Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2476) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide funding to secure nonprofit facilities from terrorist attacks, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2476, the Securing American

Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019.

H.R. 2476 would authorize the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program. This important grant program makes funding available to nonprofit organizations that are at risk of a terrorist attack.

Recently, nonprofit and religious organizations throughout the United States and abroad have experienced an alarming increase in violence and threats of violence. This year alone has been particularly tragic.

Consider, for example, the April 27 shooting in Poway, California, where a gunman opened fire on congregants at a Passover celebration.

Other such attacks include the April 21 coordinated terrorist attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed nearly 250 people and injured more than 500 others. And the March 15 shooting at a mosque in New Zealand where 50 people were killed.

This past April, we also saw the burning of three churches in Louisiana, which we later learned were motivated by hate.

Unfortunately, however, targeting houses of worship is not a new phenomenon. There was the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh where 11 people were killed; the 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where 26 people were killed; and the 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

These attacks amplify the dire need that religious institutions and other nonprofit organizations have for effective security resources. They need these resources to keep themselves safe.

H.R. 2476 would also allow these grants to be made available to all at-risk facilities, regardless of where they are located.

The bill authorizes the program at $75 million, with $50 million reserved for nonprofit institutions located within the UASI areas, the Urban Area Security Initiative areas, and $25 million reserved for institutions located outside of UASI jurisdictions.

The goal of DHS is to keep Americans safe across this country. This bill is a critical part of that goal. It would help ensure that nonprofits and places of worship across the country are protected and that congregants have the peace of mind they deserve.

I think we can all agree that protecting our communities from terrorist attacks should never be a partisan issue, and that is why the roster of 104 cosponsors for this legislation is large and diverse, with strong representation by Democrats and Republicans, myself included.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is one of the most sought-after grant programs for nonprofit organizations in my district, and I am grateful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated such strong support for the program.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as the threats to our homeland continue to evolve, we must be prepared to face the new and emerging challenges they present.

H.R. 2476 would authorize DHS to continue assisting nonprofit organizations across the country with protecting their members and their buildings.

A version of this bill passed the House by a voice vote in the last Congress, and I hope my colleagues will do the same again today.

H.R. 2476 was also endorsed by the Jewish Federations of North America. I truly appreciate their partnership and collaboration around this critical Homeland Security program, and I include in the Record their letter of support.

The Jewish Federations

of North America,

May 9, 2019.

Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of

Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Michael Dennis Rogers,

Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Rogers: We

commend you for scheduling the mark-up of H.R. 2476, the

``Securing American Non-Profit Organizations Against

Terrorism Act of 2019'', and respectfully urge Members of the

Committee to support the bill.

On April 27, 2019, white supremacist John Earnest allegedly

entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue, near San Diego, CA,

during Passover services, and murdered Lori Kaye, 60, and

attempted to murder Noya Dahan, 8, Almog Peretz, 34, and

Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, 57. On October 27, 2018, white

supremacist Robert D. Bowers allegedly entered the Tree of

Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA, during Sabbath services,

and murdered 11 congregants and wounded six others, including

four police officers. In the months between these deadly

attacks, the FBI has brought charges against would-be

terrorists and violent homegrown extremists for plots and

threats against synagogues, Jewish community centers,

mosques, Islamic centers, and churches located in Washington,

DC, New York, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Montana,

Florida, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Oregon and Pennsylvania.

Over the past year, the FBI has investigated more than 100

threats to religious institutions. As recently as January

2019, the Federal Government released a Joint Intelligence

Bulletin that assesses that domestic actors will continue to

pose a lethal threat to faith-based communities in the

Homeland. The JIB advises government counterterrorism and law

enforcement officials and private sector security partners

responsible for securing faith-based communities to remain

vigilant in light of the enduring threat to faith-based

communities posed by US-based threat actors and homegrown

violent extremists. The JIB also warns of the difficulty in

detecting domestic terrorists and extremists because of the

individualized nature of their radicalization to violence.

(Source: Joint Intelligence Bulletin IA-32337-19, February

22, 2019)

In previous reports, the Department of Homeland Security

has found that faith-based organizations are at particular

risk of attack because of the significant number of people of

like faith that gather together in a single symbolic location

at specified times; the organizations typically have

unrestricted access to their religious services and

peripheral areas such as their parking areas and education

facilities; and because these organizations most likely have

limited resources for security as nonprofit institutions. As

``soft targets'', DHS has further assessed that these

organizations are particularly vulnerable to bombing, arson

attack, small arms attack, assassination and kidnapping, and

chemical/biological/radiological attack. To counter these

threats and vulnerabilities, DHS recommends that faith-based

organizations take a number of key protective measures

against threats and to mitigate the effects of an attack,

including: installation of target hardening equipment,

engaging in planning and preparedness activities and the

acquisition of security personnel.

