6 USC 612 - Accountability

Collapse to view only § 612. Accountability

§ 611. Administration and coordination
§ 612. Accountability
§ 613. Identification of reporting redundancies and development of performance metrics

§ 611. Administration and coordination

(a) Regional coordination

The Administrator shall ensure that—

(1) all recipients of grants administered by the Department to prevent, prepare for, protect against, or respond to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters (excluding assistance provided under section 203, title IV, or title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133, 5170 et seq., and 5191 et seq.)) coordinate, as appropriate, their prevention, preparedness, and protection efforts with neighboring State, local, and tribal governments; and

(2) all high-risk urban areas and other recipients of grants administered by the Department to prevent, prepare for, protect against, or respond to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or other man-made disasters (excluding assistance provided under section 203, title IV, or title V of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133, 5170 et seq., and 5191 et seq.)) that include or substantially affect parts or all of more than 1 State coordinate, as appropriate, across State boundaries, including, where appropriate, through the use of regional working groups and requirements for regional plans.

(b) Planning committees

(1) In general

(2) Composition

(A) In general

The State planning committees and urban area working groups referred to in paragraph (1) shall include at least one representative from each of the following significant stakeholders:

(i) Local or tribal government officials.

(ii) Emergency response providers, which shall include representatives of the fire service, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and emergency managers.

(iii) Public health officials and other appropriate medical practitioners.

(iv) Individuals representing educational institutions, including elementary schools, community colleges, and other institutions of higher education.

(v) State and regional interoperable communications coordinators, as appropriate.

(vi) State and major urban area fusion centers, as appropriate.

(B) Geographic representation

(3) Existing planning committees

It is the sense of Congress that, in order to ensure that the Nation is most effectively able to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters—

(1) the Department should administer a coherent and coordinated system of both terrorism-focused and all-hazards grants;

(2) there should be a continuing and appropriate balance between funding for terrorism-focused and all-hazards preparedness, as reflected in the authorizations of appropriations for grants under the amendments made by titles I and II, as applicable, of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007; and

(3) with respect to terrorism-focused grants, it is necessary to ensure both that the target capabilities of the highest risk areas are achieved quickly and that basic levels of preparedness, as measured by the attainment of target capabilities, are achieved nationwide.

(Pub. L. 107–296, title XX, § 2021, as added Pub. L. 110–53, title I, § 101, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 285; amended Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XIX, § 1911, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2682; Pub. L. 115–278, § 2(g)(7)(C), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4180.)

§ 612. Accountability

(a) Audits of grant programs

(1) Compliance requirements

(A) Audit requirement

(B) Access to information

Consistent with subchapter IV of chapter 33 of title 31, for each of the grant programs under sections 604 and 605 of this title and section 762 of this title, the Administrator shall specify policies and procedures for—

(i) identifying activities funded under any such grant program that are susceptible to significant improper payments; and

(ii) reporting any improper payments to the Department.

(2) Agency program review

(A) In general

(B) Contents

Each review under subparagraph (A) shall, at a minimum, examine—

(i) whether the funds awarded were used in accordance with the law, program guidance, and State homeland security plans or other applicable plans; and

(ii) the extent to which funds awarded enhanced the ability of a grantee to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

In addition to any other amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator for reviews under this paragraph—

(i) $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010; and

(ii) such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2011, and each fiscal year thereafter.

(3) Performance assessment

In order to ensure that States and high-risk urban areas are using grants administered by the Department appropriately to meet target capabilities and preparedness priorities, the Administrator shall—

(A) ensure that any such State or high-risk urban area conducts or participates in exercises under section 748(b) of this title;

(B) use performance metrics in accordance with the comprehensive assessment system under section 749 of this title and ensure that any such State or high-risk urban area regularly tests its progress against such metrics through the exercises required under subparagraph (A);

(D) ensure that each State receiving a grant administered by the Department submits a report to the Administrator on its level of preparedness, as required by section 752(c) of this title.

(4) Consideration of assessments

(5) Recovery audits

The Administrator shall conduct a recovery audit under section 3352(i) of title 31 for any grant administered by the Department with a total value of not less than $1,000,000, if the Administrator finds that—

(A) a financial audit has identified improper payments that can be recouped; and

(B) it is cost effective to conduct a recovery audit to recapture the targeted funds.

(6) Remedies for noncompliance

(A) In general

If, as a result of a review or audit under this subsection or otherwise, the Administrator finds that a recipient of a grant under this subchapter has failed to substantially comply with any provision of law or with any regulations or guidelines of the Department regarding eligible expenditures, the Administrator shall—

(i) reduce the amount of payment of grant funds to the recipient by an amount equal to the amount of grants funds that were not properly expended by the recipient;

(ii) limit the use of grant funds to programs, projects, or activities not affected by the failure to comply;

(iii) refer the matter to the Inspector General of the Department for further investigation;

(iv) terminate any payment of grant funds to be made to the recipient; or

(v) take such other action as the Administrator determines appropriate.

