Incoming House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Takes Aim at IST

  • Nov 17, 2010

U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., reportedly promised to remove any requirement that CFATS-covered facilities use inherently safer technologies once he becomes chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in January.

The Republican congressman set to chair the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee beginning in January 2011 has said he'll offer a CFATS reauthorization bill that does not require covered facilities to use inherently safer technologies (IST). This would please chemical manufacturers and differs from H.R. 2868, the reauthorization bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives a year ago, which would require facilities to evaluate IST and would give DHS the authority to impose IST on high-risk facilities.

The bill, which has been bottled up in the U.S. Senate since its passage in the House, would extend CFATS standards to drinking water and wastewater facilities.

U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., is the committee's ranking member. He announced Nov. 8 that he will be its chairman in the 112th Congress and discussed his priorities for its work.

ICIS news, an online news service for the chemical industry reported Nov. 8 that King said he does not favor imposing IST in the reauthorization bill his committee will take up in 2011. He listed these priorities:

  • Conduct effective oversight of DHS operations and ways to give the intelligence community and law enforcement agencies the tools they need to identify and combat domestic radicalization.
  • Stop the Obama Administration's plans to transfer Guantanamo detainees, like admitted 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his co-conspirators, to the U.S. and put them on trial in civilian courts, and holding hearings on the president's plans to close Guantanamo.
  • Hold hearings on the attack at Fort Hood.
  • Work with the Department of Homeland Security to improve cargo security on passenger planes and on cargo-only planes.
  • Enact additional border security legislation to curb illegal immigration.
  • Strengthen the Securing the Cities Initiative to protect more Americans from radiological and nuclear devices.
  • Bolster national cybersecurity by fortifying the defenses of federal networks and promoting partnerships with the private sector to protect against cyberattack.
  • Pass a comprehensive Department of Homeland Security authorization bill to provide DHS with necessary guidance, tools, and resources to help protect our homeland from terrorist attack.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.