Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

December 8, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO ANNOUNCES GRANT GUIDANCE FOR MORE THAN $2.7 BILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 2010 GRANT PROGRAMS

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the release of fiscal year 2010 grant application guidance kits for 13 DHS grant programs totaling more than $2.7 billion—funds for state, local, tribal and territorial governments and private sector entities to strengthen our nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.

“These grants play a major role in our efforts to work with our state, local, tribal and territorial and private sector partners to build a national culture of readiness and resilience,” said Secretary Napolitano. “This year’s guidance focuses on maximizing efficiency and value while prioritizing risk in awarding grants to strengthen our nation’s security.”

The grant program guidance kits announced today also incorporate the input of DHS’ state, local, tribal and territorial and private sector partners and include specific steps undertaken by DHS to improve the ability of state and local partners to apply for and utilize grant funding.

The guidance announced by Secretary Napolitano today has increased tribal funding, reduced administrative paperwork for state and local government and enabled local jurisdictions to use preparedness funding for ongoing maintenance contracts, warranties, repair or replacement costs, upgrades and user fees for equipment purchased with previous DHS grants. 

These 13 preparedness grant programs may fund a variety of activities including planning, organization, equipment purchases, training and exercises: 

·        Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)—$1.78 billion targeted for states or urban areas to build capabilities critical to security. HSGP consists of five programs:

• State Homeland Security Program (SHSP)—$842 million to build capabilities at the state and local levels to implement the state homeland security goals and objectives identified in the State Preparedness Report. The 9/11 Act requires states to dedicate 25 percent of SHSP funds to law enforcement terrorism prevention-oriented planning, organization, training, exercise and equipment activities.
• Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI)—$832.5 million to enhance regional preparedness by strengthening capabilities in 64 high-threat, high-density urban areas across the country. The 9/11 Act requires states to dedicate 25 percent of UASI funds to law enforcement terrorism prevention-oriented activities. 
• Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)—$60 million to enhance law enforcement and border security operations in states that border Canada (including Alaska) or Mexico and states and territories with international water borders.
• Metropolitan Medical Response System Program (MMRS)—$39.3 million to enhance and sustain comprehensive regional mass casualty incident response and preparedness capabilities, divided evenly among 124 MMRS jurisdictions.
• Citizen Corps Program (CCP)—$12.4 million to engage citizens in community preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery activities.

·        Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP)—Up to $10 million available to eligible tribal applicants to help strengthen the United States against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks. 

·        UASI Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP)—$19 million to support target-hardening activities at nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist attack.

·        Emergency Management Performance Grants (EMPG) Program—$329 million to assist state and local governments in enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities.

·        Interoperable Emergency Communications Grant Program (IECGP)—$48 million to assist governments in carrying out initiatives identified in Statewide Communication Interoperability Plans and improve interoperable emergency communications used to respond to natural disasters and acts of terrorism. 

·        Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program (RCPGP)—$33.6 million to enhance catastrophic incident preparedness in high-risk, high-consequence urban areas and their surrounding regions and support coordination of regional all-hazard planning for catastrophic events, including the development of integrated planning communities, plans, protocols and procedures to manage a catastrophic event.

·        Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Grant Program—$57.6 million to support the construction or renovation of Emergency Operations Centers to improve state, local or tribal emergency management and preparedness capabilities to ensure continuity of operations during disasters.  

·        Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP)—$48 million to increase preparedness capabilities for safeguarding critical infrastructure sites and key resource assets, such as chemical facilities and nuclear power plants, through planning and equipment acquisition.

·        Driver’s License Security Grant Program (DLSGP)—$48 million to help states and territories improve security of state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards in order to prevent terrorism, reduce fraud and enhance the reliability and accuracy of personal identification documents.

·        Port Security Grant Program (PSGP)—$288 million to help protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness and strengthen risk management capabilities in order to protect against improvised explosive devices and other non-conventional weapons; conduct training and exercises; and implement the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).

·        Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP)—$11.5 million to support security measures including plans, facility security upgrades and vehicle and driver protection for fixed-route intercity and charter bus services.

·        Freight Rail Security Grant Program (FRSGP)—$15 million to protect critical freight rail systems infrastructure from acts of terrorism and major disasters, as well as other emergencies resulting from railroad cars transporting toxic inhalation hazardous materials.

·        Intercity Passenger Rail (Amtrak)—$20 million to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies within the Amtrak rail system.

EMPG Program applications are due no later than January 22, 2010. IECGP, FRSGP, PSGP, IPR (Amtrak), IBSGP, EOC, BZPP, and DLSGP applications are due no later than February 12, 2010. Applications for HSGP, THSGP, NSGP, and RCPGP are due no later than April 19, 2010. 

