SAFETY Act participation grows.

• Author: Rusling, Matthew
• Position: SECURITY BEAT

The Department of Homeland Security has seen a significant surge in the number of contractors seeking protection from lawsuits under the SAFE-TY Act.

The six-year-old legislation, which stands for Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies, allows DHS to screen companies that design and develop anti-terrorism technology--both products and services--and determine whether those firms should be exempt from future litigation resulting from a terrorist attack.

The act was designed to encourage the development of antiterrorism technologies in the private sector. But its implementation was delayed initially because DHS did not have enough personnel overseeing the program.

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Silvia Cabrera, director of the office of SAFETY Act implementation at DHS, said applications have grown more than 60 percent since 2006 and small business applications have grown by 130 percent. SAFETY Act approvals have increased from 179 last year to 243 so far this year.

John S. Verrico, a DHS spokesman, said that soaring participation is partly a result of the government's outreach efforts, which...