[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H6806-H6808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        PETS EVACUATION AND TRANSPORTATION STANDARDS ACT OF 2006

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3858) to amend the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that 
State and local emergency preparedness operational plans address the 
needs of individuals with household pets and service animals following 
a major disaster or emergency.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Senate amendment:
       Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Pets Evacuation and 
     Transportation Standards Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. STANDARDS FOR STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS 
                   OPERATIONAL PLANS.

       Section 613 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
     Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5196b) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
       ``(g) Standards for State and Local Emergency Preparedness 
     Operational Plans.--In approving standards for State and 
     local emergency preparedness operational plans pursuant to 
     subsection (b)(3), the Director shall ensure that such plans 
     take into account the needs of individuals with household 
     pets and service animals prior to, during, and following a 
     major disaster or emergency.''.

     SEC. 3. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MEASURES OF THE DIRECTOR.

       Section 611 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
     Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5196) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (e)--
       (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting 
     ``; and''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) plans that take into account the needs of individuals 
     with pets and service animals prior to, during, and following 
     a major disaster or emergency.''; and
       (2) in subsection (j)--
       (A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (8) as 
     paragraphs (3) through (9), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) The Director may make financial contributions, on the 
     basis of programs or projects approved by the Director, to 
     the States and local authorities for animal emergency 
     preparedness purposes, including the procurement, 
     construction, leasing, or renovating of emergency shelter 
     facilities and materials that will accommodate people with 
     pets and service animals.''.

     SEC. 4. PROVIDING ESSENTIAL ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH 
                   HOUSEHOLD PETS AND SERVICE ANIMALS FOLLOWING A 
                   DISASTER.

       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 (H), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(J) provision of rescue, care, shelter, and essential 
     needs--
       ``(i) to individuals with household pets and service 
     animals; and
       ``(ii) to such pets and animals.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Oberstar) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield to the 
gentleman from Connecticut, who is the prime mover on H.R. 3858, Mr. 
Shays.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. I 
would like to just amend the gentleman's comment by saying there are 
two prime movers, Mr. Lantos and myself, and I appreciate the 
opportunity to speak on this legislation.
  I rise in support of H.R. 3858, the Pets Evacuation and 
Transportation Act, referred to as the PETS Act, which Congressman 
Lantos and I both as cochairmen of the Friends of Animal Caucus 
introduced.
  This commonsense bill requires State and local preparedness planners 
to include plans for evacuation of pet owners, pets, and service 
animals. Having passed this legislation once in the House, we now have 
an opportunity to include several important provisions that have been 
included by the Senate strengthening the bill, and then being able to 
send it directly to the President. These provisions include granting 
FEMA the authority to assist in developing evacuation plans, and 
authorizing financial help to States to create emergency shelters for 
people with their animals. Hurricane Katrina left so many victims in 
its wake, including up to 600,000 animals that lost their lives or were 
left without shelter.
  To qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, funding, a 
jurisdiction is required to submit a plan detailing their disaster 
preparedness plan. The PETS Act would simply require State and local 
emergency preparedness authorities to plan for how they will 
accommodate households with pets or service animals when presenting 
these plans to FEMA.
  This bipartisan legislation is necessary because it became evident 
during Hurricane Katrina, when asked to choose between abandoning their 
pets or their own personal safety, many pet owners chose to risk their 
lives and remain with their pets, and some of them perished. This is 
first a public safety issue, but also an animal welfare issue. Roughly 
two-thirds of American households own pets. We need to ensure owners 
and their pets are protected.
  The human horror and devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi, and 
Alabama was a failure we needed to immediately address, but it was also 
heartbreaking to hear stories of forced evacuees to choose between 
being rescued or remaining with their pets. The plight of the animals 
left behind was truly tragic.
  In the middle of hurricane season, it is imperative that regulations 
to include pets in evacuation plans be placed in anticipation of future 
tragedies.
  This is an important bill. I urge its passage so that we can send it 
directly to the President.
  Again, I want to thank the chairman for bringing this bill out and 
marshaling this bill both times we have been before the Chamber. And I 
also want to thank my colleague, my cochairman, Mr. Lantos for all that 
he has done. He is a pleasure to work with.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
leader on our side, an advocate for this legislation, the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lantos).
  Mr. LANTOS. I want to thank my friend Congressman Oberstar for 
yielding. I want to thank Chairman Young of Alaska and Congressman 
Oberstar for their stewardship of this important piece of legislation 
that my friend Congressman Chris Shays and I introduced, and we are 
thrilled and delighted that we have reached this day, and hopefully it 
will pass.
  I also would like to congratulate our colleagues in the Senate, 
Senators Stevens of Alaska and Lautenberg of New Jersey, for leading 
the fight to pass the PETS Act by a unanimous vote. In my own office, 
three young and committed men worked hard on this legislation, Ron 
Grimes, Jason Rosenstock, and Guido Zucconi, and I want to express my 
appreciation to them. But primarily I want to thank my wife, Annette, 
who, over a long lifetime together, taught me the love of animals.
  Mr. Speaker, if I may, I would like to call special attention to 
three doggies in our office, Masko, Chippy, and Cassie, who bring a 
civilized tone, joy, fun, pleasure, and wit to our congressional 
office. Their work, along with the tireless efforts of animal welfare 
organizations, will ensure the safety of household pets and service 
animals and their owners as well.
  Mr. Speaker, before the images of the gulf coast hurricanes of last 
year begin to fade from our national memory, it is imperative that we 
help our citizens prepare for the next disaster. Our legislation, the 
PETS Act, will ensure that families and people with disabilities will 
never be forced to choose between being rescued or remaining with their 
pets or service animals.
  The scene from New Orleans of a 9-year-old little boy crying because 
he was not allowed to take his little white dog Snowball was too much 
to bear. Personally, I know I wouldn't have been able to leave my 
little white dog Masko to a fate of almost certain death.
  As I watched the images of the heartbreaking choices the gulf 
residents had to make, I was moved to find a way to prevent this from 
ever happening again. Requiring local and State emergency planners to 
take into consideration the needs of evacuees with household pets and 
people with disabilities who have service animals is a simple

