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Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was one of three federal agencies whose budget was enacted in September 2008. Since the department's funding was finalized last year, only minimal funding is provided in the current bill.
Among the few provisions related to DHS in the finalized budget bill is an extension of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction of Proliferation and Terrorism through next year, transferring $1.1 million from the Department of Defense appropriation for its continuance.
The FY09 appropriation passed last year funded DHS at $41.2 billion, including $933 million for the Science and Technology Directorate. This funding level represents a $102 million increase for Science and Technology over FY08. Within the directorate, $800 million funds R&D, Acquisitions and Operations. Research funding includes:
- Chemical and Biological - $200 million to increase preparedness and surveillance;
- Explosives - $96 million to prevent and mitigate the effects of non-nuclear explosions;
- Infrastructure and Geophysical - $76 million to protect critical infrastructure and assets;
- Command, Control and Interoperability - $75 million to improve emergency response, communication and cybersecurity;
- Border and Maritime - $33 million to improve border security technology; and,
- Human Factors - $12 million to apply the social and behavioral sciences to improve emergency response.
The Science and Technology Directorate's Office of Innovation received $33 million to develop domestic security technologies. DHS's university programs were appropriated $50 million, including $33 million to fund Centers of Excellence. The budget includes a $58 million increase for laboratory facilities over FY08, bringing its funding to $162 million.