Homeland Security Grants: DHS Implemented National Priority Areas but Could Better Document and Communicate Changes
Fast Facts
The Department of Homeland Security provides funds to help state and local governments prepare for terrorist threats. The Homeland Security Grant Program requires grantees to spend 30% of their funds on "National Priority Areas"—designated threat categories like cybersecurity. Almost all the areas have minimum spending requirements.
To respond to emergent risks, DHS has changed these priorities over time—e.g., adding an election security area in FY 2022. But some grantees said it was hard to meet requirements because they didn't get enough information from DHS about the changes.
We recommended that DHS improve documentation and outreach.
A terrorism task force vehicle funded by DHS grants in Chicago
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established a process for making changes to its Homeland Security Grant Program National Priority Areas. However, it has not fully documented the rationale and process used for making the changes. Doing so could help DHS improve transparency for how or why these decisions are made and ensure continuity of institutional knowledge about the program.
FEMA has hosted webinars and technical assistance calls to provide grantees information on grant applications. But FEMA has not conducted additional targeted outreach, such as the listening sessions it conducted in fiscal year 2021 to solicit suggestions to improve its communication with stakeholders. Doing so would help FEMA better understand and address communication and other challenges stakeholders reported facing with implementing National Priority Area changes. This could also help FEMA better assist grantees with their planning efforts and help allow for the better prioritization of program funds moving forward.
Homeland Security Grant Program Funded Bomb Squad Vehicle
Source: GAO observation of Homeland Security Grant Program funded bomb squat vehicle at the 2023 National Homeland Security Conference. | GAO-24-106327
FEMA uses a variety of methods to monitor grantees' projects to ensure they align with National Priority areas. GAO found that grant projects from fiscal year 2020 through 2022 generally aligned with these areas. GAO also found that grantee projects changed over time to reflect associated changes to the National Priority Areas. For example, DHS added domestic violent extremism as a National Priority Area in fiscal year 2021. GAO's analysis of FEMA data found that grantees met required spending thresholds for this area and implemented associated projects.
Why GAO Did This Study
Since fiscal year 2002, FEMA has awarded over $55 billion in threat preparedness grants to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. One of these grants is the Homeland Security Grant Program. In fiscal year 2020, DHS introduced National Priority Areas to this grant to target funding toward evolving threats. FEMA's process for changing the National Priority Areas consists of soliciting and analyzing information from various sources. FEMA provides potential recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security who makes the changes.
GAO was asked to examine how DHS established and makes changes to National Priority Areas. This report examines the extent to which: (1) DHS documented its process for changing the National Priority Areas and communicated changes to stakeholders; and (2) FEMA monitored grantee projects' alignment with the Priority Areas. GAO evaluated agency guidance and fiscal year 2020 through 2022 program data—the most current available—and interviewed FEMA officials. GAO interviewed state and local emergency management officials from 16 grantee jurisdictions selected to reflect a range of funding level and geography.
Recommendations
GAO is recommending that (1) DHS fully document the rationale and process for making changes to the National Priority Areas; and (2) FEMA conduct targeted outreach to stakeholders. DHS and FEMA concurred with our recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Homeland Security | The Secretary of Homeland Security should fully document the rationale and process DHS uses for making changes to the National Priority Areas, including identifying the stakeholders it consulted, and the information it used for making the changes. (Recommendation 1). |
In January 2024, we found that since their development in 2020, DHS has made changes to the National Priority Areas (NPA) annually to help ensure that grants target the highest risks. For example, in 2021, DHS added a fifth NPA-combating domestic violent extremism-and increased the total required minimum spending percentages of the NPA from 20 percent to 30 percent. However, DHS had not fully documented the rationale and process for making these changes. We recommended that the Secretary of Homeland Security fully document the rationale and process DHS uses for making changes to the NPA, including identifying the stakeholders it consulted, and the information it used for making the changes. In July 2024, DHS provided the 180-day letter in which it stated that to address this recommendation FEMA had formed a proposal review team (PRT) in February 2024 charged with reviewing and providing input on grant policies. Specifically, the PRT reviews and finalizes NPA proposed recommendations, which are then submitted through the FEMA Administrator to the Secretary for consideration. In September 2024, DHS provided copies of the briefings FEMA conducted for the Secretary to obtain approval for the fiscal year 2024 NPA recommendations. These briefings document the rationale and process DHS used for making changes to the NPA for fiscal year 2024, including the stakeholders consulted and the information used. However, to fully address this recommendation DHS needs to provide documentation such a memorandum that directs the Secretary's or FEMA staff to continue the documentation process each year moving forward.
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| Federal Emergency Management Agency | The FEMA Administrator should conduct targeted outreach to stakeholders to better understand and address communication and other stakeholder challenges with implementing National Priority Area changes. (Recommendation 2). |
In January 2024, we found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-the agency that administers the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)-did not communicate with stakeholders in fiscal year 2020 when it established the National Priority Areas and has not consistently conducted targeted outreach to address other challenges stakeholders are experiencing. For example, to solicit grantees' input on the program FEMA held listening sessions in fiscal year 2021; however, FEMA has not consistently conducted such outreach to obtain stakeholders' input, or systematically solicited grantees' feedback on specific steps that could enhance communication since then. Consequently, we recommended that FEMA conduct targeted outreach to stakeholders to better understand and address communication and other stakeholder challenges with implementing National Priority Area changes. In a February 2024, FEMA provided several documents detailing the dates, agenda, and content of several meetings and webinars it held with stakeholders in fiscal year 2023, as well as a schedule of additional meetings it plans to hold in fiscal year 2024 to solicit stakeholders' input on the HSGP. Per the meeting documents, FEMA requested, among other things, that these stakeholders specify actions that FEMA could take to help grantees better understand the HSGP National Priority Areas in advance of issuing the Notices of Funding Opportunities. It also requests that stakeholders prioritize their ideas for reshaping the HSGP. Further, in May 2024, FEMA provided evidence of additional stakeholder outreach efforts it has conducted. Specifically, in spring 2024, FEMA held a series of HSGP webinars for State Administrative Agencies and Urban Area Security Initiatives representatives with the stated goal of "increasing transparency and ensuring HSGP stakeholders have the information they need to successfully participate in the fiscal year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program". In July 2024 DHS provided the 180-day letter which summarizes these actions. The combination of these stakeholder outreach efforts should enable FEMA to better understand and address the communication and other challenges stakeholders face with implementing National Priority Area changes. As a result, this recommendation is closed as implemented.
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