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GOSEP seeks supplemental authority after New Orleans events; committee presses cyber and school safety funding details
Summary
The governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSEP) reported roughly $62.2 million in current‑year supplemental needs related to New Orleans events and responses; the office also outlined ongoing cyber assurance work and school safety grants administered through GOSEP.
The Senate Finance Committee received a briefing from the governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOSEP) on disaster‑related spending and supplemental needs tied to New Orleans public‑safety events earlier in the year.
Senate Fiscal Services and GOSEP staff said GOSEP currently estimates approximately $62,200,000 in supplemental needs for FY25 tied to a range of responses. About $45,300,000 of that total is connected to the governor’s executive order and state responses supporting New Orleans operations around the Super Bowl and New Year’s period, the briefing said. GOSEP noted the estimate is subject to federal reimbursement and program details; the office said it expects some federal reimbursement, but timing and reimbursement percentages remain uncertain.
GOSEP and committee members also discussed cybersecurity and the state’s cyber assurance program. GOSEP staff described the office’s expanding role in coordinating cyber stabilization services for state agencies, K‑12 systems and local governments; senators repeatedly asked for a line‑item, agency‑level breakdown of Office of Technology Services (OTS) charges for hardware, software, lines of service and direct billed projects. Committee members requested a summarized breakdown by agency of OTS recurring costs, direct billing for large IT projects, and special project charges so the committee could evaluate efficiency and value across agencies.
On school safety, GOSEP described a grants program that has distributed $5,000 to many schools as a security enhancement program and noted the legislature allocated recurring school safety funding in recent years. GOSEP said it is working to align certain school safety and behavioral health initiatives with federal matching opportunities.
Why it matters: GOSEP’s supplemental request and pending federal reimbursements could affect FY25 and FY26 budget authority; the committee sought clearer documentation of cyber and school‑safety spending and requested OTS cost detail across agencies.
Ending: GOSEP agreed to supply the committee a breakdown of the $62.2 million estimate, any current BA‑7/authority changes, and a follow‑up on cyber assurance and school safety program funding and federal match prospects.
