[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4426 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.4426

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two


                                 An Act


 
 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 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.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.