[[Page H6807]]

and effective way to ensure saving as many human lives as possible. If 
people can leave their homes knowing that all members of their family, 
including their pets, will be safe, it will make for a more civilized 
and more efficient evacuation.
  That is the reason why, along with my colleagues, Mr. Shays, Mr. 
Young, Mr. Oberstar, and Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, I introduced the 
Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which we call the PETS 
Act. Never before in my long congressional career have I received so 
much support and encouragement for a piece of legislation, Mr. Speaker, 
not only from citizens in my own district, but from a national audience 
that shares my concerns for the safety of these animals and their 
owners.
  Since the hurricanes of last year, the PETS Act has influenced State 
officials to make plans for people with pets and service animals. 
Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in Florida have shelters that accept 
animals, as well as careful instructions for people forced to leave 
their homes who may have animals. This demonstrates that emergency 
planners are more than capable of making effective plans for people 
with pets or service animals.
  Now, more than ever, with hurricane season upon us, this bill is of 
the utmost importance. The PETS Act will ensure that States will 
continue to plan for their pet and service animal populations, which 
will in turn ensure a smoother and safer evacuation for all members of 
the family.
  On behalf of the tens of millions of families across our Nation who 
have pets, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important 
legislation.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to be here today to pass an important reform to our 
emergency management system. Like many Americans, I watched in 
disbelief last year as our government struggled to respond to the death 
and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. I believe we were all 
shocked by FEMA's performance, given FEMA's outstanding reputation just 
a few years earlier.
  Breaking FEMA up and burying its pieces within the massive Homeland 
Security bureaucracy was a mistake, I believe. Since Hurricane Katrina, 
the Transportation Committee, the Select Committee on Hurricane 
Katrina, held dozens of hearings on Katrina and drafted the most 
comprehensive report on reforming our emergency management system.
  Just a few days ago the chairman of the authorizing committees, 
Chairman Young, Chairman Davis, Chairman King, Chairman Reichert and I 
reached an agreement with the Senate authorizers to rebuild FEMA and 
reform the Nation's emergency management system. With the leadership, 
authority and resources necessary to respond effectively to the next 
disaster, FEMA can once again be a premier agency within the Federal 
Government.
  I am pleased to have one of these specific reforms on the floor 
today, H.R. 3858, the PETS Act, that ensures the needs of people with 
household pets and service animals are considered by State and local 
emergency preparedness plans.
  The Senate amended the PETS Act to permit FEMA to fund structures 
that will accommodate pets and service animals and provide essential 
assistance to people with pets and service animals following a 
disaster.
  People become very attached to their pets. I have a Wheaton terrier 
that has become part of the family, and it would be very difficult to 
leave Chloe behind in a disaster. I certainly can understand and 
empathize with those folks who have household pets.
  I would like to thank Chairman Young, who is an original sponsor of 
this legislation for his leadership and guidance on the bill, and on 
the broader emergency management reform bill that will be on the floor, 
we hope, next week.
  I would also like to commend Mr. Shays for his dedication and hard 
work in moving this legislation. Mr. Shays has been a champion of this 
issue and has worked to ensure that owners don't have to make a choice 
between their personal safety and their pet's safety.
  I would also like to commend Mr. Shays for his leadership on the 
committee's investigating response to Hurricane Katrina. He worked 
tirelessly to resolve the flaws in our Nation's emergency management 
system that became apparent during Hurricane Katrina.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  Do I understand, Chairman Shuster, that if we pass this bill tonight, 
it goes directly to the President for his signature?
  I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SHUSTER. That is my understanding, yes, sir.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. 
Oberstar) and Chairman Shuster, Mr. Shays, and Mr. Lantos for your 
support of this bill.
  What is noteworthy is that in the last few days, this Congress has 
had three pieces of legislation in front of it that have a similar 
theme: The tribute that we paid to the Dalai Lama, and yesterday our 
support for the one day of peace, and today our support for the PETS 
Act, all are about compassion and the recognition of the importance of 
compassion in the life of this Nation.
  I think it is important for us to reflect that this is a strong 
capacity that we have that when we touch it, it touches people's hearts 
everywhere.
  I encourage my colleagues to join in support of H.R. 3858, the Pets 
Evacuation Transportation Standards Act. Passage of this bill is 
essential to the safety of all citizens and their pets in emergency and 
disaster circumstances. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will long be held 
in our collective conscious. It has been just over 1 year since we saw 
the terrified and helpless faces of the victims these natural disasters 
claimed, displaced, and horrified. The unbearably inadequate response 
to these disasters exacerbates the shame, the heartache and insecurity 
that has resulted. The images haunt us; and it is not just the images 
of our fellow human beings, but that of our gracious household pets and 
service animals.
  Among the injustices incurred in the gulf coast were citizens forced 
to choose between their own safety and that of their pet or service 
animals. And the example that Mr. Lantos gave of the 9-year-old boy who 
had to part with his beloved dog is an example of the heartbreak that 
all of us can relate to.
  Some chose to compromise their own safety, unwilling to evacuate 
without their pet, despite the great risk to themselves and their 
families. Others were forced to leave these important friends behind, 
abandoned and alone. Animals were left to survive on their own with 
little hope of survival, causing the very understandable human emotions 
of pain and agony that accompanied this choice.
  Some, dependent upon a service animal for their own safety and 
survival, were made to leave their companions behind, a direct threat 
to their own security.
  It is estimated that well over half of U.S. households include a pet 
or vital service animal as a member of the family. In the Kucinich 
household, we have three dogs, two beagles and one cocker spaniel, and 
anyone who has a pet understands how it would tug at your heart to have 
to be separated from that pet in a time of emergency.
  We know that the gulf coast region affected by the hurricanes had as 
many as 600,000 pets and service animals. Most of these animals could 
not be saved, and few have been reunited with their original owners.
  H.R. 3858, the PETS Act, will ensure that emergency preparedness for 
the safety of our own citizens includes the proper protocol to 
identify, evacuate, and shelter people, pets and service animals in 
times of emergency evacuations.
  Natural disasters are unavoidable; compromising the safety of our 
citizens is not. That is why I ask my colleagues to join me in support 
of H.R. 3858, the PETS Act, to ensure that in times of disaster no 
citizen is forced to compromise their own safety or well-being for that 
of their service animal.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

