Planning for Animal Wellness Act

Floor Speech

S. 4205, the Planning for Animal Wellness, or PAW Act, establishes a FEMA working group to determine Federal guidance on animal care during emergencies and natural disasters.

We have seen citizens impacted by disasters reluctant to evacuate if they can't bring their pets with them. This can greatly affect the ability of emergency managers and local first responders to keep individuals safe.

Whether it is service animals, household pets, or farm animals, we have made improvements to address this issue; however, problems still persist.

Given this fact, the bill establishes a working group to review FEMA's policies, determine best practices, and make recommendations to help better prepare and respond to disasters.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the PAW Act will help identify persistent problem areas and best practices when it comes to dealing with pets and animals in disasters and ultimately improve our response to disasters to save more lives.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and yield back the balance of my time.

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