL 33756.
       Description of request: $831,250 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners for 
     terminal improvements at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater 
     International Airport. Federal funding will support terminal 
     improvements to the aging and obsolete terminal building at 
     the airport. Improvements will address structural problems 
     and requirements needed to accommodate significant airline 
     growth. Specific projects identified include the addition of 
     two passenger loading bridges and related structural 
     retrofits to enable use, expansion of existing terminal gate 
     hold rooms, reconfiguration of security checkpoints, 
     ticketing area conversions, build-out of new post-security 
     amenities and concession space, and the replacement of a 
     failing chiller unit. This is the first federal funding 
     provided for this project. Pinellas County will contribute 
     $750,000.

    St. Petersburg College Healthcare Informatics Workforce Training

       Account: Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement 
     of Postsecondary Education.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: St. Petersburg 
     College, 6021 142nd Avenue North, Clearwater, FL 33760.
       Description of request: $95,000 is included in the bill for 
     the St. Petersburg College to create a course of study in the 
     area of health care informatics that will meet the needs of 
     the health care industry as it transitions to a system of 
     electronic medical records. The college will develop a new 
     postsecondary health care informatics curriculum, curricular 
     units for secondary students, faculty development, and the 
     marketing materials to recruit high school students and 
     college students into health care informatics careers. The 
     new courses will be designed for on-line learning but they 
     will also be able to be delivered in a blended instructor-led 
     format. Current health care employees will be able to receive 
     individualized or group instruction and with the training 
     will be able to move from entry-level jobs to increasingly 
     responsible positions. A web portal will

[[Page E706]]

     also be developed to serve as a source of information about 
     health informatics, the college's certificate and degree 
     programs, and related career and training opportunities. 
     Youth will also learn about health care informatics through a 
     structured high school outreach program and through in-school 
     job and career presentations by college faculty. In addition, 
     an online competency-based Introduction to Health Care 
     Informatics tutorial will also be available free of charge to 
     anyone interested in learning about health care informatics. 
     Finally, an annual Health Care Informatics Symposium will 
     bring nationally known subject matter experts to the region 
     and provide a health care informatics forum for communication 
     industry representatives, secondary and postsecondary 
     faculty, and students. This is the first federal funding 
     provided for this project.

        St. Petersburg College Orthotics and Prosthetics Program

       Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, 
     Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: St. Petersburg 
     College, 6021 142nd Avenue North, Clearwater, FL 33760.
       Description of request: $476,000 is included in the bill 
     for the St. Petersburg College to expand its Bachelors Degree 
     program in the study of Orthotics and Prosthetics to meet the 
     nationwide shortage of professionals in this field. At 
     present, there are only four baccalaureate programs and five 
     certificate programs to train orthotists and prosthetists in 
     the United States. St. Petersburg College has the only 
     program in the Southeastern United States. The St. Petersburg 
     College is working to increase the availability of Orthotics 
     and Prosthetics education by seeking partnerships with other 
     colleges within the state of Florida and the Southeast. This 
     will include developing and offering courses on-line and 
     through distance learning. St. Petersburg College also will 
     use these funds to host continuing education for 
     practitioners already in the field. The goal is to increase 
     the number of professionals in the field to meet the growing 
     need of service members and civilians. This is the first 
     federal funding provided for this project. St. Petersburg 
     College will provide an $800,000 match.

                   St. Petersburg Solar Pilot Project

       Account: Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and 
     Renewable Energy Projects.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. 
     Petersburg, 175 Fifth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
       Description of request: $1,427,250 is included in the bill 
     for the City of St. Petersburg to develop and implement a 
     renewable and sustainable solar energy network to provide the 
     electricity required to power 40 city parks. Through a 
     collaboration with Progress Energy Florida and the University 
     of South Florida Center for Utility Exploration, the city 
     will be able to remove all of these parks from the city's 
     power grid. This will demonstrate how the city can reduce 
     peak demand at power generation facilities, reduce greenhouse 
     gas emissions and the dependence on foreign oil. The City of 
     St. Petersburg is uniquely situated to exploit cheap, clean 
     renewable solar power and is committed to utilize the 
     limitless resource to go solar at all of its City parks and 
     eventually all operating facilities. This is the first 
     federal funding provided for this project. The city of St. 
     Petersburg will provide a $500,000 match.

                     Steps to a Healthier Pinellas

       Account: Centers for Disease Control, Health Promotion.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Schools, 301 4th Street S.W., Largo, FL 33770.
       Description of request: $190,000 is included in the bill 
     for the Pinellas County School System to provide nutrition 
     education, asthma and diabetes, staff wellness and family 
     weight management programs for its students. Steps to a 
     Healthier Pinellas will require physical fitness assessments 
     for all students enrolled in physical education classes. 
     Proposed activities will be aligned to the recommendations 
     produced by the Governor's Council for Physical Fitness and 
     have been highlighted as best practices in the State of 
     Florida. This is the first federal funding provided for this 
     project. The school system will provide a $164,000 match.

