H.R. 6825 would authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to award grants to states for programs that protect nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and educational institutions, from terrorist attacks. Under the act, states would award funding to nonprofit organizations, half of which would be allocated to nonprofits in high-risk urban areas. Recipients would use grant funds to harden potential targets with physical security and to cover the costs of security training for employees.
The legislation also would direct FEMA to establish an office within the agency to administer the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) and to provide additional outreach, education, and technical assistance to participating states and nonprofits. In addition, the act would expand the eligible uses of grant funds to include the remodeling of existing facilities, paying security personnel, and covering the recipients’ administrative expenses.
Finally, the act would require FEMA to hire a contractor to analyze the effectiveness of the program, including the formulas it uses to allocate funding, and to report annually to the Congress about the program’s operations, applications, and spending.
The legislation would authorize the appropriation of $360 million for each year from 2023 through 2028 to carry out those purposes. In 2022, the Congress appropriated $250 million for the NSGP, including $125 million for nonprofits located in urban areas.
