Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006

The Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006, or SAFE Port Act, is U.S. law that covers security of ports. Although the Act is non-controversial by itself, Title VIII of the bill (added via conference committee) includes provisions known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which itself, is highly controversial.

Passage
The Act was passed at midnight on the day Congress adjourned before the 2006 congressional elections. Though a bill with the gambling wording was previously debated and passed by the House of Representatives,  the SAFE Port Act (H.R. 4954) as passed by the House on May 4 (by a vote of 421-2) and the U.S. Senate on September 14th (98-0), bore no traces of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act that was included in the SAFE Port Act signed into law by George W. Bush on October 13th, 2006. The UIGEA was added in Conference Report 109-711 (submitted at 9:29pm on September 29 2006), which was passed by the House by a vote of 409-2 and by the Senate by unanimous consent on September 30 2006. Due to H. Res. 1064, the reading of this conference report was waived. (Thomas summary of actions on the bill).

Port security provisions
The SAFE Port Act authorized $6.7 billion to implement a number of programs to improve security of U.S. ports. In addition, it created a Domestic Nuclear Detection Office within the Department of Homeland Security. This agency was charged with inspecting 100% of all cargo containers entering the U.S. for radiation.

The Act also provided that containers from "high-risk" areas be inspected prior to reaching U.S. ports. A portion of the appropriated funds were scheduled to go toward the Integrated Deepwater Program, which is a long-term Coast Guard modernization program.

Investigations of the deepwater program
On May 11 2007, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) will be expanding his congressional investigation of military contracts to include the Coast Guard's Deepwater Program.

Title VIII online gambling provisions
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 was added into the bill via conference committee.

Controversy and implementation
Although the most controversial aspect of this bill is Title VIII; there has been controversy over whether or not the funding allocated for the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater Program, is sufficient to upgrade the fleet.

External resources

 * Congressional Budget Office, "Cost Estimate Security and Accountability For Every Port Act," April 28, 2006.