The FY 2010 application guidance packages reflect DHS’ strategic priorities, as well as the National Preparedness Guidelines and the National Response Framework.

DHS oversees more than 50 grant and financial assistance programs representing approximately $4 billion in non-disaster grant funding annually to help state, local, tribal and private sector entities strengthen the nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.

Further information on preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and www.fema.gov/grants.

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 Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    December 9, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, 202-282-8010

DEPUTY SECRETARY LUTE TO DELIVER REMARKS AT THE U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TRADE SYMPOSIUM

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute will deliver remarks about the Department’s efforts to secure U.S. borders and facilitate the flow of legitimate travel and trade at the 10^th Annual U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trade Symposium.

Wednesday, Dec. 9

1:15 PM EST                           Deputy Secretary Lute will deliver remarks at the CBP Trade Symposium

                                                Walter E. Washington Convention Center

                                                Ballroom C, 3^rd Floor

                                                801 Mt. Vernon Place NW

                                                Washington, D.C.

                                                OPEN PRESS*

* Media should arrive no later than 1 p.m.

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 Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

December 9, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO UNVEILS “VIRTUAL USA” INFORMATION-SHARING INITIATIVE

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today officially launched Virtual USA, an innovative information-sharing initiative—developed in collaboration with the emergency response community and state and local governments across the nation—that helps federal, state, local and tribal first responders communicate during emergencies.

“Our first responders need interoperable tools to make accurate and timely decisions during emergencies,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Virtual USA makes it possible for new and existing technologies to work together seamlessly during disaster response and recovery and gives the public an opportunity to contribute information in real-time to support the efforts of police officers, firefighters and other emergency management officials.”

The announcement came as part of the White House Open Government Initiative and reflects President Obama and Secretary Napolitano’s shared commitment to making government more efficient and fostering a culture of transparency, participation and collaboration.

Virtual USA links disparate tools and technologies in order to share the location and status of critical assets and information—such as power and water lines, flood detectors, helicopter-capable landing sites, emergency vehicle and ambulance locations, weather and traffic conditions, evacuation routes, and school and government building floor plans—across federal, state, local and tribal governments.

Virtual USA:

·                    Integrates Existing Frameworks and Investments: Virtual USA utilizes current information-sharing platforms to permit new and existing technologies to seamlessly exchange information with one another.

·                    Draws on Local Input: Virtual USA is based on the needs of local and state first responders to manage data access within their own jurisdictions and to share information with relevant jurisdictions across the nation.

·                    Employs a Comprehensive Approach: Virtual USA is not limited to information exchanges between two agencies; instead, the initiative fosters dynamic information sharing among all federal, state, local and tribal practitioners.

·                    Provides a Flexible, Accessible Platform: Because Virtual USA uses open data standards and open source software, more states and localities can join this information exchange project.

·                    Involves Everyone: Virtual USA allows Americans in their own communities to contribute information—in real-time—to support the efforts of police, fire and emergency management officials during disasters and recovery efforts.

Developed by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Virtual USA currently operates as a pilot in eight states—Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Tennessee—with plans to incorporate additional states underway. In Virginia alone, Virtual USA has reduced response times to incidents involving hazardous materials by 70 percent.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

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 Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    December 9, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, 202-282-8010

DEPUTY SECRETARY LUTE TO DELIVER REMARKS AT THE U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TRADE SYMPOSIUM

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute will deliver remarks about the Department’s efforts to secure U.S. borders and facilitate the flow of legitimate travel and trade at the 10^th Annual U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trade Symposium.

Wednesday, Dec. 9

1:15 PM EST                           Deputy Secretary Lute will deliver remarks at the CBP Trade Symposium

                                                Walter E. Washington Convention Center

                                                Ballroom C, 3^rd Floor

                                                801 Mt. Vernon Place NW

                                                Washington, D.C.

                                                OPEN PRESS*

* Media should arrive no later than 1 p.m.

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 Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

December 11, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL JOB FAIR TO EXPAND CYBER WORKFORCE

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the launch of a virtual job fair at www.dhs.gov/cyberjobfair to recruit cybersecurity experts—capitalizing on DHS’ recently acquired authority to recruit and hire up to 1,000 cybersecurity professionals across the Department over the next three years.

“Effective cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between individuals, communities, government and the private sector to protect our cyber networks from terrorism and intrusion,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The virtual job fair will help us recruit top cyber analysts, developers and engineers to serve their country by leading the nation’s defenses against cyber threats.”

