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HOMELAND SECURITY FOR CHILDREN ACT
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4426) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4426
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 SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
Section 102 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 112) is amended by adding at the end of the following new subsection:
``(h) Planning Requirements.--The Secretary shall ensure the head of each office and component of the Department takes into account the needs of children, including children within under-served communities, in mission planning and mission execution. In furtherance of this subsection, the Secretary shall require each such head to seek, to the extent practicable, advice and feedback from organizations representing the needs of children. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply whenever such advice or feedback is sought in accordance with this subsection.''.
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, integrate, and implement the needs of children, including children within under-served communities, into activities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against the risk of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other 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 Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 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, including children within under-served communities, into Department policy in accordance with subsection (h) of section 102 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 subsection (h).
(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 subsection (h) conducted to inform any such review, change, modification, or promulgation of such policies, programs, or activities.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Guest) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).
General Leave
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Mississippi?
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, during disasters, children are uniquely vulnerable to physical and emotional harm. Sixteen years ago, Hurricane Katrina opened our eyes to the disproportionate consequences of disasters on our Nation's children. It uprooted 300,000 children, forcing them to enroll in new schools, and separated 5,000 children from their families, some for months.
Drawing on the lessons from Katrina, the National Commission on Children and Disasters in 2010 issued recommendations to better protect children during catastrophes. To date, fewer than a quarter of those recommendations have been implemented.
Children today face a diverse range of homeland security challenges that impact their lives. We have seen COVID-19, school shootings, hurricanes, and wildfires disrupt access to education and have far-
reaching impacts on the lives of children.
According to a study published this week, children today will experience three times as many climate-related disasters as their grandparents.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a Washington Post article on the consequences of climate change for children. Today's Kids Will Live Through Three Times as Many Climate Disasters as
Their Grandparents, Study Says
(By Sarah Kaplan, September 27, 2021)
Adriana Bottino-Poage is 6 years old, with cherub cheeks and curls that bounce when she laughs. She likes soccer, art and visiting the library. She dreams of being a scientist and inventing a robot that can pull pollution out of the air. She wants to become the kind of grownup who can help the world.
Yet human actions have made the world a far more dangerous place for Adriana to grow up, according to a first-of-its-kind study of the impacts of climate change across generations.
If the planet continues to warm on its current trajectory, the average 6-year-old will live through roughly three times as many climate disasters as their grandparents, the study finds. They will see twice as many wildfires, 1.7 times as many tropical cyclones, 3.4 times more river floods, 2.5 times more crop failures and 2.3 times as many droughts as someone born in 1960.
These findings, published this week in the journal Science, are the result of a massive effort to quantify what lead author Wim Thiery calls the ``intergenerational inequality'' of climate change.
Drawing on multiple climate and demographic models, Thiery and 36 colleagues compared the risks faced by previous generations to the number of extreme events today's children will witness in their lifetimes. Unless world leaders agree on more ambitious policies when they meet for the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, this fall, the study says, today's children will be exposed to an average of five times more disasters than if they lived 150 years ago.
The changes are especially dramatic in developing nations; infants in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to live through 50 to 54 times as many heat waves as someone born in the preindustrial era.
The disparities underscore how the worst effects of climate change will be experienced in places that contributed least to warming, by people who have had little say in the policies that allow continued emissions to occur, Thiery said. More than half of all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were generated after 1990, meaning that most of the disasters today's children will experience can be linked to emissions produced during their parents' lifetimes.
``Young people are being hit by climate crisis but are not in position to make decisions,'' he said. ``While the people who can make the change happen will not face the consequences.''
Aggressive efforts to curb fossil fuel use and other planet-warming activities can still dramatically improve the outlook for today's children, he added. If people manage to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels, newborns' risk of extreme heat exposure will fall almost by half. They could see 11 percent fewer crop failures, 27 percent fewer droughts and almost a third as many river floods than if emissions continue unabated.
But the world is nowhere near meeting that 1.5 degree target. A U.N. report published earlier this month warned that, based on countries' current climate pledges, greenhouse gas emissions could actually increase by 16 percent by the end of the decade. That would put the planet on track to warm by 2.7 degrees Celsius (4.9 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century.
This makes Adriana angry. The Woodbridge, Va., first-grader already worries about the wildfires in California, where her half brother lives. She has heard about islands being inundated by rising seas, caught glimpses of hurricanes and droughts on the news.
Meanwhile, adults ``don't listen, and they keep doing it and keep making the Earth hotter'' she added. ``Everything will keep getting worse and worse until I grow up. Somebody has to do something.''
The Science paper was partly inspired by Thiery's three sons, who are 7, 5 and 2. But its implications are not restricted to children. Anyone under 40, he said, is destined to live a life of unprecedented disaster exposure, experiencing rates of extreme events that would have just a 1 in 10,000 chance of happening in a preindustrial world.
``It used to be a story of, like, `yeah we have to limit global warming because of grandchildren,' `` he said. ``This study is making clear that climate change has arrived. It's everywhere.''
The numbers provided in the study are almost certainly an underestimate, said co-author Joeri Rogelj, director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. Data limitations, and the complexity of the analysis, meant the scientists didn't assess the increased risk of some hazards, such as coastal flooding from sea level rise. The study also doesn't take into account the increased severity of many events; it only looks at frequency.
On the other hand, he noted, countries also have a chance to adapt to the changes that are coming. If the world invests in making communities safer--for example, installing flood barriers, adopting fire-safe building codes, providing shelter for people at risk from deadly heat--disasters don't have to be as destructive for future generations as they are for people today.
``Our aim is for this not to be the conclusion of this debate,'' Rogelj said, ``but for this to be the start of looking at the lived experience of children being born today.''
