House Passes Garbarino’s Homeland Security Legislation

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act, introduced by Congressman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02). A member of the House Homeland Security Committee, this is Congressman Garbarino’s first sponsored piece of legislation to pass the House floor.

The Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act establishes periods of performance for the use of public transportation security access funds. Additionally, the bill allows such grants provided for operational purposes to be used to backfill positions when employees attend security training.

“Whether it’s bus systems, ferries, or passenger rail, the Transit Security Grant Program provides needed funds to transit agencies to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism,” said Garbarino. “With billions of riders using surface transportation annually, and limited security screening, it should come as no surprise that surface transportation has been and continues to be a terror target.”

Created after the 9/11 Commission, the Transit Security Grant Program provides funding to eligible public transportation systems to protect critical transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from terrorism, and to increase transportation infrastructure resilience.

“I’m proud to lead this effort to provide flexibility to these transportation security assistance grants, which will directly help the New York Police Department, MTA Police, and the Port Authority of NY and NJ Police Department, ultimately bolstering our critical transportation infrastructure’s ability to thwart terrorism and future attacks,” Garbarino said. “I’d like to thank Ranking Member John Katko, Chairman Bennie Thompson, and colleagues from both sides of the aisle for supporting my bill and I now call on my colleagues in the Senate to do the same.”