(2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri-
ority in awarding grants under this section to sea-
ports that the Secretary considers will impact or en-
hance the Nation’s seaport security. 
(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) 75-PERCENT FEDERAL FUNDING.—Except 
as provided in paragraph (2), Federal funds for any 
eligible project under this section shall not exceed 75 
percent of the total cost of such project. 
(2) EXCEPTIONS.—
(A) SMALL PROJECTS.—A seaport with a 
project under subsection (a) that costs less than 
$25,000 shall not be required to match Federal 
funds. 
(B) HIGHER
LEVEL
OF
SUPPORT
RE-
QUIRED.—If the Secretary determines that a 
proposed project merits support and cannot be 
undertaken without a higher rate of Federal 
support, the Secretary may approve grants 
under this section with a matching requirement 
other than that specified in paragraph (1). 
(e) LETTERS OF INTENT.—
(1) ISSUANCE.—The Secretary may issue a let-
ter of intent to a seaport committing to obligate 
from future budget authority an amount, not more
than the Federal Government’s share of the project’s 
cost, for a seaport security improvement project (in-
cluding interest costs and costs of formulating the 
project). 
(2) SCHEDULE.—A letter of intent under this 
subsection shall establish a schedule under which the 
Secretary will reimburse the seaport for the Govern-
ment’s share of the project’s costs, as amounts be-
come available, if the seaport, after the Secretary 
issues the letter, carries out the project without re-
ceiving amounts under this section. 
(3) NOTICE
TO
SECRETARY.—A seaport that 
has been issued a letter of intent under this sub-
section shall notify the Secretary of the seaport’s in-
tent to carry out a project before the project begins. 
(4) NOTICE
TO
CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall transmit to the Committees on Appropriations 
and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House 
of Representatives and the Committees on Appro-
priations and Commerce, Science and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a written notification at least 3 
days before the issuance of a letter of intent under 
this section. 
(5) LIMITATIONS.—A letter of intent issued 
under this subsection is not an obligation of the
Government under section 1501 of title 31, and the 
letter is not deemed to be an administrative commit-
ment for financing. An obligation or administrative 
commitment may be made only as amounts are pro-
vided in authorization and appropriations laws. 
(6) STATUTORY
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the ob-
ligation of amounts pursuant to a letter of intent 
under this subsection in the same fiscal year as the 
letter of intent is issued. 
(f) APPLICATION OF ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—
The Secretary may require as a condition for issuance of 
a letter of intent such reasonable administrative require-
ments as necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
(g) SECRETARY DEFINED.—Unless otherwise pro-
vided, in this section, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security. 
(h) NOTIFICATION TO COMMITTEE.—The Secretary 
shall notify the appropriate committees of Congress when 
a grant is made under this section. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$800,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009. 
Such sums shall remain available until expended.
Æ