Kim Cobb, a climate scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology who was not involved in the new research, called it a ``robust study'' based on established findings from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As a scientist, Cobb said, she was unsurprised by the results.
But Cobb is also a mother to four children. Reading the report through that lens, she said, ``it brings into sharp focus what so many economic models of climate change impacts fail to capture--the vast toll of human suffering that is hanging in the balance with our emissions choices this decade.''
She added: ``The moral weight of this moment is almost unbearable.''
In a report published in conjunction with Thiery's findings, Save the Children International called on world leaders to make the changes necessary to meet the 1.5 degree Celsius target. Wealthy nations must also follow through on their unmet pledge to give $100 billion per year to help low-income countries curb their own emissions and adapt to changes that are already underway, the group said.
Yolande Wright, who directs the nonprofit's climate efforts, also hopes the findings will bolster legal efforts to force climate action on behalf of children. Last year, a federal appeals court threw out a case brought by 21 American young people who argued that the government's failure to act on climate change was a violation of their rights. Similar cases have been filed in Portugal, Peru and elsewhere.
``Now that we can really quantify how a child in their lifetime will see so many more of these extreme events . . . it helps make the case,'' Wright said.
Environmental attorney Dan Galpern, general counsel and director of Climate Protection and Restoration Initiative, agreed that ``anticipatory research'' like this can help establish governments' and corporations' liability for real harms experienced by kids.
Young people already say climate change has touched their lives and harmed their mental health. In a recent survey of 16- to 25-year-olds, scientists found that three quarters of respondents feared the future and more than half believed they would have less opportunity than their parents. Nearly 60 percent said their governments had betrayed them and future generations--making them feel even more anxious.
``The future for me and everyone who comes after is so insecure,'' said Emanuel Smari Nielsen, a 14-year-old climate activist from Norway. ``When politicians and those with power do not do anything, it makes me feel tired. It almost makes me angry.''
Adriana, the 6-year-old, said she feels ``super nervous'' when she thinks about what the future might hold. In those moments, there's nothing that helps her feel better.
``I just wait till I'm done thinking about it,'' she said.
Experts say one way to help children cope with climate anxiety is to help them feel empowered to do something about it. The Save the Children report calls for communities, countries and global institutions like the U.N. to give young people a greater role in setting climate policy.
Cormac Buck, an 8-year-old from Savannah, Ga., has decided to stop eating meat (except for the occasional chicken nugget). He is part of a group of kids at his school who have asked teachers and administrators to use fewer fossil fuels.
``Sometimes I hear some depressing things happening, like some animals because of climate change are really close to extinction . . . and I feel sad,'' he said. ``And then I normally try to think of a way to stop that from happening again.''
And adults must earn back children's trust, Thiery said, by making the dramatic emissions reductions that have been so long delayed. Our choices now will determine whether kids grow up in a world with four times as many heat waves or seven times as many heat waves, a world with occasional crop failures or chronic food shortages.
``We can still avoid the worst consequences,'' he said.
``That is what gives me strength as a father . . . Their future is in our hands.''
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, the safety of our children is central to our country's well-being, and we must ensure that, for its part, the Department of Homeland Security is equipped to consider these needs.
The Homeland Security for Children Act would ensure the unique needs of children are taken into account throughout the Department by mandating the DHS Secretary direct all components and offices to consider children when creating policies and implementing programs.
{time} 1615
It specifically directs the Department to seek feedback from organizations that represent children when developing and carrying out policies and programs.
H.R. 4426 would also permanently authorize a ``children's technical expert'' within the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prioritize the interests of children in emergency preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives.
Lastly, the legislation, as introduced by my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) would require DHS to report to Congress on the Department's work to incorporate children's interests throughout all its work.
Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4426, the Homeland Security for Children Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, September 23, 2021.Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,House of Representatives. Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Thompson: I write concerning H.R. 4426, the Homeland Security for Children Act. There are certain provisions in this legislation that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 4426, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure agrees to forgo action on the bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill would not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I also request that you urge the Speaker to name members of this Committee to any conference committee which is named to consider such provisions.
Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the committee report on H.R. 4426 and into the Congressional Record during consideration of the measure on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Peter A. Defazio,Chair.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC, September 23, 2021.Hon. Peter A. DeFazio,Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman DeFazio: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 4426, the ``Homeland Security for Children Act.'' I recognize that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has a jurisdictional interest in H.R. 4426, and I appreciate your effort to allow this bill to be considered on the House floor.
I concur with you that forgoing action on the bill does not in any way prejudice the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with respect to its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the future, and I would support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House--Senate conference involving this legislation.
I will include our letters on H.R. 4426 in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of this bill. I look forward to working with you on this legislation and other matters of great importance to this Nation.
Sincerely,
Bennie G. Thompson,
Chairman,
Committee on Homeland Security.
Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4426, the Homeland Security for Children Act.
While terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other large-scale emergencies have devastating effects on our communities that last for years, the impacts on children whose lives are often shaped by such emergencies can be felt throughout our country for decades. This legislation will help ensure that DHS, especially FEMA, is considering those long-term implications in all aspects of its mission and planning.
I commend Representative Payne for his tireless effort over the years to support and protect our Nation's children.
Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to join me in supporting H.R. 4426. I have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, our Nation's children need our help. Natural disasters have impacted one in three Americans. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 5.5 million children have tested positive, and conditions are not trending in the right direction.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, last week, with kids back at school, the number of infected children had exponentially risen to the third highest level since the beginning of the pandemic.
As a partner to schools, which are critical to infrastructure, the Department of Homeland Security has a critical mission to play in helping to protect children. To do so effectively, it is critical that children's unique needs are front and center in DHS programs and policies. Enactment of the Homeland Security for Children Act will do just that.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4426, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4426, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 170
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