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U.S. Government Affairs Committee
Committee Chair:
Randall C. Duncan, MPA, CEM, rduncan@sedgwick.gov
Committee Vice Chair:
Russell Decker, CEM, rdecker@allencountyohio.com
Board Liaison:
Bruce Lockwood, CEM, lockwoodbruce@comcast.net
Policy Advisor:
Martha Braddock, braddock@iaem.com
Committee Mission
Monitor proposed legislation at the federal, state and/or local level which may impact emergency management activities or the goals of the association, or may set a precedent for the future legal implications.
U.S. Government Affairs News
 IAEM-USA Press Release: Local Government Personnel Making National Emergency Response to Hurricane Sandy Possible (02 Nov 2012)
IAEM-USA Government Affairs Committee Publishes Final Agenda for its IAEM Annual Conference Meeting (28 Oct 2012) Download the USGA Committtee agenda here for the committee meeting to take place on Oct. 28, 2012.
IAEM-USA Was Represented at the FEMA National Preparedness Symposium (13 Aug 2012) Hui-Shan Walker, CEM, IAEM-USA President; Ken Rudnicki,CEM, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of Fairfax, VA, and President of the Virginia Emergency Management Association; and Martha Braddock, IAEM-USA Policy Advisor, represented IAEM-USA at the FEMA National Preparedness Symposium, "Increasing Preparedness to Build Community Resilience," Aug. 7-9, 2012, Washington, DC. The symposium, which replaced the annual grants conference, included
federal, state, territorial, tribal and local governments and private and public partners. A number of IAEM-USA members attended as representatives of their jurisdictions.
IAEM-USA Participated in the FEMA National Advisory Council Meeting (13 Aug 2012) Jeff Walker, CEM, IAEM-USA First Vice President, and Charles "Chuck" Kmet, Chair of the IAEM-USA Tribal Affairs Caucus, participated in the July 12 meeting of the FEMA National Advisory Council (NAC), in Arlington, VA. The NAC, which meets quarterly, includes members from state, tribal, local governments, private sector and non-governmental partners who advise and provide recommendations to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. At this meeting, they reviewed the process and recommendations of the four subcommittees and discussed policies with FEMA leadership.
FEMA Now Accepting Applications for FY 2012 Continuing Training Grants Program (13 June 2012) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that as of June 12, 2012, the Agency is accepting applications for the FY 2012 Continuing Training Grants (CTG) program. The purpose of the FY 2012 CTG is to develop and deliver a national training program that provides tailored, specialized training courses in three areas that will focus on Whole Community Inclusive Planning, Cybersecurity, and Complex Attacks. Applicants must submit completed applications, including a nine-page concept paper through www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. EST, on July 3, 2012. Download a FEMA FAQ document here with details.
The CTG program is a competitive grant program with a period of performance of 36 months. The funding for the one-year solicitation was authorized by The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2012 (Public Law NO. 112-74). Funding will be provided in the form of cooperative agreements awarded directly to the selected applicants. Final awards will be announced by the end of the current fiscal year. The DHS-FEMA CTG program will provide $3,793,600 in grant funding to improve the nation’s readiness to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from and to mitigate against terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. (Funding for each of the three focus areas will not exceed $1,264,533.33 per area).
Eligible applicants for the FY 2012 CTG program include state, local, tribal, and territorial governments; non-profit associations and organizations, including community and faith-based organizations, with a demonstrable, expertise relevant to the focus area for which grant funding is being requested; non-profit higher education institutions with existing programs that address the focus area for which grant funding is requested.
FEMA Seeks Feedback on Building and Sustaining National Preparedness Efforts (07 June 2012) FEMA and its partners today opened a new campaign on "Building and Sustaining National Preparedness Efforts" and is seeking your contributions. FEMA wants to increase outreach efforts and encourage everyone to take actionable steps to be prepared.
Your posts on this topic will help FEMA to begin to develop a national campaign encouraging people to take actions in their everyday lives to prepare for disasters. This effort is a major part of Presidential Policy Directive 8/PPD-8: National Preparedness.
Visit http://fema.ideascale.com and click the link to access the topic’s page, where you can post your ideas, and read and comment on others’ ideas between now and June 18, 2012.
For more information on PPD-8, visit www.fema.gov/ppd8.
If you have any questions, contact FEMA’s Intergovernmental Affairs Division at (202) 646-3444 or at FEMA-IGA@fema.dhs.gov.
Committee Quarterly Report, Nov. 11, 2011-Mar. 31, 2012 (10 May 2012)
IAEM-USA President Hui-Shan Walker, CEM, Provides Testimony Before House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response & Communications at Hearing on "Ensuring the Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Transparency of Homeland Security Grants: Stakeholder Perspectives" (02 May 2012)
IAEM-USA President Hui-Shan Walker, CEM, provided testimony on Apr. 26, 2012, before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response & Communications. The topic of the hearing was "Ensuring the Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Transparency of Homeland Security Grants: (Part 2) Stakeholder Perspectives." Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chairman, provided opening statements. Other witnesses included: (Testimony of all witnesses is posted here.)
- Jim Davis,
Executive Director,
Colorado Department of Public Safety,
Vice Chair of the Governors' Homeland Security Advisors Council, representing
National Governors Association.
- Bryan Koon,
Director, Florida Division of Emergency Management, representing National Emergency Management Association.
- Hui-Shan L. Walker, CEM,
Emergency Management Coordinator,
City of Hampton, Virginia, representing IAEM-USA.
- Judson Freed,
Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security,
Ramsey County, Minnesota, representing National Association of Counties.
