FEMA Needs to Improve Guidance and Oversight for the Presidential Residence Protection Assistance Grant

We determined that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not ensure state and local law enforcement agencies expended FEMA’s grant for protection of the President’s non-governmental residences in accordance with Federal regulations and Agency guidelines. Specifically, FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) reimbursed the New York City Police Department (NYPD) for unallowable overtime fringe benefits. Additionally, GPD did not provide effective oversight to manage the PRPA grant during its application review and verification process by assigning limited, inexperienced staff whose work received minimal supervisory review. We made four recommendations to FEMA that should improve the management of the program. FEMA concurred with three recommendations and nonconcurred with one recommendation.