USVI: HSA bill stalled

A Senate committee on Friday held off taking action on a bill that would create a territorial agency to coordinate all homeland security efforts in the Virgin Islands.

The Virgin Islands Office of Homeland Security would act as an umbrella organization responsible for overseeing all federal homeland security funds and synchronizing the activities of the government's emergency response agencies.

The bill will remain in the Senate Public Safety, Judiciary, Homeland Security and Justice Committee while its sponsors try to shore up more support and iron out differences with the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency and other government agencies that would be affected.