Through the virtual job fair, DHS is looking for applicants with experience in cyber risk and strategic analysis; malware/vulnerability analysis; incident response; exercise facilitation and management; vulnerability detection and assessment; intelligence analysis; and cyber-related infrastructure interdependency analysis.

The new hiring authority, which results from a collaborative effort between DHS, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget, streamlines the hiring process to allow the Department to hire up to 1,000 positions over three years across DHS to fulfill critical cybersecurity roles. Although DHS does not anticipate the need to fill all 1,000 positions, this cap reflects the Obama administration’s commitment to building a world-class cyber organization and competing for the nation’s top cybersecurity talent.

Secretary Napolitano announced the new hiring authority in October as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month—a campaign to highlight the steps being taken by the federal government to secure the nation’s cyber infrastructure, systems and networks and educate citizens about guarding against cyber threats at home, work and school.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov/cyberjobfair.

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 Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

December 14, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO AND USCIS DIRECTOR MAYORKAS ANNOUNCE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW LAW PROVIDING PERMANENT RESIDENCE ELIGIBILITY FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES AND CHILDREN OF U.S. CITIZENS

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas today announced that DHS has fully implemented recent legislation allowing USCIS to approve immigrant petitions for permanent resident status in the United States filed by or on behalf of widows and widowers of U.S. citizens and their unmarried children under 21 years old.

“Smart immigration policy balances strong enforcement practices with common-sense, practical solutions to complex issues,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Allowing widows and widowers of U.S. citizens to petition for permanent residence will help keep families together while honoring the spirit of the law.”

“Implementing this legislation allows us to support the widows, widowers and children of U.S. citizens who otherwise would have been denied the opportunity to remain in the United States,” said Director Mayorkas. “These families have already experienced the pain of losing a loved one; now we can help give them a chance to stay in the country that has become their home.”

Previously, a widow(er) had to be married to a U.S. citizen for at least two years in order to qualify as an immediate relative eligible to apply for permanent resident status. The new legislation enables all widows and widowers of U.S. citizens to apply regardless of how long the couple was married. President Obama signed the change into law on Oct. 28, as part of the fiscal year 2010 DHS Appropriations Act.

Since then, the Department has taken swift and efficient steps to implement the revised law—providing guidance to adjudication officers around the world and updating material necessary for applicants to take advantage of these new opportunities.

Today’s announcement reflects Secretary Napolitano’s commitment to working with lawmakers and stakeholders towards comprehensive reform of current immigration laws to provide lasting and dedicated resources for serious and effective law enforcement; a better system for families and workers coming to the United States legally; and a firm but fair way to deal with those who are already here.

A widow(er) qualifies as an immediate relative under the new law without the need to file another petition if the following criteria are met:

• The citizen spouse had already filed a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130);
• The Form I-130 was pending when the law changed on Oct. 28, 2009; and
• The widow(er) has not remarried.  

The children of widow(er)s who qualify as immediate relatives under the law also are eligible to seek permanent resident status. The new law applies to widow(er)s living abroad who are seeking immigrant visas, and to widow(er)s currently in the United States who want to become permanent residents based on their marriage through adjustment of status.

On June 9, Secretary Napolitano made a series of announcements granting interim relief to widow(er)s of U.S. citizens—including deferred action for two years to widows and widowers of U.S. citizens and their unmarried children under 21 years old—who reside in the United States and who were married for less than two years prior to their spouse’s death.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov, www.uscis.gov or call USCIS’ National Customer Service Center at (800) 375-5283.

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Press Office

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

December 14, 2009

Contact: DHS Press Office, (202) 282-8010

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO TO DELIVER REMARKS ABOUT HER VISION FOR UNIFYING DHS AND THE DEPARTMENT’S 2009 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano will deliver remarks tomorrow at a town hall meeting with DHS employees—emphasizing the major steps the Department has taken this year to enhance America’s capabilities to guard against terrorism; secure the nation’s borders; engage in smart and effective enforcement of our immigration laws; prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters; and unify and mature DHS and its 230,000-employee global workforce.

Secretary Napolitano will answer questions from DHS employees in attendance and submitted via email following her remarks. The town hall meeting will also be live streamed via video teleconference to DHS offices around the world.

Tuesday Dec. 15

1 PM EST                   Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks in a town hall meeting with DHS employees to discuss her vision for Department unification and 2009 DHS accomplishments

                                    USCIS Tomich Conference Center

                                    111 Massachusetts Ave NW

                                    Washington, D.C.

                                    OPEN PRESS*  

* Media wishing to attend must RSVP no later than 5 PM EST on Dec. 14 by emailing Tarrah Cooper at tarrah.cooper@dhs.gov. Media must provide valid credentials and arrive no later than 12:45 PM EST.

