After what they described as more than six months of meetings, conference calls, and over 20 drafts, the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) has issued a report that documents their examination of the suite of homeland security and emergency management grants which include the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) Program and the Homeland Security Grants Program (HSGP).

The report, a “Proposal for a Comprehensive Preparedness Grants Structure” follows last summer’s NEMA report titled “The Homeland Security Grant Program – Keeping a Promise to the Nation.” According to the NEMA web site, this effort was spurred by a desire to provide an alternative to calls to Congress to “please don’t cut funding”. The calls to not cut funding fell on deaf ears as Congress proceeded to cut the budget sharply. Homeland security grants were targeted for a disproportionate level of cuts, down nearly two thirds from FY 2010. (more…)