H.R. 4509 would direct entities that receive grants under the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) or the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) to establish an Urban Area Working Group or a state planning committee to determine funding priorities, prepare and revise homeland security plans, and assess risks to the regions where grants are awarded. On the basis of information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would have no significant federal cost over the 2017-2021 period because implementing the provisions of the bill would primarily be the responsibility of state, regional, and local governments.
Because enacting H.R. 4509 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO also estimates that enacting the bill would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
Under current law, states and high-risk urban areas that receive grants under the UASI or HSGP programs are required to establish planning committees—if such a committee does not already exist—to prepare and revise homeland security plans for the state, regional, or local communities and to assist with establishing funding priorities. Additionally, the planning committees are required to include representatives from local and tribal governments and from fire services, emergency medical services, and law enforcement.
Under the bill, grant recipients would be required to establish an urban area working group or a state planning committee to assist with identifying threats and risks to the region where the grant is awarded and to carry out the responsibilities already attributed to planning committees under current law. H.R. 4509 also would require the working group or committee to include public health officials, representatives from educational institutions, coordinators of communications infrastructure, and representatives from information sharing centers. The costs of establishing working groups or planning committees to satisfy those requirements would be borne by the state, regional or local community that receives such a grant.
H.R. 4509 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, and any costs incurred by state, local, or tribal governments would result from complying with conditions of assistance.