Detailed Summary

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2009 - Makes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2009 for: (1) the Offices of the Secretary, the Under Secretary for Management, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Information Officer, the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, and the Inspector General; (2) Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including for customs and border protection fencing, infrastructure, and technology; (3) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including for detention and removal operations (including to identify and remove aliens who have been convicted of a crime once they are judged deportable) and the Federal Protective Service; (4) the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), including for screening operations and procurement and installation of checked baggage explosive detection systems and for Federal Air Marshals; (5) the Coast Guard; (6) the Secret Service; (7) the Office of the Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs Directorate, including for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (U.S.-VISIT) project and the Office of Health Affairs; (8) the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), including for the U.S. Fire Administration; (9) Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS); (10) the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; (11) the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology; and (12) the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

Prohibits the use of funds for: (1) implementation, on other than a test basis, of the Secure Flight program or other passenger prescreening program until prescribed conditions have been met; (2) deployment or operation of a DHS human resources management system; or (3) preventing an individual from importing a personal-use quantity of a prescription drug from Canada.

Requires: (1) the FEMA Administrator to submit to Congress, and publish on the FEMA website, a report summarizing damage assessment information used to make a declaration that a major disaster exists, with a national security limitation; and (2) the Secretary of Homeland Security to obtain new technologies to screen air cargo on passenger aircraft. Requires incremental quarterly increases in the screening of such cargo.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 9/18/2008: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 558.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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