        Stetson University College of Law Elder Justice Program

       Account: Administration on Aging, Aging Services Programs.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Stetson 
     University College of Law, 1401 61st Street South, Gulfport, 
     FL 33707.
       Description of request: $95,000 is included for the Stetson 
     University College of Law to establish a pilot program to 
     determine the most effective way to educate seniors about 
     mortgage fraud and other financial scams. Through Stetson's 
     Elder Justice Resource Center, this program will focus on 
     ways to communicate with seniors about the inherent dangers 
     from unsolicited offers for home refinancing, reverse 
     mortgages, consumer goods, and financial opportunities. 
     Communications strategies will include a telephone hotline, a 
     web site, onsite visits to senior centers, retirement homes, 
     libraries, clubs, and other places that seniors gather. This 
     is the first federal funding provided for this project. 
     Stetson will match these funds with $100,000.

                   Tampa Bay Watch Education Building

       Account: Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
     Economic Development Initiative.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Tampa Bay 
     Watch, 3000 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, FL 33715.
       Description of request: $237,500 is included in the bill 
     for Tampa Bay Watch for the construction of an education 
     building to expand its capacity to hold education and 
     restoration workshops for students and families. Tampa Bay 
     Watch is a community based habitat restoration and education 
     program that has helped bring back to life the waters of 
     Tampa Bay and its surrounding tributaries. It has mobilized 
     more than 65,000 volunteers in what is the first 
     environmental organization of its kind in the Southeastern 
     United States. Tampa Bay Watch's staff and volunteers 
     coordinate a variety of coastal restoration events throughout 
     the year such as salt marsh plantings, oyster dome and reef 
     construction, coastal cleanups and storm drain markings. One 
     of Tampa Bay Watch's greatest assets is its education 
     programs which support year-round school field trips, summer 
     camp programs, and community groups. More than 180 field 
     trips have been held there during which 3,000 students 
     contributed 14,600 hours to learn about and help restore 
     Tampa Bay.

  Tampa Port Planning, Engineering and Design for future requirements

       Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Tampa Port 
     Authority, P.O. Box 2192, Tampa, FL 33601.
       Description of request: $478,000 is included in the bill 
     for the continued planning, engineering, and design for a 
     project to widen and deepen the Tampa shipping channel to 
     allow for the safer passage of shipping traffic and to 
     accommodate larger ships requiring a deeper draft. The Army 
     Corps of Engineers completed a draft General Reevaluation 
     Report (GRR) in 2008 which focuses on traffic congestion in 
     the main Tampa Harbor channel where extensive delays occur 
     due to lack of adequate channel width. The 40 mile main 
     federal channel handles traffic in and out of the entire 
     Tampa Bay federal port system for the Ports of Tampa, Manatee 
     and St. Petersburg. The ship channel is too narrow to allow 
     for safe two way vessel traffic due to the introduction of 
     new longer and broader cruise ships. The impacts associated 
     with having a restriction of this nature include vessels 
     waiting at berth or at the sea buoy while large cruise ships 
     transit the channel. The GRR concurs with the Tampa Port 
     Authority and the port community that the resulting 
     congestion causes safety hazards and economic inefficiencies 
     and recommends widening select portions of the main channel. 
     The GRR finds that vessel operation costs would be reduced, 
     resulting in transportation cost savings, increased harbor 
     safety and reduced cargo delivery delays. In addition, the 
     continued reevaluation of the needs in the Tampa Harbor is 
     necessary, to include deepening, in order to facilitate 
     anticipated growth in trade as the Port of Tampa continues 
     its steady growth and diversification. As Florida's largest 
     cargo port, the Port of Tampa handles approximately 50 
     million tons of cargo per year. The Port of Tampa is also the 
     largest economic engine in West Central Florida and the 
     nation's 14th largest port in terms of short tons. The Port 
     of Tampa generates an annual economic impact of almost $8 
     billion on the region which includes the contribution of over 
     $570 million annually in state and local taxes. This project 
     is authorized by three separate federal statutes: The Energy 
     and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2004 (P.L. 108-
     137); The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 
     2005 (P.L. 108-447); and the Water Resources Development Act 
     of 2007 (P.L. 110-114). Previous funding for this project has 
     been provided as follows: FY 2008-$133,000, FY 2004-
     $2,500,000, FY 2003-$200,000, FY 2002-$500,000, FY 2001-
     $300,000.

