Order Code RS22805
Updated May 29, 2008
FY2009 Appropriations for State and Local
Homeland Security
Shawn Reese
Analyst in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Government and Finance Division
Summary
The Administration proposes $2.2 billion for FY2009 Department of
Homeland Security assistance programs for states and localities. Additionally, the
Administration proposes to reduce funding on most of the programs, except the Urban
Area Security Initiative, the Citizen Corps Program, and its program for bus security.
Because of this, the Administration requests approximately $2.0 billion less than the
amount Congress appropriated in FY2008 — $4.2 billion (P.L. 110-161). This report
will be updated when congressional actions warrant.
This report is an overview of the FY2009 appropriations for the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) programs for states and localities that are designed to provide
assistance to state and local governments. The assistance is primarily used by first
responders, which include firefighters, emergency medical personnel, emergency
managers, and law enforcement officers.
The Office of Grant Programs within the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) is responsible for facilitating and coordinating DHS state and local assistance
programs. The office administers formula and discretionary grant programs to further
state and local homeland security capabilities. As a result of the reorganization mandated
by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-295), the
work of the Office of Grant Programs was separated from FEMA training activities.
FEMA’s National Integration Center within the agency’s National Preparedness
Directorate administers training, exercises, and technical assistance for states and
localities. Presently, DHS’s assistance programs for states and localities include:
! State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP);
! Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI);
! Port Security Program;
! Transit Security Program;
! Bus Security Program;
! Trucking Security Program;
! Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP);

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CRS-2
! Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE);
! Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG);
! Citizen Corps Program (CCP);
! Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS);
! Training, technical assistance, exercises, and evaluations;
! Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program (CEDAP);
! Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant Program (PSIC);
! Real ID Grants;
! Emergency Operations Centers (EOC); and
! Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants.
Table 1. FY2008 Appropriations and the FY2009 Budget Request for
State and Local Homeland Security Assistance Programs
(Amounts in millions)
FY2008
FY2009
Program
Appropriation
Budget Request
State Homeland Security Grant Program
$950a
$200
Urban Area Security Initiative
$820b
$825
Port Security
$400
$210
Transit Security
$400
$175
Bus Security
$12
$12
Trucking Security
$16
$8
Emergency Operations Centers
$15
—
Buffer Zone Protection Program
$50
—
Assistance to Firefighters
$750
$300
Emergency Management Performance Grants
$300
$200
Citizen Corps Programs
$15
$15
Metropolitan Medical Response System
$41
—
Training, technical assistance, exercises, and
$299c
$145d
evaluations
Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance
$25
—
Program
Public Safety Interoperable Communications
$50
[$7]e
Grant Program
Real ID Grants
$50
—
Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grants
$35
—
National Security and Terrorism Prevention
—
$110
Programf
Total
$4,228
$2,200

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CRS-3
Source: P.L. 110-161 (Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008) and U.S. Office of Management
and Budget, Fiscal Year 2009 Budget for the United States Government, Appendix.
a. Not less than 25% of the $950 million for SHSGP is to be used for law enforcement terrorism
prevention activities, in accordance with P.L. 110-53, Implementing Recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Act of 2007.
b. Not less than 25% of the $820 million for UASI is to be used for law enforcement terrorism
prevention activities, in accordance with P.L. 110-53.
c. Of this $299 million: $88 million is for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium; $63
million is for the Center for Domestic Preparedness; $50 million is for the National Exercise
Program; $12 million is for technical assistance; $27 million is for Demonstration Training
Grants; $31 million is for Continuing Training Grants; $19 million is for evaluations and
assessments; and $9 million is for the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium.
d. Of this $145 million: $40 million is for the National Exercise Program; $79 million is for the
National Domestic Preparedness Consortium and the Center for Domestic Preparedness; $10
million is for technical assistance; and $16 million for evaluations and assessments.
e. The Administration proposes to fund the Public Safety Interoperable Communications Grant
program through the Department of Commerce.
f. The National Security and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, newly requested for FY2009,
would provide competitive grants to state and local jurisdictions that address homeland security
vulnerabilities, and for Real ID proposals and buffer zone protection of critical infrastructure.
Issue for Congress. One issue that appears to dominate the Administration’s
FY2009 budget request is the reduction in appropriations for state and local homeland
security programs. The Administration budget proposals typically recommend reductions
in state and local homeland security assistance programs or the consolidation of programs.
In FY2003 and FY2004, the Administration proposed a homeland security block grant;
this year the Administration proposes to reduce funding for all programs except UASI,
CCP, and Bus Security. UASI is the only program for which the Administration increased
funding. Additionally, the Administration proposes to consolidate the Real ID Grant
program and BZPP within the National Security and Terrorism Prevention Program.
These two programs would be eligible activities under a grant program that would be
competitive, and would allow states and localities to apply for grants that address
homeland security vulnerabilities.1
Congress has determined in preceding years to fund the majority of these grant
programs individually and at a higher level than the Administration has requested. In
FY2008, Congress did, however, consolidate the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention
Program with SHSGP and UASI.2 Recent news articles state that some Members of
Congress intend to continue, in FY2009, funding DHS’s state and local assistance
programs at a higher level than the Administration’s request.3
1 U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Fiscal Year 2009 Budget for the United States
Government (Washington: GPO, February 2009), Appendix, pp. 514-516.
2 P.L. 110-161 (FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations), Div. E, Title III.
3 For example, see Rob Margetta, “Debate Over Grant Funding is Over, And Congress Has
W o n , ” C o n g r e s s i o n a l Q u a r t e r l y, F e b r u a r y 4 , 2 0 0 8 , a v a i l a b l e a t
[http://homeland.cq.com/hs/display.do?docid=2665685].

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