(B) Duration of penalty

(b) Reports by grant recipients

(1) Quarterly reports on homeland security spending

(A) In general

(B) Contents

Each report submitted under subparagraph (A) shall at a minimum include, for the applicable State, high-risk urban area, or directly eligible tribe, and each subgrantee thereof—

(i) the amount obligated to that recipient under section 604 or 605 of this title in that quarter;

(ii) the amount of funds received and expended under section 604 or 605 of this title by that recipient in that quarter; and

(iii) a summary description of expenditures made by that recipient using such funds, and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.

The report submitted under subparagraph (A) by a State, high-risk urban area, or directly eligible tribe relating to the last quarter of any fiscal year shall include—

(i) the amount and date of receipt of all funds received under the grant during that fiscal year;

(ii) the identity of, and amount provided to, any subgrantee for that grant during that fiscal year;

(iii) the amount and the dates of disbursements of all such funds expended in compliance with section 611(a)(1) of this title or under mutual aid agreements or other sharing arrangements that apply within the State, high-risk urban area, or directly eligible tribe, as applicable, during that fiscal year; and

(iv) how the funds were used by each recipient or subgrantee during that fiscal year.

(2) Annual report

(1) Federal Preparedness Report

(2) Risk assessment

(A) In general

For each fiscal year, the Administrator shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress a detailed and comprehensive explanation of the methodologies used to calculate risk and compute the allocation of funds for grants administered by the Department, including—

(i) all variables included in the risk assessment and the weights assigned to each such variable;

(ii) an explanation of how each such variable, as weighted, correlates to risk, and the basis for concluding there is such a correlation; and

(iii) any change in the methodologies from the previous fiscal year, including changes in variables considered, weighting of those variables, and computational methods.

(B) Classified annex

For each fiscal year, the information required under subparagraph (A) shall be provided on the earlier of—

(i) October 31; or

(ii) 30 days before the issuance of any program guidance for grants administered by the Department.

(3) Tribal funding report

(Pub. L. 107–296, title XX, § 2022, as added Pub. L. 110–53, title I, § 101, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 287; amended Pub. L. 111–204, § 2(h)(6)(B)(iii), July 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 2231; Pub. L. 113–284, § 2(c)(1), (2), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3089; Pub. L. 116–117, § 3(b)(2), Mar. 2, 2020, 134 Stat. 133.)

§ 613. Identification of reporting redundancies and development of performance metrics

(a) Definition

(b) Initial reportNot later than 90 days after October 12, 2010, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes—

(1) an assessment of redundant reporting requirements imposed by the Administrator on State, local, and tribal governments in connection with the awarding of grants, including—

(A) a list of each discrete item of data requested by the Administrator from grant recipients as part of the process of administering covered grants;

(B) identification of the items of data from the list described in subparagraph (A) that are required to be submitted by grant recipients on multiple occasions or to multiple systems; and

(C) identification of the items of data from the list described in subparagraph (A) that are not necessary to be collected in order for the Administrator to effectively and efficiently administer the programs under which covered grants are awarded;

(2) a plan, including a specific timetable, for eliminating any redundant and unnecessary reporting requirements identified under paragraph (1); and

(3) a plan, including a specific timetable, for promptly developing a set of quantifiable performance measures and metrics to assess the effectiveness of the programs under which covered grants are awarded.

(c) Biennial reportsNot later than 1 year after the date on which the initial report is required to be submitted under subsection (b), and once every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a grants management report that includes—

(1) the status of efforts to eliminate redundant and unnecessary reporting requirements imposed on grant recipients, including—

(A) progress made in implementing the plan required under subsection (b)(2);

(B) a reassessment of the reporting requirements to identify and eliminate redundant and unnecessary requirements;

(2) the status of efforts to develop quantifiable performance measures and metrics to assess the effectiveness of the programs under which the covered grants are awarded, including—

(A) progress made in implementing the plan required under subsection (b)(3);

(B) progress made in developing and implementing additional performance metrics and measures for grants, including as part of the comprehensive assessment system required under section 749 of this title; and

(3) a performance assessment of each program under which the covered grants are awarded, including—

(A) a description of the objectives and goals of the program;

(B) an assessment of the extent to which the objectives and goals described in subparagraph (A) have been met, based on the quantifiable performance measures and metrics required under this section, section 612(a)(4) 1

1 See References in Text note below.

of this title, and section 749 of this title;

(C) recommendations for any program modifications to improve the effectiveness of the program, to address changed or emerging conditions; and

(D) an assessment of the experience of recipients of covered grants, including the availability of clear and accurate information, the timeliness of reviews and awards, and the provision of technical assistance, and recommendations for improving that experience.

(d) Grants program measurement study

(1) In generalNot later than 30 days after October 12, 2010, the Administrator shall enter into a contract with the National Academy of Public Administration under which the National Academy of Public Administration shall assist the Administrator in studying, developing, and implementing—

(A) quantifiable performance measures and metrics to assess the effectiveness of grants administered by the Department, as required under this section and section 749 of this title; and

(B) the plan required under subsection (b)(3).

(2) Report

(3) Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 107–296, title XX, § 2023, as added Pub. L. 111–271, § 2(a), Oct. 12, 2010, 124 Stat. 2852.)