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PRESIDENTIAL TASK FORCE ON CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION RELEASES REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder announce dedicated offices to support threat-based information sharing and reporting between all levels of government

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder today announced two major steps in their efforts to implement reforms to enhance information sharing among federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and safeguard sensitive information used by the government—designed to expand joint capabilities to protect the United States from terrorist activity, violent crime and other threats to the homeland.

The Presidential Interagency Task Force on Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), led by Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder, today released a report recommending a single, standardized framework for marking, safeguarding and disseminating sensitive but unclassified (SBU) information across the federal government. SBU information refers collectively to the various designations for documents and information that are sufficiently sensitive to warrant some level of protection but that do not meet the standards for classification.

Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder also announced the creation of dual Program Management Offices (PMOs) to coordinate support for state and local Fusion Centers and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI), housed within DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ), respectively, to work in partnership to enhance information sharing between federal, state, local and tribal agencies and the private sector. Coupled with the CUI framework, these new offices represent a significant milestone toward fully implementing information sharing reforms called for following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Our review of policies and procedures for access to and sharing of sensitive but unclassified information across the U.S. Government revealed a need for a more open, standardized approach,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The task force recommendations, coupled with newly-dedicated federal-wide resources to support Fusion Centers, will improve information sharing, transparency and engagement with our partners in state and local law enforcement as we work together to combat terrorism, violent crime and other dangerous threats to the homeland.”

“Our recommendations will allow the federal government to be more open and transparent while still meeting our first priority of keeping the American people safe,” said Attorney General Holder. “By streamlining and modernizing the system for designating, marking and handling sensitive information, we can achieve the appropriate balance between the public’s right to access information and the government's imperative to maintain the security and privacy of all Americans.”

Both announcements reflect the Obama administration’s commitment to improving the ability of federal state, local and tribal governments as well as the private sector to gather, analyze, share and utilize information in order to protect communities from violent crime including terrorism, while protecting the privacy and civil rights of Americans. 

The Task Force report proposes 40 actions intended to mitigate current inconsistencies among SBU information policies in federal agencies by simplifying and consolidating procedures—intended to enhance standardization, information sharing, government transparency, and protection of information only where there is a compelling requirement to do so. The recommendations also seek to balance the imperatives of protecting legitimate security, law enforcement, privacy and civil liberties interests.

The Task Force was directed to review the ongoing efforts of the CUI Council, which was established by a 2008 Presidential Memorandum, and its ongoing efforts to establish a CUI Framework for terrorism-related information. One significant recommendation in the report would expand the scope of the CUI Framework to the designation, marking, safeguarding and dissemination of all SBU information. 

The new PMOs will work jointly to provide sustained funding and personnel support to 72 state and local Fusion Centers nationwide and provide training and resources to frontline law enforcement officials to better document activities possibly linked to terrorism through NSI, a DHS-DOJ collaboration designed to detect, analyze and share intelligence about suspicious behavior and other indicators while protecting privacy and civil liberties.

The Fusion Center and NSI PMOs will establish strong cross-linkages, including the exchange of senior-level specialists and management personnel, and joint program performance measures in order to ensure efficient oversight and coordination of current initiatives and successfully facilitate ongoing efforts to build and develop the Information Sharing Environment.

State and major urban area Fusion Centers help fulfill key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission by providing critical links for information sharing between and across all levels of government. NSI operates in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major City Chiefs, Major County Sheriffs, and other state, local and tribal partners to gather, blend and analyze information gathered from local law enforcement about suspicious activity.

There are more than 100 different SBU markings and handling procedures currently in use across the federal government. The report recommends that all SBU markings be replaced with one, simplified set of markings—“CUI”—which will be standardized under the CUI Framework. Additional recommendations include simplifying the definition of CUI; clarifying that CUI markings have no bearing on releases either under the Freedom of Information Act or to Congress; and phasing in implementation of the expanded scope of the CUI Framework.

President Obama initiated the review on May 27 with a Presidential Memorandum directing Secretary Napolitano and Attorney General Holder to lead a 90-day review of current procedures for categorizing and sharing SBU information. If implemented, the recommendations would revise the 2008 Presidential Memorandum that established the CUI Framework for handling and disseminating CUI information.

The Task Force, which involved senior representatives from 12 federal agencies, met with representatives both within and outside the information sharing environment; state, local and tribal partners; privacy and open government organizations; and members of Congress. The Task Force also analyzed previous studies of SBU and the efforts of the CUI Council.

For more information and to view the Task Force report, visit www.dhs.gov or www.justice.gov. 

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