The Department of Homeland Security announced more than $1.3 billion in allocations for seven preparedness grant programs to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening the nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.
The grants focus on the nation’s highest risk areas, including urban areas that continue to face the most significant threats.
Dedicated funding is provided for law enforcement and terrorism prevention activities throughout the country to prepare for and prevent and respond to pre-operational activity and other crimes that are precursors or indicators of terrorist activity.
The grants are as follows:
Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2012:
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)—provides more than $830 million for states and urban areas to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism and other threats.
- State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)—provides $294 million to support the implementation of state homeland security strategies to build and strengthen preparedness capabilities at all levels.
- Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)—provides more than $490 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 31 high-threat, high-density areas.
- Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)—provides more than $46 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among federal, state, territorial, tribal and local law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States land and water borders.
Per the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53) (hereafter “9/11 Act”), states are required to ensure that at least 25 percent of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI are dedicated towards law enforcement terrorism prevention activities (LETPA) linked to one or more core capabilities within the NPG. The LETPA allocation can be from SHSP, UASI or both.
- Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program—provides more than $339 million to assist state and local governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities.
- Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)—provides $6 million to eligible tribal applicants to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
- Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)—provides $10 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations determined to be at high risk of a terrorist attack and located within one of the FY 2012 UASI-eligible urban areas.
- Intercity Passenger Rail (Amtrak) Program—provides $10 million to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from terrorism and increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
- Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)—provides more than $97 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, and strengthen risk management capabilities in order to protect against improvised explosive devices and other non-conventional weapons.
- Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)—provides more than $87 million to owners and operators of transit systems to protect critical surface transportation and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
