releases: https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-carter-praises-house-passage-securing-cities-improvement-act
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-carter-praises-house-passage-securing-cities-improvement-act | Rep. Carter Praises House Passage of Securing the Cities Improvement Act | 2024-03-05 | 2024 | 2024-03 | Democrat | House | LA | Troy A. Carter | C001125 | troycarter.house.gov | troycarter | https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-L.A.) praised House passage of his bill H.R. 4403, the Securing the Cities Improvement Act. This bill would ensure stability within the Securing the Cities (STC) program and partnerships with at-risk cities. “My bill will help cities build and maintain their security capabilities against nuclear or radiological threats,” said Rep. Carter. “It offers a more targeted and effective approach to national security preparedness and response. This shows that we're serious about protecting our communities from dangerous threats. I look forward to working with my colleagues to guarantee that programs like STC will continue to be fully operational.” The Securing the Cities Improvement Act would allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) to determine which cities to partner with for the STC program based on the jurisdiction's capability and capacity to prepare for and respond to threats or vulnerabilities against a terrorist attack and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials. It would also establish performance metrics and milestones for the STC program and monitor expenditures for the program. Furthermore, this legislation would require DHS to provide a report to Congress regarding participation in the STC program, the establishment of metrics and milestones for the program, and plans for any changes to the program. “It is imperative that we, as a nation, secure our cities and other vulnerable communities against mass destruction threats,” said Rep. Higgins. “This includes New Orleans and the surrounding communities, which are critical to our nation’s energy and economic security. I commend my Louisiana colleague, Congressman Troy Carter, for his leadership on this bill.” “The passage of this legislation is critical for sustaining our preparedness and ensuring the safety of our nation against terrorism,” said Ranking Member Thompson. “This bill will provide improvements to the Securing the Cities program and bolster local jurisdictions' ability to combat chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. I thank Congressman Carter for introducing this bipartisan legislation and for his leadership on this issue.” Background The STC Initiative was launched by the Department of Homeland Security in Fiscal Year 2007 as a pilot program to support New York City, Jersey City, and Newark in detecting and preventing nuclear or radiological threats. The STC program has now grown and provides 14 local governments with detection equipment, training, exercise support, operational and technical subject matter expertise, and programmatic support. However, the program is limited to “high-risk urban areas” designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program. This linkage between STC and UASI can create uncertainty for local governments participating in the program, as the composition of jurisdictions in the UASI program can vary considerably from one year to the next. The Securing the Cities Improvement Act is cosponsored by Reps. Bennie G. Thompson (D-M.S.), Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee, and Clay Higgins (R-L.A.). Read the fill bill text here. Watch Rep. Carter’s remarks here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T01:40:41Z | 2026-04-07T20:32:04Z |