Homeland Security panel OKs first responder funding reforms

A House Homeland Security panel on Thursday approved a bill to revamp first responder grant funding programs.

The bill (H.R. 3266) would replace the Homeland Security Department's current programs for distributing grant funding to localities and states with a new initiative to allocate money based on threats, vulnerabilities and risk assessments rather than other factors such as population.

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee approved the bill by voice vote, and the full committee is expected to take up the measure during next year's session.

"The legislation before us today is a bold new model for distributing federal grant funds to first responders based on building essential capabilities across the country to meet the threats and vulnerabilities communities face from terrorism," said full committee ranking Democrat Rep. Jim Turner of Texas.

Before passing the bill, lawmakers approved by voice vote a substitute amendment to incorporate aspects of Turner's bill (H.R. 3158) into the original bill.

One of the Turner provisions would require the department to establish "essential capability standards" for first responders based on the threats, vulnerabilities and consequences of an attack on different types of critical infrastructure, including agriculture, transportation, banking, energy and chemical industries, among others. Another would set up a task force of first responder representatives to help the department with defining the essential capability needs.

The standards should include a consensus on training, planning, personnel and equipment, and take into consideration threats to various populations such as biological, nuclear, cyber and chemical threats, according to the substitute amendment.

It also requires the department's science and technology division to establish national standards for first responder equipment six months after enactment of the bill. The standards must specifically address thermal imaging, radiation detection, chemical detection and interoperability equipment, among other items.

The department's current formula distributes to each state three-quarters of 1 percent of the total amount authorized, and the remainder is distributed on the bases of the state's population. The department also allocates money through an additional grant program called the Urban Areas Security Initiative, which addresses the security threats of high-density urban areas, high-threat urban areas and critical infrastructure.

Suzanne Mencer, Homeland's director of the grant programs, testified Thursday morning before a House Judiciary subcommittee that Congress gave the department in fiscal 2003 $2 billion for the population-based program and $800 million for the urban areas program. For fiscal 2004, Congress appropriated an additional $2.2 billion and $725 million for the programs, respectively, she said.

Mencer said the population-based program "facilitates coordination of preparedness activities ... resulting in a more effective and efficient use of funding." It also minimizes time spent on the application process and consolidates reporting requirements, she said.

But state and local officials have complained the programs are cumbersome and do not provide adequate funding to the most vulnerable areas.

Ray Kelly, New York City's police commissioner, who testified along with Mencer Thursday, said the current funding formula results in a "complete mismatch between the funding provided under this program and the need," adding New York ranked 49th and California ranked 50th on the per capita bases.

On the urban areas initiative, Kelly said while it "seemed so promising at the outset," adding more cities to the list has watered it down. New York City received 25 percent of the funding allocated among seven cities in the first round for the program. But after the list grew to 30 cities last year, the city's share decreased to 18 percent, he said. "Now there are over 50 localities plus 30 transportation agencies on the list, and the share for the New York metropolitan area has dwindled to below 7 percent."

H.R. 3266, dubbed the "Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act," would replace both programs, but would not affect federal grant programs that existed prior to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

It also requires that state governments within 45 days of receiving the grants pass on 80 percent of the funding to local governments, first responders and any other local groups specified in the grant application. Grant recipients must match 25 percent of the funding.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said he wanted language to authorize $5 billion annually for the program added to the bill before the full committee takes it up next year.

The measure also requires the secretary to revise the department's well-known alert system to designate geographic regions or economic sectors when issuing the color-coded advisories.