Homeland security appropriations bill becomes law

President Bush today signed a $32 billion, fiscal 2005 Homeland Security appropriations bill.

The law includes a major increase in funding authority for the CIO's Office, which will receive $275.3 million for the coming year rather than the appropriation of about $65 million it received last year. More than $200 million of the increase represents funding formerly devoted to cross-departmental projects.

Other major IT projects approved include:

* $3.98 billion for first-responder grants for state and local governments, some of which will go to IT projects

* $449 million for systems modernization at the Customs and Border Protection agency

* $340 million for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program

* $140.8 million for national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications

* $106.6 million for critical infrastructure outreach and data sharing efforts

* $67.8 million for cybersecurity projects in the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate

* $18 million for research on cyberthreats by the Science and Technology Directorate.

Overall, the approved funding exceeds the administration's request by $896 million and funding in 2004 by $2.8 billion.