PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Requires grants and grant recipients to be checked and to report how money is used. Any recipient that spends $500,000 or more in Federal funds in a year must give the Administrator the required organization-wide financial and compliance audit. The Department and recipients must give the Government Accountability Office full access to grant information. The Administrator must set rules to find and report improper payments for certain grant programs (including those under sections 604, 605, and 762). Every State and high-risk urban area that gets grants must have a program and financial review at least once every 2 years (excluding certain Stafford Act assistance). Reviews must check that funds were used legally and that they improved preparedness. Congress authorized $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008, 2009, and 2010 for these reviews and “such sums as are necessary” for 2011 and later. The Administrator must also make sure grantees do required exercises, use the official performance metrics and remedial action program, and submit State preparedness reports. If audits find improper payments and a recovery audit is cost effective, the Administrator must run one for grants of $1,000,000 or more. If a grantee fails to follow rules, the Administrator can reduce or stop payments, limit how funds are used, refer the case to the Inspector General, or take other actions until the grantee is back in compliance. States, high-risk urban areas, and directly eligible tribes must file reports within 30 days after each Federal fiscal quarter describing amounts obligated, funds received and spent, and a short summary of how funds were used; the last-quarter report must also list dates funds were received, amounts given to subgrantees, dates and amounts of disbursements under certain rules or mutual aid, and how each recipient or subgrantee used the funds that year. Any State applying under section 605 must send an annual State preparedness report. The Administrator must send Congress an annual Federal Preparedness Report, a yearly explanation of the risk-calculation methods (listing variables, weights, how they relate to risk, and any changes from the prior year) in unclassified form when possible (a classified annex is allowed), delivered by the earlier of October 31 or 30 days before any program guidance is issued. At the end of each fiscal year, the Administrator must also report to Congress the amounts given to Indian tribes, whether direct or through subgrants.

Title 6, §612

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Audits of grant programs

(1)Compliance requirements

(A)Audit requirement

Each recipient of a grant administered by the Department that expends not less than $500,000 in Federal funds during its fiscal year shall submit to the Administrator a copy of the organization-wide financial and compliance audit report required under chapter 75 of title 31.

(B)Access to information

The Department and each recipient of a grant administered by the Department shall provide the Comptroller General and any officer or employee of the Government Accountability Office with full access to information regarding the activities carried out related to any grant administered by the Department.

(C)Improper payments

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

(ii)reporting any improper payments to the Department.

(2)Agency program review

(A)In general

Not less than once every 2 years, the Administrator shall conduct, for each State and high-risk urban area receiving a grant administered by the Department, a programmatic and financial review of all grants awarded 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.).

(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.

(C)Authorization of appropriations

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)

(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);

(C)use the remedial action management program under section 750 of this title; and

(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

In conducting program reviews and performance audits under paragraph (2), the Administrator and the Inspector General of the Department shall take into account the performance assessment elements required under paragraph (3).

(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

The Administrator shall apply an appropriate penalty under subparagraph (A) until such time as the Administrator determines that the grant recipient is in full compliance with the law and with applicable guidelines or regulations of the Department.

(b)Reports by grant recipients

(1)Quarterly reports on homeland security spending

(A)In general

As a condition of receiving a grant under section 604 or 605 of this title, a State, high-risk urban area, or directly eligible tribe shall, not later than 30 days after the end of each Federal fiscal quarter, submit to the Administrator a report on activities performed using grant funds during that fiscal quarter.

(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)

(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.

(C)End-of-year report

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

Any State applying for a grant under section 605 of this title shall submit to the Administrator annually a State preparedness report, as required by section 752(c) of this title.

(c)Reports by the Administrator

(1)Federal Preparedness Report

The Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress annually the Federal Preparedness Report required under section 752(a) of this title.

(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

The information required under subparagraph (A) shall be provided in unclassified form to the greatest extent possible, and may include a classified annex if necessary.

(C)Deadline

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

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

(3)Tribal funding report

At the end of each fiscal year, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report setting forth the amount of funding provided during that fiscal year to Indian tribes under any grant program administered by the Department, whether provided directly or through a subgrant from a State or high-risk urban area.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(A), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143. section 203 of the Act is classified to section 5133 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. Titles IV and V of the Act are classified generally to subchapters IV (§ 5170 et seq.) and IV–A (§ 5191 et seq.), respectively, of chapter 68 of Title 42. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 116–117, § 3(b)(2)(A), substituted “Consistent with subchapter IV of chapter 33 of title 31” for “Consistent with the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note)” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 116–117, § 3(b)(2)(B), substituted “section 3352(i) of title 31” for “section 2(h) of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note)” in introductory provisions. 2014—Subsec. (a)(3) to (7). Pub. L. 113–284 redesignated pars. (4) to (7) as (3) to (6), respectively, substituted, in par. (4), “paragraph (2)” for “paragraphs (2) and (3)” and “paragraph (3)” for “paragraph (4)”, and struck out former par. (3) which related to Office of Inspector General performance audits. 2010—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 111–204 substituted “under section 2(h) of the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note)” for “(as that term is defined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under section 3561 of title 31)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2014 Amendment Pub. L. 113–284, § 2(c)(3), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3090, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this subsection [amending this section] shall take effect on January 1, 2015.”

§612 Accountability

Summary

Title 6, §612

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Short Title

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Citations & Metadata