skip to Main Content

June 24 – Senate Subcommittee Approves FY15 Homeland Security Funding Bill

Tuesday morning, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved a Fiscal Year 2015 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The $47.2 billion spending bill is an increase of $643 million above the current fiscal year’s enacted level. The bill funds the Assistance to Firefighters (FIRE) grant program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program at $340 million each, the same amount as the current fiscal year. On June 11th, the House Appropriations Committee approved a FY15 DHS spending bill that also funds these important grant programs at the same level as the current fiscal year. Both the Senate and House bills also fund the United States Fire Administration (USFA) at $44 million. This is consistent with the level of funding for Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014. The Senate bill also maintains the current level of funding for the Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) System, $35.2 million. The House bill funds this important program at $27.13 million, the amount requested by the White House. The Senate bill will now go before the full Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. The full House has yet to take up that chamber’s version of the bill for consideration.