Kids Wish II Act - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to: (1) include child care facilities among public or private nonprofit facilities covered by such Act; (2) make a private for-profit child care facility eligible for assistance under the Act to the same extent as a private nonprofit child care facility; and (3) include child care within provisions regarding essential services, critical services, and federal assistance to individuals and households to address necessary expenses from a major disaster.
Directs the President to: (1) encourage states and localities to include consideration of services and facilities for children within all phases of their disaster planning, training, and exercises; (2) take necessary actions to include the provision of services and facilities for children within national planning activities; (3) ensure that disaster plans for services and facilities for children incorporate specific measurable capabilities for shelter-in-place, evacuation, relocation, family reunification, temporary operating standards, and accommodation of children with disabilities and chronic health needs and other special needs child populations; and (4) establish a single federal disaster case management program with an emphasis on achieving tangible, positive outcomes for all children and families who are victims of a major disaster.
Authorizes the President to: (1) provide mass care shelters for victims of major disasters, which shall provide a safe and secure mass care shelter environment for children; and (2) provide financial and other assistance for victims of a major disaster to ensure an expedited transition into permanent housing, especially for families with children who have disabilities or other special health, mental health, or educational needs.
Directs the President to: (1) give priority to families with children in providing disaster housing assistance; and (2) develop a standardized, interoperable national evacuee tracking and family reunification system that ensures the safety and well-being of children.
Requires disaster related information to be made available to individuals affected by a major disaster or emergency in formats that can be understood by children.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4478 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4478
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to direct the President to take actions to address the
needs of children and families who are victims of a major disaster, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 20, 2010
Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act to direct the President to take actions to address the
needs of children and families who are victims of a major disaster, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Kids Wish II Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
Section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (9)(C) by inserting ``child care,'' after
``educational,'';
(2) in paragraph (10)(A) by inserting ``child care,'' after
``educational,''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(11) Children.--The term `children' means individuals who
are 18 years of age or younger.
``(12) Emergency child care.--The term `emergency child
care' means supervision, recreation, and other services offered
by a State or local government (or a child care provider
regulated by a State) for the purpose of providing nonparental
care for children in the event of a major disaster or
emergency.''.
SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY OF FOR-PROFIT CHILD CARE FACILITIES FOR DISASTER
ASSISTANCE.
Title I of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``SEC. 103. FOR-PROFIT CHILD CARE FACILITIES.
``Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a private for-
profit child care facility shall be eligible for assistance under this
Act to the same extent as a private nonprofit child care facility.''.
SEC. 4. DISASTER PLANNING.
Title III of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5141 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``SEC. 327. DISASTER PLANNING TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND
FAMILIES.
``(a) State and Local Disaster Planning.--
``(1) In general.--The President shall encourage States and
localities to include consideration of services and facilities
for children within all phases of their disaster planning,
training, and exercises.
``(2) Services and facilities for children defined.--In
this subsection, the term `services and facilities for
children' includes--
``(A) health and mental health services and
facilities for children;
``(B) school services and facilities;
``(C) child care services and facilities;
``(D) services and facilities associated with early
education programs, including the Head Start program;
``(E) juvenile corrections, detention, and court
services and facilities;
``(F) child welfare services and facilities; and
``(G) residential care services and facilities for
children, including residential treatment centers and
group homes.
``(b) National Disaster Planning.--The President shall take such
actions as may be necessary to include the provision of services and
facilities for children within national planning activities, including
the National Response Framework and the National Disaster Recovery
Framework.
``(c) Specific Measurable Capabilities of Disaster Plans.--The
President shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that
disaster plans for services and facilities for children, at a minimum,
incorporate specific measurable capabilities for shelter-in-place,
evacuation, relocation, family reunification, temporary operating
standards, and accommodation of children with disabilities and chronic
health needs and other special needs child populations.''.
SEC. 5. DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR CHILD CARE SERVICES AND FACILITIES.
(a) Essential Assistance.--Section 403(a)(3) of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C.
5170b(a)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (D) by inserting ``, child care,''
after ``schools'';
(2) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (I);
(3) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (J)
and inserting ``; and''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(K) provision of emergency child care and
assistance to families for child placement in emergency
child care.''.
(b) Repair, Restoration, and Replacement of Damaged Facilities.--
Section 406(a)(3)(B) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5172(a)(3)(B)) is amended
by inserting ``child care,'' after ``education,''.
(c) Federal Assistance to Individuals and Households.--Section
408(e)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5174(e)(2)) is amended--
(1) in the paragraph heading by inserting ``child care,''
after ``transportation,''; and
(2) by inserting ``child care,'' after ``transportation,''.
SEC. 6. CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES.
Section 426 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189d) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The
President''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Program Requirements.--
``(1) Emphasis on children and families.--In carrying out
this section, the President shall establish a single Federal
disaster case management program with an emphasis on achieving
tangible, positive outcomes for all children and families who
are victims of a major disaster.
``(2) Components.--The program shall--
``(A) adequately address the physical health,
mental health, nutrition, education, housing,
transportation, and other human services needs of
children and families who are victims of a major
disaster;
``(B) provide for the involvement of nonprofit
agencies that provide disaster case management
services;
``(C) provide access to funding that supports all
aspects of disaster case management, including direct
services to survivors;
``(D) provide for a single point of contact for
disaster assistance applicants who need a wide variety
of services that may be provided by many different
organizations; and
``(E) provide funding to support case manager
training.''.
SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE TO MEET NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating the second section 425, relating to
essential service providers, as section 427; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 428. ASSISTANCE TO MEET NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
``(a) Mass Care Shelters.--
``(1) In general.--The President may provide mass care
shelters for victims of major disasters. Such shelters shall
provide a safe and secure mass care shelter environment for
children, including appropriate access to essential services
and supplies.
``(2) Standards.--In carrying out this subsection, the
President shall--
``(A) develop and implement national standards and
indicators for mass care shelters that are specific and
responsive to children;
``(B) develop a list of essential age-appropriate
shelter supplies for infants and children and fund the
addition of child-specific supplies to caches for
immediate deployment to support shelter operations;
``(C) ensure the implementation of standards and
training to mitigate risks unique to children in
shelters, including child abduction and sex offenders;
and
``(D) ensure all shelter operators have access to a
fast, accurate, and low-cost system for conducting
national fingerprint-based criminal history background
checks for shelter workers and volunteers.
``(b) Housing.--The President--
``(1) shall give priority to families with children in
providing disaster housing assistance under this title; and
``(2) may provide financial and other assistance for
individuals and families who are victims of a major disaster to
ensure an expedited transition into permanent housing,
especially for families with children who have disabilities or
other special health, mental health, or educational needs.
``(c) Evacuation.--The President, in coordination with the heads of
other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop a standardized,
interoperable national evacuee tracking and family reunification system
that ensures the safety and well-being of children.''.
SEC. 8. DISASTER RELATED INFORMATION SERVICES.
Section 616(a)(2)(B) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5196f(a)(2)(B)) is amended by
inserting ``children and'' before ``individuals with disabilities''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
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