National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act of 2010

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5266) to extend the final report deadline and otherwise reauthorize the National Commission on Children and Disasters.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 5266.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 5266 and ask for the support of the House. It is a bill to reauthorize the National Commission on Children and Disasters, sponsored by my colleague from Florida, Representative Corrine Brown.

The National Commission on Children and Disasters was created as a result of the indelible lessons of Hurricane Katrina and as a result of the effects that disaster had on children. The commission was authorized by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the Kids in Disasters Well Being Act of 2007, which was also sponsored by Chairwoman Brown.

The commission's work has been well received, and many of its recommendations have been implemented, especially those related to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I was pleased to chair a hearing of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management that received testimony from Mark Shriver, the chair of the commission, on its interim report when it was issued last October.

The commission just issued a progress report on May 11, and I recently had a talk with Chairman Shriver about that report. While FEMA has made good progress on many of the recommendations, other agencies have not; and, therefore, the commission's work remains incomplete. The subcommittee will continue to work with the commission on the implementation of its recommendations.

H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Act of 2010, reauthorizes the commission by extending the deadline for its final report until December 31, 2012, and requires annual interim reports from the commission. The commission will sunset 180 days after the date of its final report.

H.R. 5266 authorizes appropriations of $1.5 million in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 and $1 million in fiscal year 2013, the final year of the commission. The bill also rectifies a problem the commission experienced at the outset when it took nearly 5 months for all of the members of the commission to be appointed. The bill requires vacancies to be filled in 90 days, which should help minimize any delays in the commission's work in the event of a vacancy.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5266, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the sponsor of the bill, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).

Madam Speaker, I want to join the chairwoman, Ms. Corrine Brown, not only in asking the House to pass this bill, but to commend her.

The chairwoman discovered this issue and acted on it. She discovered it in Florida, when there were refugees, as it were, from Katrina. She was moved by it. She decided to do, in fact, work on the ground in Florida for these children and others who were caught in Katrina, and she followed up with legislation, and never let up until this very day. And I know she won't let up until the other body sees fit also to pass the bill.

So I want to commend her for her discovery of a vital issue that my own committee, which has jurisdiction over FEMA, had not noted with nearly as much attention as the gentlelady from Florida.

I want also to note the work of Mark Schreiber, whose work on the commission went far beyond his chairmanship. He took this cause unto his own, pressed it with all that he had, and deserves great credit for making sure that we got to the day when we would pass the bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5266, the ``National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act of 2010'', which extends the authorization for the Commission on Children and Disasters for an additional two years. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown) for introducing this bill and the attention she has brought to the issue of the needs of children in disasters.

In 2007, Congress enacted the Kids in Disasters Well-being, Safety, and Health Act of 2007 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161). This legislation established a 10-member Commission to examine the needs of children in response to and recovery from disasters and emergencies. The bill required the Commission to submit a final report to Congress with its findings two years after the date of the first meeting of the Commission, and sunset the authorization for the Commission 180 days after the submission of the final report.

Under current law, the report of the Commission is due in October 2010. H.R. 5266 extends the date for the final report to December 31, 2012, and requires annual interim reports from the Commission in the intervening years.

The Commission was created as a result of lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, a disaster that affected thousands of children. As the Commission's May 2010 Progress Report reminds us, more recent disasters--such as last year's tsunami in American Samoa, this year's devastating earthquake in Haiti, and the recent H1N1 outbreak-- disproportionately affected children compared to adults. However, serious impacts on children can occur in a disaster of any magnitude. Last month, tornadoes spread across my home state of Minnesota. The hardest hit area was Wadena, in my district, where preliminary damage assessments indicated that the community bore 90 percent of the damage to infrastructure and emergency response costs.

Shortly after the storm, I was in Wadena and saw the damage first- hand. One of the worst hit facilities was the Wadena Deer Creek High School, which was damaged beyond repair. Following a disaster, it is essential to reopen schools as quickly as possible in order to restore a sense of normalcy and stability for children and families. Children need to resume their education and reconnect with their friends, and with schools open, parents can get back to work. We are fortunate in Wadena that while the high school is being restored, the district will be able to use a recently closed parochial school and a local community and technical college campus.

We are also fortunate, as the Commission's May 2010 Progress Report points out, that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made good progress in implementing the recommendations of the Commission, including the appointment of a Children's Working Group that reports directly to the Administrator. Unfortunately, other Federal agencies have been slow to implement the Commission's recommendations and, as a result, the work of the Commission remains incomplete.

In October 2009, the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management held a hearing on the then-newly issued interim report of the Commission. Based on the testimony at this hearing and the Commission's findings, I included language in H.R. 3377, the ``Disaster Response, Recovery and Mitigation Act of 2009'', to require the Administrator of FEMA to take into account the recommendations of the Commission when drafting or updating agency plans, strategies, regulations, and policies. It is important for the Commission to be extended so it can advise Congress and the President on how FEMA is meeting this requirement.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5266.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act.

