U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20528 Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. What is the purpose of the FY 2012 HSGP? The purpose of the FY 2012 HSGP is to provide a primary funding mechanism for building and sustaining national preparedness capabilities. HSGP is comprised of three related grant programs: State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI), and Operation Stonegarden (OPSG). The FY 2012 HSGP 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 National Preparedness Goal (NPG). Per the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107–296), Title XX, § 2006, as amended by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53) (hereafter “9/11 Act”), Title I, §101, August 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 280, 6 U.S.C. § 607, states are required to ensure that at least 25 percent (25%) of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI are dedicated towards law enforcement terrorism prevention activities (LETPA) linked to one or more core capabilities within the NPG. The LETPA allocation can be from SHSP, UASI or both. Although no longer funded as discrete grant programs, all activities and costs allowed under the FY 2010 Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP), FY 2010 Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP), FY 2011 Citizen Corps Program (CCP), FY 2011 Driver’s License Security Grant Program (DLSGP), and FY 2011 Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) grant program are allowable and encouraged activities and costs under the FY 2012 HSGP. For additional information on allowable activities under the aforementioned grant programs, please refer to http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/nondisaster.shtm. 2. How much funding is available under the FY 2012 HSGP? The total amount of funds distributed under the FY 2012 HSGP will be $830,976,000. HSGP Programs FY 2012 Allocation State Homeland Security Program $294,000,000 Urban Areas Security Initiative $490,376,000 Operation Stonegarden $46,600,000 Total $830,976,000 1 3. Who is eligible to apply for FY 2012 HSGP funds? The State Administrative Agency (SAA) is the only entity eligible to apply to FEMA for HSGP funds. Prospective recipients for the suite of HSGP programs include the following: . SHSP: All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands . UASI: The 31 eligible Urban Areas identified in the HSGP Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) . OPSG: Local units of government at the county level and federally-recognized tribal governments in the states bordering Canada (including Alaska), states bordering Mexico and states and territories with international water borders 4. How will the FY 2012 HSGP funds be allocated? . SHSP: FY 2012 SHSP funds will be allocated based on three factors: minimum amounts as legislatively mandated, DHS’ risk methodology, and anticipated effectiveness based on the strength of the Investment Justification (IJ). Each State and territory will receive a minimum allocation under SHSP using the thresholds established in the 9/11 Act. All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico will receive 0.35 percent of the total funds allocated for grants under Section 2003 and Section 2004 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended by the 9/11 Act, for SHSP. Four territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) will receive a minimum allocation of 0.08 percent of the total funds allocated for grants under Section 2003 and 2004 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended by the 9/11 Act . UASI: FY 2012 UASI funds will be allocated based on DHS’ risk methodology and anticipated effectiveness based on the strength of the IJ. Eligible candidates for the FY 2012 UASI program have been determined through an analysis of relative risk of terrorism faced by the 100 most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the United States, in accordance with the 9/11 Act . OPSG: FY 2012 OPSG funds will be allocated based on risk-based prioritization using a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sector-specific border risk methodology to include, but not limited to: threat, vulnerability, miles of border, and other border-specific “law enforcement intelligence,” as well as feasibility of FY 2012 Operation Orders to designated localities within the United States border States and territories 5. What are the key changes for FY 2012 HSGP? . In order to ensure standardization across all grant programs and cooperative agreements issued by DHS, HSGP’s Guidance was reformatted for consistency and renamed to Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) . Priorities for HSGP support the implementation of Presidential Policy Directive - 8 (PPD-8) and the NPG. FY 2012 HSGP has been aligned to the five mission areas and supporting core capabilities within the NPG . Reduces the period of performance for HSGP from 36 months to 24 months 2 . Removes the Semi-Annual Assistance Progress Report (SAPR) reporting requirement in lieu of the Standard Form-Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) to report on progress towards implementing program-specific performance measures . Expands the scope of maintenance and sustainment by allowing the support of equipment that has previously been purchased with both federal and other sources of funding as long as direct linkage can be provided to one of the core capabilities within the NPG . Includes requirement for HSGP recipients to belong to or be located in Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) membership states in support of the NPG (excludes American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) . Expands the scope of allowable construction and renovation projects beyond a component of a security system at critical infrastructure facilities. Allowable expenses for SHSP and UASI were also expanded to include operational packages such as anti-terrorism, mobile screening, and/or canine team activities . Eligible Urban Areas will no longer be grouped into Tier I and Tier II based on their relative risk . Applicants will no longer be required to align proposed Investments to the eight National Priorities within the National Preparedness Guidelines . Applicants will no longer be required to align proposed funding requests to the Target Capabilities List (TCL). Instead, applicants will be required to align funding to the core capabilities as outlined in the NPG . Due to the lack of discrete appropriations set-aside for SHSP and UASI, modified the calculation of the SHSP state funding minimum and the law enforcement terrorism prevention activities based on each state and Urban Area’s allocated amount rather than appropriated amount as mandated by the 9/11 Act . States are required to ensure that at least 25 percent (25%) of the combined HSGP funds allocated under SHSP and UASI are dedicated towards LETPA linked to one or more core capabilities within the NPG. The LETPA allocation can be from SHSP, UASI or both. In FY 2011, states were required to ensure that at least 25 percent (25%) of SHSP appropriated funds and 25 percent (25%) of UASI appropriated funds were dedicated towards LETPA . Total number of Investments for SHSP and UASI will be limited to 10, rather than 15 each . Applicants will be required to consolidate all fusion center-related funding requests into a single Investment for states or Urban Areas in which recognized fusion centers reside. The Investment must also address funding support for the recognized fusion center . To ensure the success of OPSG, provided supplemental guidance to prospective grantees further defining the roles and responsibilities of each participant within the integrated planning team 6. What legislation authorizes funding for the FY 2012 HSGP? The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012, Division D (Public Law 112-74) provides funding for this program. 3 7. Where is the FY 2012 HSGP FOA located? The FY 2012 HSGP FOA is located online at: http://www.fema.gov/grants as well as on www.grants.gov. 8. What other resources are available to address programmatic, technical, and financial questions? . For additional program-specific information, please contact the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) help line at (800) 368-6498 or askcsid@dhs.gov. CSID hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. . For financial-related questions, including pre-and post-award administration and technical assistance, applicants may contact the FEMA Grant Programs Directorate Call Center at (866) 927-5646 or via e-mail to ASK-GMD@dhs.gov. 9. What is the FY 2012 HSGP period of performance? The period of performance is 24 months. 4