Today, Rep. Clarke’s bill, H.R. 4842, Homeland Security Science and Technology Authorization Act of 2010, passed unanimously out of the House Homeland Security Committee by a vote of 27-0. H.R. 4842 authorizes important management functions and programs within the Department of Homeland Security Science &Technology (S&T) Directorate.

“The bill acknowledges the importance of science and technology research, development, testing, and evaluation in ensuring the safety and security of the American people and our nation,” stated Rep. Clarke. “This bill ensures that the Science and Technology Directorate has the right tools available to be successful. Success in this context means delivering products into the hands of our first responders, law enforcement officials, or critical infrastructure owners to help them achieve their mission and make America more secure.”

This legislation also authorizes critical management functions and programs within S&T, including the Securing the Cities program. The Securing the Cities program provides for a unified strategy for defending against radiological and nuclear threats.

The Committee also passed Rep. Clarke’s amendment, authorizing the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL). As a DHS S&T federal laboratory, NUSTL conducts research, development, testing and evaluation in order to better understand and mitigate current and future homeland security threats.
The NUSTL pilot deployment programs not only transition homeland security technologies from the developing and testing phases to operational field trials, but also provide a critical scientific interface with NYPD, FDNY, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut state police, and a myriad of other local end-users in the field.

“The NUSTL is an important piece of the S&T Directorate’s capabilities, and provides valuable support and interface with urban first responders, not just in New York, but across the country,” stated Rep. Clarke. “As the only New York City Member on the House Homeland Security Committee, I believe that it is important to bolster these security programs to help better protect this nation. I am grateful to the House Homeland Committee for understanding the importance of strengthening the S&T Directorate in DHS.”

###