Homeland Security Department FY2005 Appropriations bill

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2005 - Title I: Departmental Management and Operations - Makes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY 2005 for: (1) the Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security and executive management; (2) the Office of the Under Secretary for Management; (3) development and acquisition of information technology equipment, software, services, and for the costs of conversion to narrowband communications; and (4) the Office of Inspector General.

Title II: Security, Enforcement, and Investigations - Makes appropriations for: (1) the Office of the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, including for development of the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology project; (2) enforcement of laws relating to border security, immigration, customs, and agricultural inspections and regulatory activities related to plant and animal imports and for customs and border protection automated systems; (3) immigration and customs law enforcement, including for Federal air marshals, the Federal Protective Service, and immigration and customs enforcement automated systems; (4) the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), including for explosive detection devices; (5) the Coast Guard; and (6) the Secret Service.

Title III: Preparedness and Recovery - Makes appropriations for: (1) the Office for State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, including for grants to State and local governments for terrorism prevention activities (sets forth specified allocations for formula-based grants, law enforcement terrorism prevention grants, discretionary grants for the use in high-threat, high density urban areas and for rail and transit security, firefighter assistance grants, and emergency management performance grants; (2) reimbursement of Federal agencies for the costs of providing support to counter, investigate, or respond to unexpected threats or acts of terrorism; (3) emergency preparedness and response, including for the Office of the Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, the Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response, countering potential biological, disease, and chemical threats to civilian populations, the disaster assistance direct loan program, the Flood Map Modernization Fund, the National Flood Insurance Fund, pre-disaster mitigation grants, and an emergency food and shelter program. Limits the aggregate charges assessed during FY 2005 for the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program.

Title IV: Research and Development, Training, Assessments, and Services - Makes appropriations for: (1) expenses for citizenship and immigration services; (2) the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; (3) the Directorate of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection, including the immediate Office of the Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection; and (4) the immediate Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology for management and administration of programs and activities and science and technology research.

Title V: General Provisions - (Sec. 504) Deems funds made available by this Act for intelligence activities to be specifically authorized by Congress during FY 2005 until the enactment of an Act authorizing intelligence activities for FY 2005.

(Sec. 505) Directs the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to: (1) establish an accrediting body to establish standards for measuring and assessing the quality and effectiveness of Federal law enforcement training programs, facilities, and instructors; and (2) schedule basic and advanced law enforcement training at all four training facilities to ensure that all these centers are operated at the highest capacity.

(Sec. 512) Directs the Secretary: (1) to research, develop, and procure certified systems to inspect and screen air cargo on passenger aircraft at the earliest date possible; and (2) until such technology is procured and installed, to take actions to prohibit high-risk cargo from being transported on passenger aircraft.

(Sec. 514) Prohibits the obligation of funds for deployment or implementation of the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II), on other than a test basis, to screen aviation passengers until the General Accounting Office (GAO) has reported to the Appropriations Committees that: (1) a system of due process exists whereby passengers who are determined to pose a threat and who are either delayed or prohibited from boarding may appeal such decision and correct erroneous information contained in CAPPS II; (2) the error rate of the databases that will be used to establish identity and assign a risk level to a passenger will not produce a large number of false positives; (3) TSA has demonstrated the efficacy and accuracy of all search tools in CAPPS II and has demonstrated that CAPPS II can make an accurate predictive assessment of passengers; (4) the Secretary has established an internal oversight board to monitor the manner in which CAPPS II is being developed and prepared; (5) TSA has built in sufficient operational safeguards to reduce the opportunities for abuse; (6) substantial security measures are in place to protect CAPPS II from unauthorized access; (7) TSA has adopted policies establishing effective oversight of the system's use and operation; and (8) there are no specific privacy concerns with the technological architecture of the system. Prohibits, during the testing phase, any information gathered from passengers, air carriers, or reservation systems from being used to screen passengers or to delay or deny boarding. Requires the report by February 15, 2005.