On April 26, James Davis, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications on behalf of the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC). The hearing was titled “Ensuring the Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Transparency of Homeland Security Grants (Part II): Stakeholder Perspectives,” continuing the Subcommittee’s review of homeland security grant programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The first hearing was on March 20 and featured “testimony from Federal witnesses on challenges and successes in the management and administration of these grants.”

The NGA also released its Governor’s Principles for Homeland Security Grant Reform. Among the principles advocated are that, “Grants should be risk-based but continue to provide each state and territory funding to support critical homeland security and emergency management capabilities, including personnel costs and the sustainment of investments,” and that, “Funding should focus on developing, enhancing and sustaining common core capabilities.”