Pascrell Hails House Action to Protect Religious Institutions, Nonprofit Facilities

Legislation would authorize grant program long championed by Pascrell to provide funding to secure nonprofit facilities from terrorist attacks

PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) praised passage in the House of Representatives of H.R.2476, the Securing American Nonprofit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019. The bill would formally authorize the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) at $75 million to protect the safety of non-profits at risk of terrorism, including synagogues, mosques, churches, and other houses of worship. While NSGP was funded through annual appropriations at $60 million for Fiscal Year 2019, the program has never been officially authorized. Rep. Pascrell joined with Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS-02), and Reps. Peter King (R-NY-02), Max Rose (D-NY-11), Steve Stivers (R-OH-15), and Troy Balderson (R-OH-12) to lead introduction of H.R. 2476 on May 2, 2019.

“In the face of mounting danger from domestic terrorism, today the House of Representatives has made clear that protecting religious organizations and communities remains a top priority,” said Rep. Pascrell, a former member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. “Antisemitic and anti-Muslim attacks fueled by hateful rhetoric have become far too commonplace in our society. While much more can and must be done to halt the rise of right-wing extremism, formal authorization of this grant program is a crucial step. No American should feel insecure in their house of worship. To ensure our religious centers and communities are sufficiently protected, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to be steadfast in their approval of this legislation so we may pass it into law with the urgency it deserves.”

The Securing American Non-Profit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2019 would authorize a security grant program within the Department of Homeland Security for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations that are at risk of a terrorist attack. This grant funding would assist targeted organizations with costs related to:

• Acquiring and installing security equipment
• Hiring security personnel
• Procuring security training for key personnel to prevent or protect against attacks

Rep. Pascrell has long championed increased funding for NSGP. In April, Pascrell led 139 members of Congress in support of funding NSGP at $75 million. In August 2018, Pascrell helped secure $8.7 million in NSGP funding for New Jersey. In March 2018, Pascrell led a bipartisan letter of 106 House members calling on the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee to maintain funding for the UASI Nonprofit Security Grant Program. February’s budget deal also provided the exact level of robust funding Rep. Pascrell and his colleagues requested. In December 2015, Pascrell helped obtain $20 million in increased funding for the NSGP. In August 2014, Pascrell secured $225,000 in Nonprofit Security Grants for Hawthorne, Englewood, and Teaneck.

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