Recognizing that many nonprofits do not have the financial

resources to implement extensive security measures, the

``Securing American Non-Profit Organizations Against

Terrorism Act of 2019'' provides critical support for

security related activities to nonprofit organizations at

risk of a terrorist attack that are recommended by the

Department of Homeland Security. These include support for:

Physical Security Enhancements, such as access controls,

blast proofing, surveillance, fencing and bollards;

Security Training of employees and organization members and

volunteers;

Exercises, such as those that validate plans and

procedures, evaluate capabilities, and assess progress toward

meeting capability targets;

Planning, such as the development and enhancement of

security plans and protocols, emergency contingency plans, or

evacuation/shelter-in-place plans; and

Contracting of Security Personnel and off-duty police

officers.

In consideration of the substantial threats and attacks to

nonprofit institutions by domestic and foreign terrorists and

violent homegrown extremists, the vulnerability of nonprofits

to destruction, incapacitation, or exploitation from a

terrorist attack, and the challenges nonprofits face in

providing for needed investments in target hardening and

related preparedness activities, The Jewish Federations

respectfully urges the Members of the Committee to support

the ``Securing American Non-Profit Organizations Against

Terrorism Act of 2019'' at markup.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Goldberg,

Senior Director, Legislative Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2476, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2476 would, for the first time, formally authorize the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

This important grant program makes funding available to nonprofit organizations that are at risk of a terrorist attack.

Increasingly, nonprofit organizations throughout the United States and abroad have experienced an alarming increase in violence and threats of violence.

In just the first six months of 2019, the level of bloodshed in places of worship have shocked the world.

In addition to the April 27th shooting, where a gunman opened fire on congregants at a Passover celebration at a California synagogue, there was the April 21st coordinated terrorist attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed nearly 250 people and the March 15th live- streamed mass shooting at a mosque in New Zealand, where 50 people were killed.

The horror of these attacks was compounded by the three church burnings in Louisiana in April.

Prior to this year, there were the 2018 ``Tree of Life'' synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, where 11 people were killed; the 2017 Sutherland Springs, Texas church shooting, where 26 people were killed; and the 2012 shooting at a Sikh Temple in Milwaukee.

These attacks amplify the need for religious and other nonprofit organizations to have access to resources to keep themselves safe from bad actors.

Enactment of H.R. 2476 will help non-profits and places of worship take steps to be safer.

I introduced this legislation to authorize $75 million in grants with Representatives Peter King (R-NY), Max Rose (D-NY), Steve Stivers (R- OH), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), and Troy Balderson (R-OH) in early May and, to date, it has over 100 Democrats and Republicans.

H.R. 2476 was endorsed by The Jewish Federations of North America.

I truly appreciate their support and commitment to this vital homeland security program.

Prospects for enactment of this legislation are good, as a bipartisan companion bill has been introduced.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 2476.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2476, the ``Securing American Non-Profit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019.''

H.R. 2476 reauthorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP).

The bill would fund the NSGP at $75 million through fiscal year 2024; where $50 million would be reserved for nonprofit institutions located within UASI jurisdictions, and $25 million would be reserved for nonprofit institutions located outside of UASI jurisdictions.

This bill is caused by the recent increase in violence and threats of violence against nonprofit institutions.

Examples of such violence against nonprofit organizations include:

April 27--attack on the Poway synagogue that killed 11 April 21--a coordinated terrorist attack on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka that killed nearly 250 people and injured more than 500 people.

March 15--the deadly New Zealand mosque shootings, where 5o people were killed.

It is critical that we better understand the seriousness of such violent crimes as they impact not only the victims, but also their families, communities, and the generations of people to come.

This bill will allow the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to--Target activities, including physical security enhancement equipment, inspection and the screening systems.

Pay for security training relating to physical security and cybersecurity, target hardening, terrorism awareness, and employee awareness.

Along with, any other appropriate activity, including cybersecurity resilience activities, as determined by the Administrator.

When enacted, H.R. 2476 will create a better understanding on how we can manage and prevent terrorist acts towards non-profit organizations by targeting activities and increasing security training.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2476 to confront such violence against nonprofit institutions, which pose as a strong threat to the citizens of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2476, the Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Act of 2019.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides critical funding to harden security at houses of worship, community centers, schools, and other cultural institutions located in Urban Area Security Initiative, or UASI, regions.

This legislation expands the grant program so eligible entities not within UASI regions can also apply. These grants are used for target- hardening activities and physical security upgrades as well as for necessary security training.

The unfortunate reality is that threats to religious institutions and other soft targets are not going away and, in fact, are increasing at an alarming rate.

There have been a number of attacks, both overseas and in the United States, at places of worship. It is a stark reminder of the continued threat.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program assists the most at-risk organizations in hardening their defenses, while allowing them to remain focused on providing services and counsel in their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do so. I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.