New legislation advanced last week by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would allot $75 million annually for grants to nonprofits and faith-based organizations specifically dedicated helping them secure their facilities.
The Protecting Faith-based and Nonprofit Organizations from Terrorism Act is the brainchild of U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.). It’s a direct response to recent events, such as mass shootings at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in October last year, and at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas in 2017. With such events firmly in mind, the legislation sets this new funding for things like target-hardening, personnel training, and other security-appropriate activity.
“Today’s committee passage is an important step forward in our efforts to ensure that synagogues, religious and cultural institutions, and nonprofit organizations have the resources and training they need to secure their facilities,” Portman said. “It is one way Congress can help address this unnecessary violence that has tragically become more and more common. As I’ve said many times, there is no place for hatred or bigotry of any kind toward our fellow citizens.”
The bulk of financing under the bill — $50 million — would go toward non-profits situated in high-risk urban areas. The remaining $25 million would go elsewhere. All would be governed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
“This week marked four years since nine Americans lost their lives while worshipping in the Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina,” Peters said. “This anniversary serves as a tragic reminder that communities across the country still face threats and violence even in safe spaces like houses of worship, synagogues, and mosques. I am proud to have worked alongside Senator Portman to advance this vital legislation to ensure that Americans of all faiths can practice their religions without fear of persecution or attack.”