Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 361) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
codify authority under existing grant guidance authorizing use of Urban
Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program
funding for enhancing medical preparedness, medical surge capacity, and
mass prophylaxis capabilities.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 361, the Medical
Preparedness Allowable Use Act, introduced by my colleague and the
former chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on
Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, Congressman
Bilirakis.
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make it clear
that grant funds under the State Homeland Security Grant Program and
the Urban Area Security Initiative may be used to enhance medical
preparedness and purchase medical countermeasures.
The grant guidance for these programs currently allows funds to be
used for medical preparedness equipment and activities. This bill
codifies those activities to ensure that they will continue to be
allowable, and it will not cost any additional money to do so.
We have seen the benefits that grant funds, including those used for
medical preparedness activities, have provided when it comes to
response capabilities. This was clearly demonstrated in the response to
the Boston Marathon bombings.
We know that the threat of a chemical or biological attack is real.
We must ensure that our first responders have the tools and
capabilities they need if such an event should occur.
As a result of this bill, grant funds could be used for items such as
predeployed medical kits for first responders and their families,
caches of equipment, training and exercises, and planning activities.
Identical language to H.R. 361 was approved by the Committee on
Homeland Security last year by a bipartisan voice vote and passed the
House by a vote of 391-2.
Mr. Speaker, as a pharmacist and someone whose coastal district lives
under constant threat of hurricanes, floods, and other natural
disasters, I know firsthand the benefits that these types of equipment
and activities can provide for our first responders and the citizens
that they protect.
I urge Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.

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