Oversight of the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program

PURPOSE:

• To review the process by which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines which Metropolitan Statistical Areas receive Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funding.
• To evaluate UASI funding history for the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida area, and the decision not to fund that area for the last two fiscal years.

BACKGROUND:

• The UASI grant program provides financial assistance to address planning activities, organizational resources, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas.
  • UASI grants totaled more than $8.2 billion from Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 to FY 2016.
• In January 2016, DHS lowered the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida area’s Metropolitan Statistical Area Risk Profile Rank, which adversely affected Orlando’s opportunity for UASI funding.=