[[Page H6808]]

  Mr. Speaker, it is refreshing in a time of perception of 
contentiousness in the legislative bodies that we can consider a matter 
of this nature and have such thoughtful, constructive, civilized 
dialogue on a matter that touches the heart of so many of our fellow 
citizens. And how fitting to have a survivor of the Holocaust whose 
whole life and career has been concerned with saving people from 
tragedy, to lend his voice and his stature, his character and dignity 
to saving the lives of pets.
  And to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays), who has been 
associated so much with the process of campaign finance reform and 
other similar matters, to lend his support and his concern, his 
character, to a matter of this kind and to partner with the gentleman 
from California, both coasts joining to support something greater than 
all of us.
  As others have said, my wife and I watched the horror of Hurricane 
Katrina. Jean's home is New Orleans. Her family were there. Two 
brothers both had property losses, severe property loss. She knew as 
the cameras moved around the city from one street to the next, I walked 
that street, I know the people in that house. They have a pet. That dog 
is up in the attic and they are not going to leave because they cannot 
rescue the pet.
  We will now make it possible to avoid such dire choices in the future 
by putting in place a structure by which we can accommodate the needs 
of people and the lives they lead and the pets they have that are 
important to their living.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much. I wanted to 
rise and thank Chairman Shuster for marshaling this bill through and 
making sure that Members treated it with seriousness.
  I thank the ranking member of the full Transportation Committee, Mr. 
Oberstar, for his partnership in this effort.
  I also thank Congressman Lantos. We have been through many battles 
together, and this has been one of the most enjoyable ones.
  I also wanted to stand up and acknowledge the fine work of Senator 
Collins and the ranking member, Mr. Lieberman, in the Senate for their 
help in getting this bill through. Had they not taken action and 
treated this bill seriously, we would not be here today. And, frankly, 
they made it a better bill. I just wanted to thank Senators Collins and 
my friend Joe Lieberman, who I love very dearly.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I will close very quickly because I am in danger of being labeled as 
a big softy if I give too much in the way of closing comments. I will 
close by just asking all of my colleagues to support this piece of 
legislation which is important to millions and millions of Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Schwarz of Michigan). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) 
that the House suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to 
the bill, H.R. 3858.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendment was 
concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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