Mr. McCaul of Texas- Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

   I want to thank Chairman LANGEVIN and Ranking Member ROGERS for their leadership on this issue, and I am proud to have been a coauthor of this bill.

   Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 599, a bipartisan bill to help protect and encourage companies that develop antiterrorism technologies. This bill helps implement the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies, or SAFETY Act. The SAFETY Act was passed as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and basically it encourages companies to develop antiterrorism technology by limiting their liability in the event of a terrorist attack.

   As part of the oversight provided in the 109th Congress, the Homeland Security Committee determined that the SAFETY Act better protected the American people, and over 60 new technologies have been approved for coverage under the SAFETY Act in areas such as radiation detection, facility protection and passenger screening.

   Unfortunately, in order to qualify for SAFETY Act protection, companies must go through a cumbersome application process rife with red tape. This bill cuts that red tape by requiring DHS to streamline their process and make it more effective.

   In my district there are a number of companies developing antiterrorism technologies, including detection and identification systems. By limiting their potential legal liability, this bill will help them develop new technologies to address the real and constant threat of a terrorist attack.

   This bill represents a commonsense, bipartisan approach, and I applaud my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, an approach to streamline government and make it friendlier to the American people. By doing this, we will make it easier for government and the private sector to work together to make America safer.

   Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.