Jay Rockefeller: “I am very proud today to join my colleague, the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, in introducing the Homeland Security…”

“I am very proud today to join my colleague, the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, in introducing the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003. This legislation will bring much-needed coordination to the fund application process for our first responders and State and local officials. The coordination of grant programs called for by this bill will go a long way to make certain that those who will be first called upon to deal with a threat to the security of the United States will be better prepared to face it. By enacting the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act, we can free municipal governments and first responders of bureaucratic guesswork, allowing them to focus instead on training and execution of response plans. Currently, Federal programs within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other Federal agencies provide our first responders with a basic level of support with respect to training and equipment procurement. However, in order to receive this support, State and local officials often must complete separate emergency plans and redundant grant application forms. The information demanded by the various homeland security plans is frequently similar; nonetheless, different Federal agencies require grant applicants to start from square one in each case. The Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act of 2003 will put an end to this inefficient practice.”