On May 28, President Biden released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget request. Congress will now spend the summer deliberating the FY 2022 appropriations bills with the aim of passing them before the October 1 start of the fiscal year.
The budget includes the following proposed funding levels:
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Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program: $370 million (an 2.8% increase)
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State Homeland Security Grant Program: $594.686 (a 2.5% decrease)
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Urban Areas Security Initiative: $689.684 (a 2.2% decrease)
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Volunteer Fire Assistance: $19 million (level funding)
The budget request proposed $1 billion for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program to prepare for and mitigate climate disasters. In addition, the funding increase for USFA would cover increasing personnel costs and $3.2 million for a “WUI Outreach and Training” program.
The IAFC will be lobbying to increase funding for these programs over the summer.
Ken LaSala is the IAFC’s Director of Government Relations & Policy.