SAFE Port Act

SAFE Port Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long title An Act to improve maritime and cargo security through enhanced layered defenses, and for other purposes.
Citations
Public Law Pub.L. 109–347
Statutes at Large 120 Stat. 1884—1962
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the House as "Security and Accountability For Every Port Act" (H.R. 4954) by Dan Lungren (R-CA) on March 14, 2006
  • Committee consideration by House Homeland Security Committee
  • Passed the House on May 4, 2006 (421–2)
  • Passed the Senate as the "Port Security Improvement Act of 2006" on September 14, 2006 (98–0)
  • Reported by the joint conference committee on September 29, 2006; agreed to by the House on September 30, 2006 (409–2) and by the Senate on September 30, 2006 (Unanimous Consent)
  • Signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 13, 2006

The Security and Accountability For Every Port Act of 2006 (or SAFE Port Act, Pub.L. 109–347[1]) was an Act of Congress in the United States covering port security and to which an online gambling measure was added at the last moment. The House and Senate passed the conference report on September 30, 2006, and President Bush signed the Act into law on October 13, 2006.[2]

Port security provisions

The port security provisions were one of 20 bills introduced to Congress in the wake of the Dubai Ports World controversy that aimed to block Dubai Ports World acquiring P&O Ports, and more generally to stop key US ports falling into the hands of foreign owners by changing the Exon-Florio Amendment.[3] The act codified into law a number of programs to improve security of U.S. ports, such as:

In addition, the Act created the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office within the Department of Homeland Security and appropriated funds toward the Integrated Deepwater System Program, a long-term U.S. Coast Guard modernization program.[4]

Internet gambling provisions

Title VIII of the Act is also known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (or UIGEA). This title (found at 31 U.S.C. §§ 5361–5367) "prohibits gambling businesses from knowingly accepting payments in connection with the participation of another person in a bet or wager that involves the use of the Internet and that is unlawful under any federal or state law."[5] The Economist noted that the UIGEA provisions were "hastily tacked onto the end of unrelated legislation".[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Text of the SAFE Port Act, via House.gov
  2. ↑ Library of Congress Congressional record for the SAFE Port Act
  3. ↑ Graham, Edward Montgomery and Marchick, David Matthew (2006) US national security and foreign direct investment, P. 31, Volume 978, Issues 0-88397, Peterson Institute, ISBN 0-88132-391-8
  4. ↑ Congressional Budget Office analysis of H.R. 4954, prepared April 28, 2006
  5. ↑ "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act". Examination Handbook Section 770. U.S. Treasury Department. Retrieved 7 Jan 2011.
  6. ↑ "Poker face off". The Economist. April 23, 2011. p. 68.