The President’s proposal transfers control over many of the programs that  provide preparedness and response support for the state and local  governments to a new Department of Homeland Security. Transfer of Certain Public Health Programs Has Potential to Improve Coordination

The transfer of federal assets and resources in the President’s proposed  legislation has the potential to improve coordination of public health  preparedness and response activities at the federal, state, and local levels. New Department’s Control of Essential Public Health Capacities Raises Concern

The President’s proposal to shift the responsibility for all programs  assisting state and local agencies in public health emergency preparedness  and response from HHS to the new department raises concern because of  the dual-purpose nature of these activities. These programs include  essential public health functions that, while important for homeland  security, are critical to basic public health core capacities. Therefore, we  are concerned about the transfer of control over the programs, including  priority setting, that the proposal would give to the new department. We  recognize the need for coordination of these activities with other  homeland security functions, but the President’s proposal is not clear on  how the public health and homeland security objectives would be  balanced. Bioterrorism: Public Health and Medical Preparedness.
What GAO Found

Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent anthrax incidents, there has been concern about the ability of the federal government to prepare for and coordinate an effective public health response given the broad distribution of responsibility for that task at the federal level. More then 20 federal departments and agencies carry some responsibility for bioterrorism preparedness and response. The President's proposed Homeland Security Act of 2002 would bring many of these federal entities with homeland security responsibilities--including public health preparedness and response--into one department to mobilize and focus assets and resources at all levels of government. The proposed reorganization has the potential to assist in the coordination of public health preparedness and response programs at the federal, state, and local levels. There are concerns, however, about the proposed transfer of control of public health assistance programs that have both basic public health and homeland security functions from Health and Human Services to the new department. Transferring control over these programs, including priority setting, to the new department has the potential to disrupt some programs critical to basic public health responsibilities. The President's proposal is unclear on how both the homeland security and the public health objectives would be accomplished.