House Committee Begins Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program Reauthorization Process
by Mitchel Herckis
At a hearing earlier this month, the House Transportation and
Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings
and Emergency Management began the reauthorization process of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Grant Program.
PDM provides technical and financial
assistance to state and local governments to reduce injuries, loss of life and
damage to property caused by natural hazards. Mitigation activities range from strengthening infrastructure to
relocating buildings out of floodplains to installing shutters in
hurricane-prone areas.
The hearing highlighted the program’s successes and focused
attention on the need to reauthorize the program, which is due to expire at the
end of September. In noting the
program’s value, witnesses and committee members often cited a 2005 congressionally mandated study by the Multihazard Mitigation Council, an
independent advisory body of the National Institute of Building Sciences, that
found “a dollar spent on mitigation saves society an average of $4.”
David Maurstad, assistant administrator for the Mitigation
Directorate at FEMA, praised the program’s goals of helping communities develop
mitigation plans and implement mitigation activities. He explained that, “the
Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program has become an integral part of FEMA’s
mitigation strategy.” Maurstad stated
the Administration’s support for reauthorizing the program for five years
through 2013.
In testimony for the National Emergency Management
Association, Mitigation Chair James Mullen recommended Congress change the way
money is allocated under a FEMA grant program from a system that includes a
competitive component to a strictly formulaic distribution among the
states. Currently, states automatically
receive a $500,000 base allocation if they submitted eligible applications for
that amount or more.
Chairwoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) did not appear to embrace
the idea, relating it to Congress’ experience with Homeland Security funding “where
billions of dollars [were] spent unnecessarily." "It is unlikely that we would
change from a competitive to a formula process here,” she said.
Following up on the matter, Norton
questioned the witnesses as to the current reach of the program. According to Maurstad, every state in the
union has received PDM funding and the grants have been distributed widely
among communities both large and small.
Robert Bohlmann, a witness for the International Association
of Emergency Managers, also outlined several changes his organization would
like to see to the program that were mainly technical in nature. However, all witnesses agreed that, whether
changes are made or not, reauthorizing the program is the ultimate goal.
The President’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2009 includes $75
million in funding for PDM, a $39 million decrease compared to fiscal year 2008 funding
levels. Additionally, the program was
significantly earmarked in 2008, leaving fewer funds available for competitive
grants. Last year, less than half of
eligible applications were able to be approved due to the amount of funding
available.
Congressional committee staff members have indicated they
plan to move the reauthorization quickly.
|