[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 134 (Tuesday, September 11, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1863]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF THE KIDS WiSH ACT OF 2007

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                           HON. CORRINE BROWN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 11, 2007

  Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
introduce legislation that would begin to address a gaping hole in our 
disaster management system. Since Hurricane Katrina, many improvements 
to our emergency management system have been made, but there is still 
much work to be done. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that the current 
disaster management system in the United States is inadequately 
prepared to meet the needs of children. And there is still no national 
agency in the United States with a clear mandate to safeguard children 
before, during, and after disasters.
  Children see, hear, and understand more than adults may expect. But 
children do not experience disasters the same way that adults do. In 
normal times, family, other caregivers, and community institutions like 
schools work together to keep children safe and help them learn and 
develop. During disasters, family members can be separated, schools and 
child care centers closed or destroyed, and children's routines 
disrupted. These sudden changes can frighten children. The physical 
differences between children and adults are clear: children are smaller 
and have different sleep, nutrition, and other needs. In shelters, 
hospitals and emergency service centers, these differences matter.
  Congress must invest in creating effective local, state, and federal 
disaster response systems involving a healthy, adequately-funded, well-
coordinated, and functional emergency medical services system. My bill, 
the KIDS WiSH Act, focuses on making sure the needs of children are 
addressed and met in emergency preparedness planning, and in response 
to and recovery from future domestic disasters.
  The KIDS WiSH Act establishes a National Commission on Children and 
Disasters that is modeled after the 9/11 Commission. The Commission 
will examine, assess and report on the facts and causes relating to the 
needs of children during and after all hazards, disasters and 
emergencies, and Federal emergencies. It will also build upon 
investigations of other entities on children's needs during and after 
hazards, disasters, and emergencies. This would include reviewing 
findings, conclusions, and recommendations of other executive branch, 
Congressional or independent commissions, or non-governmental entities. 
The bill will also establish The National Resource Center on Children 
and Disasters that would provide information to Federal, State, local 
and tribal governments, and nongovernmental entities on issues in 
relation to the needs of children during and after all hazards, 
disasters, and emergencies.
  The time to address children's needs in disasters is now . . . our 
Nation's children shouldn't have to wait any longer.

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