By Ed Somers
February 11, 2008

During a closed session on January 25, members of the Homeland Security Task Force were briefed on federal threat assessments and intelligence sharing by top officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including Under Secretary Charles Allen. The task force meeting was led by co-chairs Sugar Land (TX) Mayor David Wallace and Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon.

The mayors were briefed on the positive impact state fusion centers are having on the sharing of intelligence, and increases in homeland security grants approved by Congress.

DHS announced February 1, the allocation process for $3 billion in grants to states, urban areas, and transportation authorities under 14 different programs. Included are $781.6 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) program, and $862.9 million for the State Homeland Security (SHSP) program.

As a result of the 9/11 Commission bill enacted last year and DHS decisions, the FY 2008 grant programs contain a number of changes including:

• Law Enforcement Activities will become part of both the SHSP and UASI programs, with a requirement to spend at least 25 percent of each award on these prevention and protection activities;

• Tier 1 and 2 urban areas will be eligible to use up to 25 percent of UASI funds to support counterterrorism personnel costs, and up to 15 percent of SHSP funds for personnel costs;

• DHS is more narrowly focusing the funding priorities this year, with the goal of ‘targeting funding where the largest gaps reside;” and

• DHS’s risk methodology for the grants has been revised.

Detailed guidance and application instructions are available at http://www.fema.gov/grants. Also included at this site is the list of seven eligible Tier 1 and 53 eligible Tier 2 UASI cities/metro areas.