Homeland Security for Children Act
Floor Speech
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2932, the Homeland Security for Children Act. This legislation seeks to ensure that the needs of children, one of our most vulnerable populations, are considered in Department of Homeland Security planning.
H.R. 2932 directs the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans to incorporate feedback from children's organizations into departmentwide activities.
Furthermore, this bill authorizes the technical expert position within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to identify and integrate the needs of children when preparing for, protecting against, responding to, and recovering from natural and manmade disasters.
It is imperative that we ensure that those who are unable to advocate for themselves are being represented when disaster strikes.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico.
Mr. Speaker, children make up nearly 23 percent of the Nation's population, and as the threats to our homeland continue to evolve, it is important that we be prepared to adequately assist every child at every age.
H.R. 2932 directs the Department of Homeland Security to include the needs of children, the most vulnerable among us, in all departmental activities.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support signed by several organizations representing the needs of children, including Save the Children, the Child Welfare League of America, Share Our Strength, and Zero to Three. National Coalition on Children and Disasters, Arlington, VA, July 12, 2019. Hon. Donald M. Payne, Jr., House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Payne: As members of the National Coalition on Children and Disasters, which includes organizations that advocate for the well-being of children and their families in the preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural or man-made disasters, we endorse H.R. 2932, the ``Homeland Security for Children Act of 2019.''
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the nation learned how unprepared we were at the federal, state, and local levels of government in addressing and responding to the needs of children. As a result, in 2007, Congress established the National Commission on Children and Disasters, which produced a comprehensive book of recommendations in 2010. They included improved mental health services, pediatric and child welfare needs, and disaster management planning, response, and reunification for child care settings. Most importantly, the Commission strongly recommended that improved coordination of the needs of children among federal agencies was needed.
The Homeland Security for Children Act would help improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) response to the needs of children during disasters. Your bill would also increase accountability across government agencies in times of emergency and incorporate feedback from youth-serving organizations to prioritize and represent the needs of children into department-wide policies. In addition, it would mandate that DHS provide routine updates to Congress summarizing efforts undertaken to incorporate the needs of children in Department-wide policies, programs, and activities.
With natural disasters on the rise, the time is now for Congress to ensure that the necessary supports are in place to address needs of children and families following disasters. Children are not little adults. They have specialized needs that must be considered when planning for, responding to, and recovering from a disaster.
Thank you for your sponsorship of this critical legislation, as well as your ongoing leadership on behalf of children and families. If we can be of any assistance on advancing this bill, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, National Coalition on Children and Disasters Members include: Child Care Aware
Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2932, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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