Am Samoa receives emergency preparedness and criminal justice grants

Washington, DC — The local Dept. of Homeland Security is welcoming a federal funding grant of $67,148 from the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the FY24 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Grant.

This is grant administered through the DOT Agency of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration. The grants support States, Territories, and Tribes in carrying out their hazardous materials response responsibilities, as well as in developing, implementing, and enhancing emergency plans for local communities.

“Thank you to Secretary Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation for this funding to strengthen our ability to respond to hazardous materials emergencies in American Samoa,” said Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata. “This grant will help enhance our preparedness to ensure the safety of our communities in the face of a potential hazard. Thank you to all involved in this grant, and the services of our Department of Homeland Security.”

The goal of the grant program is to offer flexibility in how planning and training programs are implemented, allowing each location to address its specific needs.

Grant Notice

American Samoa's criminal justice system is welcoming notice of $256,557 in federal funds from the Office on Violence Against Women, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

This Sexual Assault Services Formula Program (SAS Formula Program) grant is for services over the next two years, awarded to the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency, led by Director Mariana Timu-Faiai.

“Thank you to Director Mariana Timu-Faiai and her team at the American Samoa Criminal Justice Planning Agency for their efforts on important programs and the necessary application work for grants, so that no one goes without these essential services in a time of need,” said Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata.

DOJ is currently funded by Congress through FY 2024 Appropriations, and this longstanding grant program was created by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005), 34 U.S.C. § 12511. The Program directs grant dollars to states and territories to assist them in supporting rape crisis centers and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that provide core services, direct intervention, and related assistance to victims of sexual assault, regardless of age.

Funds provided through the SAS Formula Program are designed to supplement other funding sources directed at addressing sexual assault on the state and territorial levels. Rape crisis centers and other nonprofit organizations, such as dual programs providing both domestic violence and sexual assault intervention services, play a vital role in assisting sexual assault victims through the healing process, as well as assisting victims through the medical, criminal justice, and other social support systems.