I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and subcommittee Chairwoman Norton for their hard work and assistance in bringing this bill forward.

I would also like to thank Mark Shriver, the commission chair, for his work and dedication to children.

You all have provided crucial support in the creation of the National Commission on Children and Disasters and continue to do so in advancing this important bill to allow the commission to continue its important work.

The passage of H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act of 2010, is of extreme importance to our Nation's efforts in protecting our Nation's children before, during, and following a disaster.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I authored the KIDS WiSH Act to improve Federal, State, tribal, and local disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts for children who make up nearly 25 percent of our population but whose needs are often overlooked in disasters. Children are not little adults, and their needs are unique and cannot be easily inferred from disaster plans prepared only for adults.

The commission delivered its interim report in October 2009, which identified numerous gaps and made recommendations related to disaster management and recovery, child physical and mental health, education, child care, child welfare, juvenile justice, emergency sheltering, housing, evacuation, and family reunification.

As President Obama's administration has taken shape, the commission has played a vital role in fostering communication and coordination among Federal agencies and their partners in implementing the recommendations. While there are encouraging signs that the unique needs of children are receiving greater attention, there is still a great deal of important work ahead for the commission beyond the current fiscal year.

Just recently, in fact, in its interim report issued 8 months ago, the commission released a report which tracks the progress toward the implementation of the recommendations. Although the commission found that Federal agencies have taken some initial positive steps, many crucial recommendations remain substantially unad-

dressed, leaving children needlessly vulnerable in disasters. Therefore, I wholeheartedly believe that more work is needed to be done to bring about sweeping and permanent changes in the Nation's disaster planning and management, which still heavily favor able-bodied adults.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support our Nation's children and to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5266, to extend the final report deadline and otherwise reauthorize the national commission on children and disasters. H.R. 5266, is an important piece of legislation that assists a commission whose job is to report to Congress and the President on the necessary precautions and actions needed before major disasters or emergencies.

I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, and Chairman Oberstar for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the sponsor of this legislation, Congresswoman Brown, for her important work on the reauthorization of the national commission on children and disasters through 2013.

Madam Speaker, in an average 3-year period, roughly 5 hurricanes strike the coastlines of the United States. The 2009 Atlantic hurricane season included 9 named storms, including 3 hurricanes, 2 of which were category 3 or higher. In 2009 there were 1843 earthquakes in the United States between the magnitudes of 3.0 and 6.0. From 2007 to the present, 269 fatalities have resulted from tornadoes. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, my Subcommittee recently held a hearing on the difficulties of reaching those with special needs, such as children, during emergencies such as a hurricane or tornado. Children comprise about 25 percent of our population and have unique needs during a disaster that require specific recognition and coordination on the part of federal, state, Tribal and local governments and their non-governmental disaster-relief partners. The rise in major disaster declarations over the past two decades, and more recent disasters have highlighted the need to improve the gaps in preparedness, response and recovery policies that should specifically address the needs of children.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased that H.R. 5266 would reauthorize the National Commission on Children and Disasters through 2013. The National Commission on Children and Disasters examines and reports to the Congress and the President on the needs of children during the preparation for, response to, and recovery from major disasters and emergencies. Under current law, the commission would terminate in 2011.

I conclusion, Madam Speaker, I support this legislation to keep our children safe. I am pleased that Congress is taking action to promote increased safety measures in emergency situations as well as providing the funds in support.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5266.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 5266, the National Commission on Children and Disasters Reauthorization Act of 2010. I commend my colleague on the Transportation Committee, Representative Brown, for her work on this legislation and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, the National Commission on Children and Disasters is conducting a comprehensive study that examines and assesses children's needs as they relate to preparation for, response to, and recovery from all hazards, including major disasters and emergencies. The Commission will review relevant laws, regulations, and policies and report its findings and recommendations to the President and Congress.

This legislation, which reauthorizes this important commission, will also extend the deadline for submission of the final report to December 31, 2012. Due to delays in the appointment of Commission members and receipt of funding, the Commission was unable to hold its first meeting until 10 months after it was created. As a result, the work of the Commission remains incomplete and, without reauthorization, the Commission will be required to issue its final report on October 14, 2010, and will sunset 180 days thereafter.

According to the committee report for this bill, children comprise nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population; however, disaster plans are written largely for able-bodied adults, meaning that before, during, and after disasters, the unique needs of children are overlooked, unmet, and misunderstood. This legislation is necessary to ensure that the commission can complete its important work which will have lasting effects on the safety of children before, during, and after a disaster.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.