DHS Announces $1.8 Billion in Preparedness Grants

WASHINGTON- Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced more than $1.8 billion in funding for eight Fiscal Year 2024 preparedness grant programs. These grant programs provide critical funding to help state, local, tribal, and territorial officials prepare for, prevent, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism and disasters.

"As threats continue to evolve, the Department of Homeland Security is committed to providing state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities and nonprofit organizations, with vital resources to help them strengthen our nation's security and preparedness," said Secretary Mayorkas. "This funding is essential for frontline personnel, including emergency managers, firefighters, emergency medical services, law enforcement and other first responders. The grants will play a critical role in ensuring local communities across the country have the resources and capabilities to prevent threats to the homeland."

After extensive consultation with grantees leading up to this announcement, DHS is focused on the need to invest in high priority areas, build capacity in other communities, and give jurisdictions the flexibility to make prioritization decisions based on their own assessment of their needs. For Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, Congress cut each of the preparedness grants by 10%, which resulted in commensurate cuts to each jurisdiction.

The law requires that at least 25% of the combined funds for the State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) be dedicated to Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Activities (LETPA). This year, we are maintaining the LETPA minimum requirement of 35%. The Department's law enforcement subject matter experts engaged with FEMA experts to review and clarify policy and program decisions to ensure that law enforcement and terrorism-focused grant funds are appropriately used for terrorism prevention activities, thereby strengthening our national preparedness posture.

This year, we will provide $274.5 Million in Nonprofit Security Grant Program funds to houses of worship, schools, and other nonprofits to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. The program will continue to help integrate nonprofit preparedness activities with broader state and local preparedness efforts. It will also promote collaboration in emergency preparedness activities among public and private community representatives, as well as state and local government agencies.

The FY 2024 grant guidance will continue to focus on the nation's highest risk areas, including urban areas that face the most significant threats. The Urban Area Security Initiative enhances regional preparedness by helping build and sustain capabilities responsive to the evolving threat environment. This year, the Urban Area Security Initiative will fund 41 high-threat, high-density urban areas, including an urban area that has not previously received funding.

DHS continues to emphasize six national priority areas in the FY 2024 grant cycle: cybersecurity; soft targets and crowded places; intelligence and information sharing; domestic violent extremism; community preparedness and resilience; and election security. Grant recipients under the State Homeland Security Program and Urban Area Security Initiative will be required to dedicate a minimum of 30% of their awards across these six priority areas. Of the 30%, there is a 3% minimum spend on election security, with flexibility on how to spend the remaining 27% across the six priority areas.

As with previous years, new capabilities that are built using homeland security grant funding must be deployable if needed to support regional and national efforts. All capabilities being built or sustained must have a clear linkage to the core capabilities articulated in the National Preparedness Goal. 

FY 2024 Preparedness Grant Summary

State Homeland Security Program	$373.5 Million
Urban Area Security Initiative	$553.5 Million
Intercity Passenger Rail	$9 Million
Emergency Management Performance Grant	$319.55 Million
Operation Stonegarden	$81 Million
Tribal Homeland Security Program	$13.5 Million
Nonprofit Security Grant Program	$274.5 Million
Port Security Grant Program	$90 Million
Transit Security Grant Program	$83.7 Million
Intercity Bus Security Grant Program	$1.8 Million

Preparedness Grant Program Allocations for Fiscal Year 2024 

The following grants are non-competitive and awarded to recipients based on several factors: 

Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP): State Homeland Security Program-provides $373.5 million to support the implementation of risk-driven, capabilities-based state homeland security strategies to address capability targets. Awards are based on statutory minimums and relative risk as determined by DHS/FEMA's risk methodology. 

HSGP: Urban Area Security Initiative-provides $553.5 million to enhance regional preparedness and capabilities in 41 high-threat, high-density areas. Awards are based on relative risk as determined by DHS/FEMA's risk methodology. 

For both the state homeland and urban area grants, 30% of the awards must address the six priority areas of cybersecurity; soft target and crowded places; information and intelligence sharing; domestic violent extremism; community preparedness and resilience; and election security. Additionally, 35% of these grants must be dedicated to law enforcement terrorism prevention activities, and 80% of these grants must be obligated from the state to local or tribal governments within 45 calendar days of receipt.   

Intercity Passenger Rail-provides $9 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. Award made per congressional direction. 

Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program -provides $319.55 million to assist state, local, tribal and territorial emergency management agencies in obtaining the resources required to support the National Preparedness Goal's associated mission areas and core capabilities to build a culture of preparedness. Awards are based on statutory minimums and population. 

The following grants are competitive, and exact awards will be announced later this year:  

HSGP: Operation Stonegarden-provides $81 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 -provides $13.5 million to eligible tribal nations to implement preparedness initiatives to help strengthen the nation against risk associated with potential terrorist attacks and other hazards. 

Nonprofit Security Grant Program-provides $274.5 million to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. This year, $137.25 million is provided to nonprofits in UASI-designated urban areas, and $137.25 million is provided to nonprofits outside of UASI-designated urban areas located in any state or territory. 

Port Security Grant Program-provides $90 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 -provides $83.7 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 -provides $1.8 million to owners and operators of intercity bus systems to protect surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism and to increase the resilience of transit infrastructure.  

Before determining modifications and final allocations to the grant programs, DHS coordinated extensive engagements with local and state partners, and worked with a wide range of stakeholders.  

All preparedness funding notices can be found at www.grants.gov. Final submissions must be made through the FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO) system located at https://go.fema.gov. 

Further information on DHS's preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and http://www.fema.gov/grants. 

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