Volume 149, No. 87 covering the 1st Session of the 108th Congress (2003 - 2004) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2003” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S7873-S7874 on June 13, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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, 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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