The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the availability of more than $2 billion for several preparedness grant programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. These programs, as always, provide critical funding to help state and local officials prepare for, prevent, protect against, and respond to all types of hazards. And like years past, the FY 2023 grant programs continue to focus on the nation’s highest-risk areas, including urban ones that face the most significant threats and national priorities.
Following are the preparedness grant allocations, both non-competitive and competitive, for FY 2023:
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP): Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) – This non-competitive grant provides $615 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities by funding 40 high-threat, high-density urban areas. Five additional urban areas will receive funding to build and sustain capabilities in an evolving threat environment. According to DHS, this represents Congressional intent to limit these funds to those urban areas that represent up to 85% of the nationwide risk.
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP): State Homeland Security Grant Program – This non-competitive grant provides $415 million to support the implementation of risk-driven, capabilities-based state homeland security strategies to address capability targets.
It is important to note that grant recipients under the State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative will be required to dedicate a minimum of 30% of their awards across six priority areas identified by DHS. These include:
- Cybersecurity
- Soft targets and crowded places
- Intelligence and information sharing
- Domestic violent extremism
- Community preparedness and resilience
- Election security
Intercity Passenger Rail: Amtrak Program – This non-competitive grant program provides $10 million to Amtrak to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and increase the resilience of the Amtrak rail system.
Emergency Management Performance Grant Program – This non-competitive grant program provides $355.1 million to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management agencies in obtaining the resources required to support the associated mission areas and core capabilities to build a culture of preparedness as identified by the National Preparedness Goal.
HSGP: Operation Stonegarden – This competitive grant provides $90 million to enhance cooperation and coordination among state, local, tribal, territorial, and federal law enforcement agencies to jointly enhance security along the United States’ land and water borders.
Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program – This competitive grant program provides $15 million to eligible tribal nations to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the country against risk(s) associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.
Nonprofit Security Grant Program – This competitive grant program provides $305 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack. For 2023, $152.5 million will be provided to nonprofits in UASI-designated urban areas, and $152.5 million will be provided to nonprofits outside UASI-designated areas in any state or territory.
Port Security Grant Program – This competitive grant program provides $100 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, improve port-wide maritime security risk management, and maintain or re-establish maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities.
Transit Security Grant Program – This competitive grant program provides $93 million to owners and operators of public transit systems to protect critical surface transportation and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Intercity Bus Security Grant Program – This competitive grant program provides $2 million to protect surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.
Given recent events and the possibility of future threats, modifications and funding allocations to these grant programs for 2023 were needed and are welcomed by all those involved in emergency preparedness. At BOLDplanning, a division of Agility, we encourage you to learn more about the FY 2023 Preparedness Grant program and all it offers. Visit www.dhs.gov and http://www.fema.gov/grants now.
