INVESTIGATIONS.

SEC. 808. INVESTIGATIONS.(a) In General.—Section 70107 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (i) and inserting the following:“(i) Investigations.—“(1) In general.—The Secretary shall conduct investigations, fund pilot programs, and award grants, to examine or develop—“(A) methods or programs to increase the ability to target for inspection vessels, cargo, crewmembers, or passengers that will arrive or have arrived at any port or place in the United States;“(B) equipment to detect accurately explosives, chemical, or biological agents that could be used in a transportation security incident against the United States;“(C) equipment to detect accurately nuclear or radiological materials, including scintillation-based detection equipment capable of signalling the presence of nuclear or radiological materials;“(D) improved tags and seals designed for use on shipping containers to track the transportation of the merchandise in such containers, including sensors that are able to track a container throughout its entire supply chain, detect hazardous and radioactive materials within that container, and transmit that information to the appropriate law enforcement authorities;“(E) tools, including the use of satellite tracking systems, to increase the awareness of maritime areas and to identify potential transportation security incidents that could have an impact on facilities, vessels, and infrastructure on or adjacent to navigable waterways, including underwater access;“(F) tools to mitigate the consequences of a transportation security incident on, adjacent to, or under navigable waters of the United States, including sensor equipment, and other tools to help coordinate effective response to a transportation security incident;“(G) applications to apply existing technologies from other areas or industries to increase overall port security; “(H) improved container design, including blast-resistant containers; and“(I) methods to improve security and sustainability of port facilities in the event of a maritime transportation security incident, including specialized inspection facilities.“(2) Implementation of technology.—“(A) In general.—In conjunction with ongoing efforts to improve security at United States ports, the Secretary 118 STAT. 1084 may conduct pilot projects at United States ports to test the effectiveness and applicability of new port security projects, including—“(i) testing of new detection and screening technologies;“(ii) projects to protect United States ports and infrastructure on or adjacent to the navigable waters of the United States, including underwater access; and“(iii) tools for responding to a transportation security incident at United States ports and infrastructure on or adjacent to the navigable waters of the United States, including underwater access.“(B) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $35,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to carry out this subsection.“(3) National port security centers.—“(A) In general.—The Secretary may make grants or enter into cooperative agreements with eligible nonprofit institutions of higher learning to conduct investigations in collaboration with ports and the maritime transportation industry focused on enhancing security of the Nation’s ports in accordance with this subsection through National Port Security Centers.“(B) Applications.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a nonprofit institution of higher learning, or a consortium of such institutions, shall submit an application to the Secretary in such form and containing such information as the Secretary may require.“(C) Competitive selection process.—The Secretary shall select grant recipients under this paragraph through a competitive process on the basis of the following criteria:“(i) Whether the applicant can demonstrate that personnel, laboratory, and organizational resources will be available to the applicant to carry out the investigations authorized in this paragraph.“(ii) The applicant’s capability to provide leadership in making national and regional contributions to the solution of immediate and long-range port and maritime transportation security and risk mitigation problems.“(iii) Whether the applicant can demonstrate that is has an established, nationally recognized program in disciplines that contribute directly to maritime transportation safety and education.“(iv) Whether the applicant’s investigations will involve major United States ports on the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the West Coast, and Federal agencies and other entities with expertise in port and maritime transportation.“(v) Whether the applicant has a strategic plan for carrying out the proposed investigations under the grant.“(4) Administrative provisions.—“(A) No duplication of effort.—Before making any grant, the Secretary shall coordinate with other Federal 118 STAT. 1085 agencies to ensure the grant will not duplicate work already being conducted with Federal funding.“(B) Accounting.—The Secretary shall by regulation establish accounting, reporting, and review procedures to ensure that funds made available under paragraph (1) are used for the purpose for which they were made available, that all expenditures are properly accounted for, and that amounts not used for such purposes and amounts not expended are recovered.“(C) Recordkeeping.—Recipients of grants shall keep all records related to expenditures and obligations of funds provided under paragraph (1) and make them available upon request to the Inspector General of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating and the Secretary for audit and examination.“(5) Annual review and report.—The Inspector General of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall annually review the programs established under this subsection to ensure that the expenditures and obligations of funds are consistent with the purposes for which they are provided, and report the findings to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.”.