[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''.
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