WASHINGTON — FEMA has paused the release of hundreds of millions in emergency preparedness grants and is now requiring states to verify their population figures before accessing funds, the agency told CNN. FEMA says payouts may have been inflated because most allocations are tied to state population.
Emergency Management Performance Grants totaled over $300 million last year, funding local preparedness needs from staffing and training, to equipment and public education.
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Current and former FEMA officials told CNN the new verification requirement adds red tape and uncertainty for states already struggling to draw down previously awarded funds amid program pauses, delays and shifting rules.
States began receiving notices on Sept. 30, requiring them to submit a population certification that explains their methodology and confirms people removed under U.S. immigration laws are not counted. According to the notice obtained by CNN, FEMA will lift the funding hold once it reviews and approves each state’s methodology and certification.
“Recent population shifts, including deportations of illegal aliens, create a need for updated data to ensure equitable distribution,” a FEMA spokesperson told CNN.
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