[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15524]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 17, 2009

  Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican 
Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting 
the following information regarding a project that was included at my 
request in H.R. 2892, the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Homeland 
Security appropriations bill:


                       maritime domain awareness

  Account: Homeland Security, Science and Technology, Borders and 
Maritime
  Legal name and address of requesting entity: SRI International, 830 
First Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
  Description of request: $4,000,000 is included in the bill for SRI 
International to continue its work to develop a replicable port 
security system that will be functional in diverse environments which 
include coastal maritime, seaport, island, extreme, and remote 
locations. This project will include the development of pilot test beds 
for use in a shallow and deep water setting. The Department of Homeland 
Security's Science and Technology Directorate has identified a need to 
establish national maritime security technology test bed capability. 
Current test bed operations are conducted at a number of diverse 
facilities that are neither centrally coordinated nor operated under 
uniform standards. With over 95,000 miles of coastline to protect, 
ensuring our nation's maritime security is challenging and requires 
complex technology and knowledgeable oversight. The absence of both a 
recognized test bed capability and effective operations organization 
impacts DHS's ability to: (1) consistently validate security system 
performance; (2) accurately compare and evaluate the effectiveness of 
competing systems and related technologies; (3) minimize biases and 
variables in tests and evaluations, i.e. create and apply uniform 
standards; (4) provide recognized certifying authority; and (5) advance 
new technologies to better protect our homeland. Ultimately, our 
nation's security is compromised without this crucial capability. This 
initiative establishes an independent, objective, entity to test and 
certify technologies for application in deep water, port, and coastal 
environments. The proposed program additionally serves to focus agency 
resource management by: (1) synergizing and minimizing duplicative 
efforts; (2) aligning disparate testing operations; and (3) engaging 
all maritime security stakeholders--local through federal as well as 
commercial through military. SRI International and the University of 
Hawaii have teamed to address the nation's critical port security 
needs. This partnership will create trusted-agent oversight and will 
leverage previous federal infrastructure investment to provide the most 
effective test bed capability at the lowest achievable cost. The 
partnership also provides institutional ties to both the Department of 
Defense and Department of Health and Human Services, thus bridging 
their efforts and providing for uniform, cost-effective maritime 
security solutions.

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