IAEM-USA Second Vice President Bruce Lockwood, CEM, Provides Testimony Before House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response & Communications at Hearing on "Taking Measure of Countermeasures: Protecting the Protectors" (02 May 2012) IAEM-USA Second Vice President Bruce Lockwood, CEM, provided testimony on Apr. 17, 2012, before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response & Communications. The topic of the hearing was "Taking Measure of Countermeasures: Protecting the Protectors." Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chairman, provided opening statements. Witnesses included: (Testimony of all witnesses is posted here.)
- Dr. J.D. Polk,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Office of Health Affairs,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Edward J. Gabriel,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Preparedness and Response
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Chief Al H. Gillespie,
President & Chairman of the Board,
International Association of Fire Chiefs
- Bruce Lockwood,
CEM, Second Vice President,
USA Council,
International Association of Emergency Managers
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Sheriff Chris Nocco,
Pasco County (FL) Sheriff’s Office
- Mr. Manuel Peralta,
Director of Safety and Health,
National Association of Letter Carriers
Coalition of 12 Organizations, Including IAEM-USA, Express Concern with FEMA Proposal for Homeland Security Grant Programs (21 Mar 2012) Below are posted four joint letters expressing concern with FEMA’s proposal to reform homeland security grant programs. The letters are from 12 groups (including IAEM-USA) representing local elected officials, emergency managers, major city police chiefs, sheriffs, and the major fire service organizations. The U.S. Conference of Mayors took the lead on the letters.
(06 Mar 2012) IAEM and the National Association of Counties (NACo) sent a joint letter to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate on Mar. 6, 2012. The letter asked FEMA to rescind a change in the FY 2012 Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG), which states that "EMPG Program funds may be sub granted to non-governmental emergency management stakeholder entities such as non-profits, public and private universities, hospitals, faith-based entities." Download letter.
EMPG Provides Valuable Returns on Investment to Local Communities;
IAEM-USA Releases Fifth Annual Look at Emergency Management Performance Grant(05 Mar 2012)
 Emergency Management Performance Grant Funds: Returns on Investment at the Local Level (05 Mar 2012)
DHS Announces Grant Guidance for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Preparedness Grants (17 Feb 2012) Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced the release of FY 2012 grant guidance and application kits for seven DHS preparedness grant programs totaling over $1.3 billion to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening our nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies in support of the National Preparedness Goal. For complete details, reference the links below:
- FY 2012 Grants Overview (PDF 110KB, TXT 27KB)
- FY 2012 Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program
- Total Funding Available in FY 2012: $339,500,000
- Purpose: The purpose of the FY 2012 EMPG Program is to provide grants to states to assist state, local, tribal and territorial governments in preparing for all hazards, as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.). Title VI of the Stafford Act authorizes FEMA to make grants for the purpose of providing a system of emergency preparedness for the protection of life and property in the United States from hazards and to vest responsibility for emergency preparedness jointly in the federal government and the states and their political subdivisions. The federal government, through the EMPG Program, provides necessary direction, coordination, and guidance, and provides necessary assistance, as authorized in this title so that a comprehensive emergency preparedness system exists for all hazards. The FY 2012 EMPG plays an important role in the implementation of Presidential Policy Directive – 8 (PPD-8) by supporting the development and sustainment of core capabilities to fulfill the NPG.
- Eligible Applicants: The SAA or the state’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is the only entity eligible to apply to FEMA for the EMPG Program funds on behalf of state and local emergency management agencies, however only one application will be accepted from each state or territory. All 56 states and territories, as well as the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia, are eligible to apply for the FY 2012 EMPG Program funds.
- Program Awards: The FY 2012 EMPG Program allocation methodology dictates that all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will receive a base amount of 0.75 percent (.75%) of the total available grant funding. Four territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) will receive a base amount of 0.25 percent (.25%) of the total available grant funding. The balance of the EMPG Program funds will be distributed on a population-match basis. Pursuant to Article X of the Federal Programs and Services Agreement of the Compact of Free Association authorized by Public Law 108-188, funds are available for the Federated States of Micronesia, and for the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
- In FY 2012, the Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out using funds made available under the program shall not exceed 50 percent of the total budget. State cost match (cash or in-kind) requirement, as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93-288), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207, specifically, Title VI, sections 611(j) and 613. Unless otherwise authorized by law, Federal funds cannot be matched with other Federal funds.
- FY 2012 EMPG Funding Opportunity Announcement
- FY 2012 EMPG Frequently Asked Questions
- FY 2012 EMPG Fact Sheet
- FY 2012 EMPG Work Plan
- Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)
- Intercity Passenger Rail Security Grant Program (IPR)
- Non-Profit Security Grant Program (NSGP)
- Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)
- Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP)
- Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)
DHS/FEMA Issues Guidance to Expedite Drawdown of Grants FY 2007-2011 (14 Feb 2012) Eight billion in previously awarded grants funds have been allocated but not drawdown. To provide more flexibility and accelerate the drawdown of grants, DHS/FEMA has provided Guidance to the state administrative agencies. This guidance will apply to the FY 2007-2011 grants and will also apply to the FY 2012 grants. Guidance for FY2012 is expected to be available on Feb. 17. Details are provided in these documents:
Help Us Fight for Emergency Management Performance Grant Funding by Completing our 5th Annual EMPG Survey (24 Jan 2012) IAEM-USA is conducting a survey seeking information from U.S. local government emergency management offices about Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding again this year. We need your participation. Deadline for response has been extended to 12:00 midnight ET, Feb. 7, 2012.
FEMA To Host First Monthly Think Tank Kick Off Conference Call on Jan. 26 (24 Jan 2012) FEMA is hosting the first monthly FEMA Think Tank Conference call on Jan. 26, 2012, 2:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern time. It is open to state, local and tribal governments and all members of the public.
2011 U.S. Government Affairs News Archive
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