Homeland Security for Children Act

Homeland Security for Children Act

This bill requires the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review and incorporate into DHS policy feedback from organizations representing the needs of children.

The bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify and integrate the needs of children into activities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against the risk of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, including by appointing a technical expert to coordinate such integration.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2932 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2932

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that the needs of 
 children are considered in homeland security planning, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 22, 2019

Mr. Payne (for himself and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland 
   Security, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and 
   Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that the needs of 
 children are considered in homeland security planning, 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 ``Homeland Security for Children 
Act''.

SEC. 2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR STRATEGY, POLICY, 
              AND PLANS.

    Paragraph (6) of section 709(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (6 U.S.C. 349(c)) is amended by inserting ``, including feedback 
from organizations representing the needs of children,'' after 
``stakeholder feedback''.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL EXPERT AUTHORIZED.

    Paragraph (2) of section 503(b) of the Homeland Security Act (6 
U.S.C. 313(b)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (G), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(I) identify and integrate the needs of children 
                into activities to prepare for, protect against, 
                respond to, recover from, and mitigate against the risk 
                of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other 
                manmade disasters, including catastrophic incidents, 
                including by appointing a technical expert, who may 
                consult with relevant outside organizations and 
                experts, as necessary, to coordinate such integration, 
                as necessary.''.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and annually thereafter for five years, the Under Secretary for 
Strategy, Policy, and Plans of the Department of Homeland Security 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate a report describing the efforts the Department 
has undertaken to review and incorporate feedback from organizations 
representing the needs of children into Department policy in accordance 
with paragraph (6) of section 709(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (as amended by section 2 of this Act), including information on 
the following:
            (1) The designation of any individual responsible for 
        carrying out such paragraph (6).
            (2) Any review, formal or informal, of Department policies, 
        programs, or activities to assess the suitability of such 
        policies, programs, or activities for children and where 
        feedback from organizations representing the needs of children 
        should be reviewed and incorporated.
            (3) Any review, change, modification, or promulgation of 
        Department policies, programs, or activities to ensure that 
        such policies, programs, or activities are appropriate for 
        children.
            (4) Coordination with organizations or experts outside the 
        Department pursuant to such paragraph (6) conducted to inform 
        any such review, change, modification, or promulgation of such 
        policies, programs, or activities.
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