State and Urban Area Homeland Security Plans and Exercises: Issues for the 109th Congress

Abstract

As Congress continues to address state and urban area homeland security matters, it might opt to review activities funded with federal homeland security assistance to ensure readiness for both terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Two potential activities that Congress might choose to focus on are the certification of state and urban area homeland security plans, and the conduct of exercises to test the plans. The Department of Homeland Security requires some plans, but does not certify them, nor does it require regular testing of the plans with exercises. This report addresses possible policy questions associated with homeland security plans and exercises. These questions might be considered important by Congress because they address issues that go beyond the federal allocation of homeland security assistance to how states and urban areas use federal funding to prepare for terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides assistance programs -- such as the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) -- to states and localities to assure readiness for both terrorist attacks and natural and man-made disasters. Among the eligible activities for which states and localities may use DHS assistance are (1) state and local planning to respond to terrorist attacks and catastrophic events, and (2) conducting exercises to test these plans. DHS does not currently certify state and local plans and does not require regularly scheduled state and local exercises. Because of the lack of such requirements, Congress might opt to address possible policy questions in its continuing oversight of DHS activities and identify possible steps to strengthen the nation's homeland security. This report addresses some of those policy questions.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 03, 2006
Accession Number
ADA450418

Entities

People

  • Shawn Reese

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Area Security
  • Congress
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Disasters
  • Emergencies
  • Emergency Response
  • First Responders
  • Governments
  • Homeland Security
  • Local Governments
  • National Governments
  • Natural Disasters
  • Personnel Management
  • Security
  • Security Personnel
  • United States Government
  • Urban Areas

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.