State and Urban Area Homeland Security Plans and Exercises: Issues for the 110th Congress

Publication Date: January 2007

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

As the 110th Congress begins 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. The department, however, has reviewed federal, state, and urban area emergency operations plans and issued a report on their findings in June 2006. This CRS 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.

This report will be updated when the Department of Homeland Security issues its FY2007 Homeland Security Grant Program guidance and application kit.