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• IAEM-USA Signs on to Coalition Letter Supporting the FEMA Assistance Act (29 Sept 2020) IAEM-USA joined a coalition of 10 stakeholder organizations in support of the H.R. 8266, the FEMA Assistance Act, in a Sept. 19 letter urging swift passage of this legislation in the House as it will make timely changes to assistance provided during an unparalleled 2020 disaster season. This legislation would make a critical change to FEMA assistance by adjusting the FEMA cost share for all emergencies and major disasters declared in calendar year 2020 to not less than 90 percent federal and 10 percent non-federal. From hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, and myriad other events, this will provide much needed relief to state and local governments that are struggling with a pandemic, higher-than-usual unemployment, and economic recovery. Download the coalition letter for details. 
• IAEM-USA Addresses Support for PPE and Disinfectants to Remain Covered Under Public Assistance for COVID-19 (31 Aug 2020) The International Association of Emergency Managers USA Council (IAEM-USA) President Teri Smith, CEM, CPM, sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Pete Gaynor on Aug. 31, expressing IAEM-USA concerns about reports that FEMA intends to eliminate personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfectants as eligible reimbursable expenses under Public Assistance for COVID-19. Supporting a previous Aug. 25 letter from other emergency management related organizations, the IAEM-USA letter states that “PPE is a fundamental need for all COVID-19 related operations and is the definition of an ‘emergency protective measure.’ Shifting policy guidance in the middle of a pandemic is impractical, causes confusion, and disrupts operations in states and localities. It also imposes significant bureaucratic and administrative burdens at a time when state and local resources are critically strained. IAEM-USA maintains its long-standing request that FEMA waive the state cost share for COVID-19 assistance, which has not been addressed.” The association called on FEMA to retain its current guidance on emergency protective measures, while requesting clear guidance on eligibility of funding streams across the federal government.
• IAEM-USA Signed On to Letter to Senate Leaders Advocating for Support for State and Local Governments (29 June 2020) A letter was to Senate Majority and Minority Leaders advocating on behalf of immediate financial support for state and local governments, "without which our nation's recovery from pandemic-induced recession will suffer and millions of Americans will be harmed." IAEM joined 175+ stakeholder organizations in signing on to the letter. Download letter to U.S. Senate Majority and Minority Leaders.
  
• IAEM-USA Signed On to 3DEP Coalition Letters Signed by 52 Organizations Supportive of USGS 3DEP funding in FY 2021 (24 Apr 2020) The letters were sent today to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The requests state: "As you develop FY 2021 appropriations, we ask for your support for the USGS recommendation to provide $146 million to 3DEP, as requested by John Palatiello, on behalf of the 3DEP Coalition, in his testimony before the Subcommittee on February 6, 2020."
  
• Letter to the House Appropriations Committee
  
• Letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee 
• IAEM-USA Signed on to Flood Map Coalition Letter to Senate and House Appropriations Leaders (23 Apr 2020) IAEM-USA signed on to the Flood Map Coalition letter sent Apr. 23 to Senate and House Appropriations Committee leaders, strongly supporting at least maintaining FY 2020 appropriated levels ($262.5 million) for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Flood Hazard and Risk Analysis Program. The coalition, which represents a diverse group of partners, stakeholders and interests, noted in the letter that “Appropriations as close as possible to the full authorization level of $400 million would help move the nation to better coverage with up-to-date flood maps more quickly.” The reasons for the coalition’s request include: Flooding is responsible for more loss of life and property than any other natural disaster in the United States; current and accurate flood mapping is the key to minimizing future losses; both taxpayers and policyholders benefit from flood mapping; flood mapping is a cost-effective taxpayer investment; and mapping also reduces National Flood Insurance Program borrowing from the Treasury.
• IAEM-USA Joined 10 Other Stakeholders in Requesting Delay of Implementation on New Grant Requirements for One Year (06 Apr 2020) On April 3, IAEM and 10 other organizations sent a letter to DHS and FEMA requesting a one-year delay on recently-issued, new guidance for FY 2020 preparedness grants. The new guidance would require grantees to obligate 20% of grant funds to comply with core DHS priorities. IAEM does not oppose the new guidance, but feels the COVID 19 response is creating unprecedented challenges that make an implementation delay prudent. Download the letter to acting DHS secretary and FEMA administrator here.
• IAEM-USA Joined NACo, NEMA, and BCEM in a Letter to House Appropriations Committee Leaders Requesting Supplemental Funding for COVID-19 (04 Mar 2020) The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM-USA Council), the National Association of Counties, the National Emergency Management Association, and the Big City Emergency Managers sent a joint letter to the leaders of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee (Nita Lowey, Chairwoman, and Kay Granger, Ranking Member). The letter requests the committee's consideration of supplemental funding for the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) by including $100 million for the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Download the letter here.
• Local and tribal emergency managers are needed to complete the EMPG funding survey for IAEM and NEMA by Jan. 31 (08 Jan 2020) IAEM-USA is conducting the 13th annual survey seeking information from U.S. local government and tribal emergency management offices about Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding. This is a joint effort with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). NEMA is using a separate survey monkey for state directors to report on state activities. IAEM is seeking input from local and tribal jurisdictions. NEMA will analyze the state data, and IAEM-USA will analyze the local and tribal data. Once the data has been compiled, IAEM and NEMA will write a joint report to be distributed to key policy makers on Capitol Hill and within the Trump Administration. The narrative questions in the survey are of particular importance. Examples of how EMPG was directly related to an emergency response or emergency management program activity, help “paint the picture” of the importance of EMPG. The survey is available here. To help gather the data needed to complete the survey, a PDF-version of the survey is available here. The deadline to complete the survey is 6:00 p.m. EST, Jan. 31.  Should you need to exit the survey prior to completing it, you may return to your survey from the same computer before the deadline to finish by following the survey link. If you have any technical problems or questions with the survey, please contact Kyler Bartee at kbartee@iaem.com. If you have any questions about the survey questions, please contact Thad Huguley at thad@iaem.com.