Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson has secured funding for several Idaho projects in the House Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Bill.
 
“This legislation provides funding for various law enforcement agencies to enhance their capabilities to apprehend criminals,” said Simpson. “Offenders like Joseph Duncan should be easier to track in order to keep our children and communities safe. I’m hopeful this funding will move us closer to accomplishing this enormously, important task.”
 
Idaho Programs included in House Bill:
National Consortium of Offender Management Systems (NCOMS) Sharing Software Development Project. This program makes it possible to track offenders across state lines and beyond with the use of Extensible Markup Language (XML). This provides a partnership for the law enforcement and corrections communities to help track and apprehend sex offenders, terrorists and other criminals on the move. The NCOMS programs make it affordable to implement the latest technology in all governmental organizations to provide safer communities. ($800,000 is earmarked for this project in the House Bill).
 
Criminal Information Sharing Alliance network (CISAnet) is a fully functional information-sharing network comprised of law enforcement agencies from the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Sharing of criminal law enforcement information by and between these ten states is vital to securing an area regarded as one of the most vulnerable to our nation’s security. ($1,200,000 is earmarked for this project in the House Bill).
 
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund was created in 1999 for the purpose of meeting obligations of the Pacific Salmon Treaty and recovering threatened and endangered salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest. Idaho is one of five states eligible for funding. ($64,825,000 is earmarked for this project in the House Bill). This is a continuation of funding Congressman Simpson has helped secure for this program in the past.
 
This legislation was approved in Committee today and will come before the full House in the next few weeks where it is expected to pass.