Our Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) provides funding to 62 States, territories and municipalities to improve surge capacity and enhance hospital preparedness for large-scale disasters. Since 2005, nearly $6 billion in HPP grants have been awarded to increase the response effectiveness of hospitals and community healthcare coalitions across the nation. These coalitions include emergency management, public health, mental/behavioral health providers, and community and faith-based partners. Besides organizing and coordinating these groups when responding to a disaster, HPP grants also provide funding for hospitals to continually plan, equip, train, exercise and evaluate effective emergency response strategies. HPP is credited with saving lives during the 2009 H1N1 Swine flu pandemic, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

In 2004, HPP’s annual budget was about $500 million. However, advocates are concerned our emergency preparedness has suffered from cuts to the HPP budget, including a 30% cut in 2013. Today’s HPP’s budget stands at $258 million after having been cut nearly every year since then – and this sum must be distributed to 5,000 hospitals. Advocates say these cuts have led to staff reductions which make it very challenging for maintaining these health-care coalitions, let alone be expanded.

Proposed Legislation: Introduction of new legislation to make permanent the funding level of $500 million per year for the Hospital Preparedness Program
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA)