WASHINGTON — Congress has approved $25 million to help improve security efforts at nonprofit institutions that could be “soft targets” for terrorism, including some churches and synagogues.
The $25 million will be available to nonprofit groups — including schools, universities, theaters, hospitals and houses of worship — that are deemed to be at risk by the Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the money Oct. 9 as part of a $32 billion Homeland Security funding bill. The U.S. Senate passed the measure on Oct 11.
Supporters of the provision had originally asked for $100 million, with half of the money going to local police departments to beef up security in areas with large concentrations of high-risk targets.
House and Senate committees both passed versions of the bill, including a provision to address concerns about the separation of church and state, but those bills languished. The $25 million was a last-minute “line item” addition to a larger spending bill.
Jewish groups, concerned about security at local community centers after Jewish sites had been targeted for attack around the world, rallied around the bill.
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