A new GAO Report, (PDF, 57 Pages, 1.70MB) issued February 13, finds that the US Coast Guard has not met the mandated requirements of the SAFE Port Act of 2006 to establish, by October 2009, Interagency Operations Centers (IOCs) at high priority ports. The GAO found that part of the reason for not meeting the requirements was that the "Coast Guard was not appropriated funds to establish IOCs until 14 months after enactment of the law, and that definition of an IOC was evolving during the period." From a Coast Guard perspective, plans are in place to "establish IOCs at all 35 of its sectors," the GAO Report notes. However, the Coast Guard's Chief of IOC Implementation, and Information Sharing Executive Agent, reports that "continued support is needed from DHS to increase port-partner participation and the success of the IOC-initiative."