National preparedness

" HHS provides funding to the 50 states and 12 municipalities, territories, and freely associated states, primarily through ASPR's HPP and CDC's PHEP cooperative agreements, to help them build their capability to respond to emergencies such as hurricanes, pandemics, or terrorist events. The 62 awardees are to use this funding to help achieve the HPP goals of strengthening hospital preparedness and medical surge capacity and the PHEP goal of strengthening public health preparedness, and they must meet certain application, financial, and reporting requirements. GAO was asked about the effects of federal support on state and local response capabilities. GAO (1) assessed awardee progress in meeting HPP goals and how ASPR measures that progress, (2) assessed awardee progress in meeting the PHEP goal and how CDC measures that progress, and (3) identified the mechanisms HHS uses to ensure that awardees are meeting application, financial, and reporting requirements. GAO reviewed HPP and PHEP guidance, performance measures, and other documents; interviewed HHS officials; and analyzed HPP and PHEP data for fiscal years 2007 through 2011. "