Omnibus Bill Ups Funding For Nonprofits Facing Security Risks
Police stand outside the JCC of St. Paul, Minnesota, after it was evacuated in response to a bomb threat. Image by Facebook/Star Tribune
The $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by the house includes a major boost in funding to protect not-for-profits from security threats.
The Non-Profit Security Program out of the Department of Homeland Security will see its budget more than double, from $25 million to $60 million. The program provides grants to not-for-pprofits for security equipment and training to deter and combat terrorism.
Jewish Federations of North America, which lobbied for the funding increase, said in a statement that, “Nonprofits generally, and Jewish communal institutions specifically, have been the victims of a growing number of violent attacks.”
In 2012, 97% of the non-profit security grants were awarded to Jewish Institutions.
The bill also provides the U.S. State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism with at least $1 million for programs to combat anti-Semitism abroad and funding for the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues.
After threatening to veto the bill over immigration policies such as DACA and funding for the border wall, President Trump announced he will sign the bill into law.
Contact Avichai Scher at scher@forward.com or on Twitter, @avi_scher
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