Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) is Iowa's equivalent to the US Department of Homeland Security. It manages disasters, grants, and programs such as 911.

History
HSEMD was founded on May 11, 1965 as the State Civil Defense Agency.

The department helped Dubuque County review papers for disaster prevention. It also estimated costs of the Bee Branch Watershed Project.

Organization
The three branches of the HSEMD are: Response, Recovery and Administration. The state is divided into districts.

Budget
As of 2021, the budget of the HSEMD is $273,370,646.

Flood Mitigation Board
The Flood Mitigation Board received $6 billion for flood projects in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.

Litigation
In 2020, Iowa City challenged HSEMD over its ban on international students. The original lawsuit was filed by Harvard University. Iowa City's wanted to support international students.