By Ed Somers
March 29, 2004

On March 11, the House Select Committee on Homeland Security approved legislation (HR 3266) designed to streamline the grant process for first responder funding at the state and regional levels. The bill authorizes $3.4 billion in FY 2006 for the new grant program.

The bill, co'sponsored by Committee Chair Chris Cox (CA) and Ranking Member Jim Turner (TX), would create a single state and regional grant program within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It also eliminates current programs such as the state block grant, the law enforcement block grant, and the urban areas program.

Under the proposed legislation, DHS would be required to award grants based on the level of threat to a state or region, not based on a statutorily required minimum for small states or a population-based formula. States would be required to apply for funding, and the bill would allow certain regions to apply directly.

The bill defines eligible regions as: (1) encompassing an area of not less than 20,000 square miles or including a population of at least 1.65 million (top 25 MSAs); or (2) areas certified as regions by DHS, with the consent of both the state/states in which they are located (including a multi'state entity established by a compact between two or more states), and the incorporated jurisdictions within the region.

There is nothing in the bill that would require DHS to approve these regional applications, and in the end all money could still flow through the states, who would be required to pass 80 percent of the funds they receive to local governments and other entities within 45 days of receiving them.

Before this bill reaches the floor, it will have to go through other committees. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner Jr. (WI) said during markup that his committee will also take up the bill and indicated plans to restore a small-state minimum. Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Don Young (AK) said he plans to address additional concerns when the bill reaches his committee.

Senate Bill

Authorization legislation is also moving forward in the Senate where the Governmental Affairs Committee has approved a bill (S 1245) that would maintain the state block grant and the urban areas program, and would maintain a more limited small'state minimum than current law. Under this bill sponsored by Committee Chair Susan Collins (ME), 100 percent of the urban areas funding would go directly to the area, with no pass-through or share for the state.

No date has been set for Senate floor action on this bill.