Hassan-Backed Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Security Resources for Faith-Based Institutions & Nonprofit Organizations Signed into Law

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan released the following statement today applauding President Trump’s signing of bipartisan legislation, which she cosponsored, to codify in law that grant funding for houses of worship and nonprofit organizations must be available for small states like New Hampshire, not just major metropolitan areas. Senator Hassan is a member of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“As threats against houses of worship and religious communities across the country continue to rise, we need to ensure that both urban and rural communities alike have the resources that they need to protect their members,” Senator Hassan said. “I will keep working across party lines to build on this important legislation and help keep our communities safe.”  

Until last year, only houses of worship and nonprofit organizations located in major metropolitan area were eligible to receive federal grant funding to help secure their facilities against potential foreign or domestic terrorist attacks. Over the past two years, Congress began the process of dedicating a portion of grant funding for states to distribute to mid-size urban areas or rural areas. Last month, Senator Hassan announced that the portion of funding that New Hampshire communities are eligible to apply for quadrupled from $10 million last year to $40 million this year. However, until now, the dedicated carve out for states like New Hampshire had not been made permanent in law, risking the prospect that this set-aside for states and rural areas could be eliminated in future years.

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