$52.81B Homeland Security FY Funding Proposed to Support HI-EMA, ICE and More

Congressman Ed Case, HI-01, announced approval by his US House Committee on Appropriations of the Department of Homeland Security funding bill, one of the 12 bills that will collectively fund the federal government for Fiscal Year 2022, commencing Oct. 1, 2021.

The FY 2022 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill proposes to fund $53 billion in federal homeland security, immigration and emergency management programs.

This measure supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, the US Coast Guard, the US Secret Service and more.

“This bill will secure our critical infrastructure with dramatically increased funding to prevent future cyber-attacks. and root out cyber intrusions, something that unfortunately has been occurring with increasing frequency across our country,” said Case.

The bill includes Case’s request, under Member-designated Community Project Funding, to provide $1 million for the planning and design of the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency’s State Emergency Operations Center in the Mililani First Responder Tech Campus.

“This project will call for the construction of a hardened and modernized State Emergency Operations Center at the First Responder Tech Campus to replace the aging Battery Birkhimer SEOC in Diamond Head Crater,” said Case. “This project request covers the preliminary SEOC design phase, including the schematic designs and developing reporting requirements.”

“CPF requests are submitted by individual Members and are for specific projects and purposes in our respective districts,” explained Case. “CPF requests are only for state and local governments or non-profits organizations. These projects must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed, and they are subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office.”

Other programs and provisions requested and secured by Case include:

• $101 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, which includes the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa;
• Report language supporting the continued expansion of the preclearance program to eligible partners in the Indo-Pacific region to support ease of travel and tourism;
• Report language supporting the evaluation of space-based radio frequency detection technologies to support maritime domain awareness and combat Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;
• Report language directing US Customs and Border Protection to continue efforts to address invasive species in Hawai‘i and the non-contiguous US territories;
• Report language directing TSA to examine the safety and efficiency of using local law enforcement partnerships to staff airport exit lanes under TSA oversight;
• Congressional direction to the administration on the continued introduction of invasive species to Hawai‘i and the non-contiguous US territories;
• $365 million for the Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HI-EMA;
• $740 million for firefighter grant programs, which are a major source of funding for county fire departments; and
• $15 million for the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program.

The measure also:

• Provides $132 million for new technology to support border security, including non-intrusive imaging technology;
• Provides $475 million to continue the expansion of the Alternatives to Detention program;
• Allocates $100 million administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a non-custodial, community-based shelter grant program for immigration processing and case management services for migrants;
• Includes $41.5 million for US Coast Guard personnel support, including tuition assistance, training and course development and more;
• Provides $2.4 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, an increase of $397.4 million above the FY 2021 enacted level;
• Provides $830.4 million for science and technology accounts, including $7.7 million for the Minority Serving Institutions Program;
• Provides $110 million for Port Security Grants, an increase of $10 million above FY 2021;
• Authorizes the use of CBP and ICE funds to support efforts related to the reunification of separated migrant families.
• Case’s Appropriations Committee is responsible for allocating some $1.5 trillion in funding to federal government agencies, departments and organizations on an annual basis through twelve separate bills.

The Homeland Security funding bill now moves onto the full House of Representatives for consideration.