Marquee events like the Super Bowl and an F1 race are the latest additions to the Las Vegas portfolio of major productions adding to entertainment and sports spectacles crowned by one of the nation’s top New Year’s Eve celebrations.

There’s no denying the spotlight on Las Vegas — and the need for security that goes along with that.

But two decades ago, it was a heavy lift to get the federal government’s attention to fund security for the entertainment capital of the world. And ironically, the new mayor of Las Vegas — Shelley Berkley — was one of the biggest voices in that fight.

Now, Democratic Nevada Rep. Dina Titus, who represents the same congressional district (CD1) that Berkley did, is working to standardize and streamline how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) assesses security for big events nationwide. A bill she sponsored passed the House this week, aimed at the DHS Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) system.

The legislation would codify in federal law DHS’s SEAR system to assess and provide security support for special events, including festivals, parades, conventions and sports events.

“When hosting multiple champion sports teams, world-class entertainment events, and business conventions with a global scope, cities like Las Vegas rely on federal support to supplement state and local security efforts. DHS is a vital partner in that work, and my legislation would make permanent its program that helps ensure that the kind of special events my district is known for stay safe and successful,” Titus said.

Tensions over terrorism were high when Las Vegas pleaded for funding in 2004. The 9/11 attacks were fresh in everyone’s minds, and officials were scrambling to explain why Clark County’s funding was cut from $10 million to $8.5 million.

“I guess this is just politics as usual,” Dr. Dale Carrison, chairman of the Nevada Homeland Security Commission, told the Las Vegas Sun in a Dec. 6, 2004 article. “We’re being told that we’re a high priority and a high risk, but then they shortchange us on funds.

“We know that individuals involved with 9/11 were in Las Vegas, and that there have been videotapes that have shown multiple locations in Las Vegas, but apparently those who are distributing the money have not recognized this. People are talking out both sides of their mouths,” Carrison said.

Berkley echoed the concerns: “In many instances (with homeland security) we are flying blind and this is a good example,” she told the Sun, struggling to understand how Portland, Oregon, was seen as a greater security risk.

Fast-forward 20 years, and the Titus legislation aims to take some of the mystery out of the federal decisions to provide extra security and, importantly, to set up a way for Congress to provide needed funding.

DHS provides a security rating for special events each year to determine the level of federal support needed, according to a Tuesday news release from Titus’s office. The scope of that support ranges from canine explosive detection teams to air security and cyber risk assessments. While DHS’s responsibility in assigning SEAR levels derives from a 2002 law creating the Department of Homeland Security, there is currently no dedicated source of funding for the program.

The legislation would allow Congress to appropriate dedicated SEAR funding in the future. Additionally, the bill requires internal periodic assessments of the SEAR process to keep pace with changing and increasingly sophisticated threat landscapes.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix are among those who have endorsed the Titus legislation.

Las Vegas events just keep getting bigger, and the need for security and counterterrorism assessment is growing, too. Aerial sweeps to measure background radiation levels are getting more common, used for more events than just New Year’s Eve on the Strip.

For some events, security is largely out of view. But for other events — including New Year’s Eve — the presence of security is part of the deterrent.