Port Authorities Awarded Increased Share of FY 2023 Port Security Funding

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released its funding allocations for the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023) Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) awards, which will be distributed to 40 port authorities along with numerous terminal operators, municipalities, and policing entities for enhancing and protecting critical port infrastructure.

Though port authorities did not receive the full amount requested, they did receive a markedly greater share of funding this year — $35.2 million, or over 35 percent of this year’s awards — compared to 30.5 percent last year. This follows an upward trend starting in FY2021.

“FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program is a critical source of funds for ongoing efforts to harden and protect our nation’s seaports from increasingly more sophisticated threats from bad actors,” stated AAPA President and CEO Chris Connor. “AAPA thanks FEMA, Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Katie Britt (R-AL), and Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) for prioritizing and supporting the security of our nation’s seaport,” referring to the relevant appropriators.

Read the full story at the American Journal of Transportation.