          Treasure Island Wastewater and Sewer System Upgrade

       Account: Environmental Protection Agency, State and Tribal 
     Assistance Grants Infrastructure Grants.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of 
     Treasure Island, 120 108th Avenue, Treasure Island, FL 33706.
       Description of request: $500,000 is included in the bill 
     for the city of Treasure Island to upgrade its wastewater and 
     sewer system. With these funds, the city will purchase an 
     emergency generator and pump motor controls. The city will 
     also reline water pipes and repair manholes. Failure to 
     complete these necessary wastewater infrastructure upgrades 
     in a timely manner will expose the Gulf of Mexico and Boca 
     Ciega Bay waters to undesirable pollutants and threaten the 
     economic viability of this resort area. Previous 
     appropriations for this project total $1,250,000.

         Tropical and SubTropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR)

       Account: Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State 
     Research, Education, and Extension Service, Research and 
     Education Activities.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: The University 
     of Florida, 226 Tigert Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611.
       Description of request: $6,677,000 is included in the bill 
     for Tropical and SubTropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR) at 
     the Universities of Florida and Hawaii to address the problem 
     of exotic pests and other tropical and subtropical problems 
     in America's Caribbean and Pacific Basins. The

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     major goal of the T-STAR program is to develop strategies and 
     tactics to stem the invasion of exotic diseases, insects, and 
     weeds into the United States. The recent introduction of 
     asian soybean rust into the United States, along with the 
     increasing threat of avian influenza and foot-and-mouth 
     disease entering the country, heightens the possibility of a 
     terrorist-induced attack on the nation's food supply. There 
     is an urgent need to identify exotic pests in other countries 
     with which the United States maintains frequent and extensive 
     trade and travel in order to: (1) determine potential avenues 
     for the introduction of these pests into the United States, 
     (2) develop technologies for the early detection of these 
     pests, (3) find effective and environmentally acceptable 
     methods for the eradication and containment of these pests if 
     they enter the United States. Under the T-STAR program, 
     scientists aggressively protect the nation against the 
     growing environmental and economic threat of invasive exotic 
     pests. The Universities of Florida and Hawaii represent 
     important agricultural states which are prime locations for 
     the introduction of exotic pests from other parts of the 
     world. Previous funding has been provided by the Department 
     of Agriculture for T-STAR in the following amounts: FY 2001-
     $3,800,000, FY 2002-$3,800,000, FY 2003-$9,000,000, FY 2004-
     $9,000,000, FY 2005-$9,400,000, FY 2006-$9,500,000, FY 2008-
     $7,400,000.

                         U.S. 19 at Enterprise

       Account: Federal Highway Administration.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas 
     County Metropolitan Organization, 600 Cleveland Street, Suite 
     750, Clearwater, FL 33755.
       Description of request: $855,000 is included in the bill to 
     continue work on a controlled access project at U.S. 19 and 
     Enterprise Road in Clearwater. With federal, state, and local 
     funds, the Pinellas Metropolitan Organization has been 
     converting U.S. 19 from an arterial roadway into a controlled 
     access roadway. The 1.3 mile Enterprise Road segment is the 
     last remaining grade level interchange. Once complete, there 
     will be 11.2 miles of controlled access, with no traffic 
     signals, between 118th Avenue in mid-Pinellas County north to 
     State Road 580 in north Pinellas County. U.S. 19 is a 
     Regional Emergency Evacuation Route used by an average of 
     90,000 vehicles per day. Previous federal funding, provided 
     in FY 2001 in the amount of $4,000,000, was used for 
     preliminary engineering and grade separated design. The 
     Florida Department of Transportation will provide $17 million 
     toward the completion of this project.

          WorkNet Pinellas Employed Worker Retraining Program

       Account: Department of Labor, Employment and Training 
     Administration, Training & Employment Services.
       Legal name and address of requesting entity: WorkNet 
     Pinellas, 13805 58th Street North, Suite 2140, Clearwater, FL 
     33760.
       Description of request: $95,000 is included in the bill for 
     WorkNet Pinellas to conduct an employer-focused training 
     program for workers to train them in new fields and new 
     technologies. WorkNet will solicit technological training 
     shortfalls from Pinellas County manufacturers. Through 
     consultation with the employers and the local Economic 
     Development Council, WorkNet will certify the validity of the 
     training needs and prepare a training plan based on the 
     employers' technology usage. Through its training partners, 
     Pinellas Technical Education Centers and St. Petersburg 
     College, WorkNet will identify the training resources 
     available and submit the plan to the employer for approval 
     and agreement. The employer will be expected to contribute at 
     least half of the cost of the training program and consent to 
     meeting the training goals within a specified timeline. This 
     project will be based firmly on the skill needs of the 
     employer and will result in a more highly skilled workforce 
     whose members can continue to progress in their careers. 
     Another clear objective of this program will be to allow the 
     employers to remain competitive in the global economic market 
     without having to relocate or farm-out any of their 
     production. The goal of the program is to training 1,200 
     workers from at least 15 employers. This is the first federal 
     funding provided for this project.

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