US House oks port security bill after Dubai uproar

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) The US House of Representatives today approved a bill bolstering security U.S. ports, spurred to action by the recent uproar over a failed plan to transfer some port operations to a Dubai company.

The bill authorises 5.5 billion dollars for port security and requires the government to finish installing radiation screening equipment at major US ports by the end of 2007. It would let the United States deny entry to cargo from countries that refuse to cooperate with any beefed-up security checks abroad.

A Senate committee has approved a bill that would take the additional step of requiring all US-bound cargo to be screened overseas or be turned away from American ports, but left unclear when the measure would start being enforced. Both chambers must reconcile differences and pass the same bill for it to become law.

Reuters VJ VP0050