The House of Representatives recently passed the Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2012, which slashes funding for state, local, and tribal homeland security assistance programs by more than $2 billion from its current levels. In FY 2011, these programs received $3.1 billion in funding; the House-approved bill includes $1 billion for FY 2012. The IACP strongly opposed these proposals to cut funding.

Specifically, $750 million is proposed to cover the Urban Area Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security Program, and the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program, along with several other state, local, and tribal assistance grants, with actual funding amounts to be determined by the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.