[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14814-14815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          THE HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2003

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I am very proud today to join my 
colleague, the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, in introducing the 
Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003. This legislation will 
bring much-needed coordination to the fund application process for our 
first responders and State and local officials.
  The coordination of grant programs called for by this bill will go a 
long way to make certain that those who will be first called upon to 
deal with a threat to the security of the United States will be better 
prepared to face it. By enacting the Homeland Security Grant 
Enhancement Act, we can free municipal governments and first responders 
of bureaucratic guesswork, allowing them to focus instead on training 
and execution of response plans.
  Currently, Federal programs within the Department of Homeland 
Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human 
Services,

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and other Federal agencies provide our first responders with a basic 
level of support with respect to training and equipment procurement. 
However, in order to receive this support, State and local officials 
often must complete separate emergency plans and redundant grant 
application forms. The information demanded by the various homeland 
security plans is frequently similar; nonetheless, different Federal 
agencies require grant applicants to start from square one in each 
case.
  The Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003 will put an end 
to this inefficient practice. Our bill creases an interagency 
committee, composed of representatives from the Department of Homeland 
Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department 
of Transportation, the Department of Justice, and the Environmental 
Protection Agency, as well as any other department or agency deemed 
necessary by the President, to eliminate duplication in planning 
requirements and to simplify the application process. The committee 
will engage in a three-step process to accomplish this goal. First, 
within 2 months, it will compile a list of the homeland security 
assistance programs, identifying planning and administrative 
requirements for each program. Second, it will conduct a 4-month review 
of these requirements. Finally, within 8 months, it will report to 
Congress and to the President with recommendations as to how to 
streamline and standardize requirements.
  In order to provide first responders with the support they need, our 
bill also creates a Homeland Security Information Clearinghouse. The 
clearinghouse will work with the interagency committee to make grant 
information available to first responders and local officials, easing 
the application process. Many State and local agencies, as well as 
firefighters, police, and emergency service officials, have found the 
Homeland Security Act provides insufficient guidance from Federal 
agencies as to the use of government funding and technical expertise in 
order to meet security needs. Through the clearinghouse, our bill will 
provide the coordination needed to locate grant information and other 
resources within the Federal Government. Easy access to this kind of 
information will improve immeasurably our State and local agencies' 
ability to deal with potential threats.
  First responders have also cited the Homeland Security Act's lack of 
guidance regarding how Federal dollars can be spent and to whom these 
funds can be allocated. Neither the Homeland Security Act nor the 
Department of Homeland Security's efforts to implement the law has done 
much to relieve this problem. Our bill seeks to remedy this by 
streamlining the Office for Domestic Preparedness homeland security 
grant process from as many as 12 deliberate steps to just 2 commonsense 
requirements.
  When enacted, the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act will put in 
place grant application processes that are much more efficient and 
user-friendly. State and local authorities will be called upon to 
develop a single, 3-year homeland security plan that outlines 
vulnerabilities and capabilities. Federal grant programs will be 
reconciled to establish a process for a more logical allocation of 
resources to meet State and local needs. Local agencies or government 
officials will then apply for funds based on this plan, which can be 
revised each year pending approval by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security. These steps will lead to greater ease in securing funding for 
local police, fire, and emergency service departments. This means 
greater security for West Virginians and all Americans.
  Perhaps more importantly, this will make certain that State and local 
officials and first responders are all included in the homeland 
security planning process, allowing them to access funds and equipment 
in a timely and efficient manner. Our legislation requires that 80 
percent of homeland security funding and resources will reach the local 
level within 60 days of allocation. The bill encourages flexibility in 
the use of these funds by authorizing local officials to determine 
their allocation to planning, equipment, exercises, training, or other 
homeland security functions.
  In order to ensure that rural States are included in Federal grant 
programs whose eligibility criteria sometime favor urban areas, the 
Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act follows a procedure that 
benefited my State of West Virginia earlier this year when we partially 
funded first responder programs in the Emergency Supplemental 
Appropriations bill. As with that legislation, our bill provides that 
any State whose application for funding through this grant program is 
approved will receive a minimum of .75 percent of the total amount 
appropriated for homeland security in a given fiscal year, thereby 
providing an adequate preparedness funding baseline for all States. The 
Secretary, acting in cooperation with congressional appropriators, 
would naturally exercise the authority to make upward adjustments with 
the remaining funds. However, the .75 percent baseline will make 
certain that rural first responders are not left out. At the same time, 
this mechanism will see to it that areas facing higher risk and greater 
vulnerabilities might receive more funds. Rural areas will not be left 
out, but areas that are home to elements of the Nation's critical 
infrastructure, as well as areas with higher population density--both 
of which are the most likely targets for international terrorists--will 
be safeguarded.
  Finally, this bill also provides a logical flexibility for Federal 
officials who oversee unspent funds previously appropriated to the 
Office for Domestic Preparedness. Rather than allowing this money to 
sit idle while our first responders clamor for adequate funding, this 
legislation will enable DHS to dispense funds to those States that 
obtain a waiver from the Secretary. Funds earmarked for one purpose, 
such as training, may then be used to pay costs associated with another 
first responder need, such as equipment.
  I commend the Senator from Maine for her close personal attention to 
the matter at hand, and for her hard work in putting this legislation 
together. She has worked closely with many of the groups who will 
benefit directly from this legislation. While many of these 
organizations do not endorse legislation, the approach we offer today 
has been supported by the National Governors Association, the National 
Conference State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the 
National Association of Counties, the National League of Cities, the 
International City/County Management Association, and the International 
Association of Fire Fighters.
  I believe the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act will greatly 
improve coordination between the various agencies that distribute 
homeland security funds to our States, communities, and first 
responders. Relevant information will flow more freely and the grant 
application and funding process will become more clear and more 
flexible. While we have made great strides in our efforts against 
international terrorists, stifling their ability to conduct operations, 
the danger of an attack remains. This legislation improves efficiency 
within a multiagency bureaucracy, easing the burdens on those who are 
charged with defending the homeland. These changes will also better 
prepare our first responders to meet the threats they face.

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