IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4737 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 11, 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require 

the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the 

Department of Homeland Security to research and evaluate existing Federal research regarding approaches to 

mitigate climate change on homeland security to identify 

areas for further research within the Department, research and develop approaches to mitigate the consequences of climate change on homeland security, and 

for other purposes. 


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HR 4737 RFS

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Home5 land Security Climate Change Research Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING, RESEARCH AND DE7 VELOPMENT, AND PROTECTION AND PRE8 PAREDNESS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title III of the Homeland Secu10 rity Act of 2002 is amended by adding at the end the fol11 lowing new section: 

12 ‘‘SEC. 321. CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH AND DEVELOP13 MENT. 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary for Science 

15 and Technology— 

16 ‘‘(1) shall evaluate existing Federal research re17 garding approaches to mitigate the consequence of 

18 climate change on homeland security to identify 

19 areas for additional research and development pur20 suant to paragraph (2) with respect to— 

21 ‘‘(A) any connection between climate 

22 change and homeland security, including how 

23 the resulting competition for resources, eco24 nomic distress, and social discontent has conVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:23 Feb 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4737.RFS H4737

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HR 4737 RFS

1 tributed to, among other outcomes, acts of ter2 rorism; 

3 ‘‘(B) the degree to which climate change is 

4 reflected in terrorism preparedness and emer5 gency planning and policies, including with re6 spect to preparedness, response to, and recovery 

7 from natural disasters; and 

8 ‘‘(C) the degree to which the Federal fund9 ing structure to respond to major disaster dec10 larations and emergency declarations is ade11 quately structured to meet the demands of re12 sponding to and recovering from acts of ter13 rorism and natural disasters that are aggra14 vated by climate change; and 

15 ‘‘(2) shall, to the extent practicable, conduct re16 search and development on approaches to mitigate 

17 the consequences of climate change on homeland se18 curity in response to finding pursuant to paragraph 

19 (1). 

20 ‘‘(b) SCOPE.—The scope of the research and develop21 ment under subsection (a)(2) shall include the following: 

22 ‘‘(1) Any connection between climate change 

23 and homeland security, including how the resulting 

24 competition for resources, economic distress, and soVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:23 Feb 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4737.RFS H4737

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HR 4737 RFS

1 cial discontent can contribute to, among other out2 comes, acts of terrorism. 

3 ‘‘(2) The degree to which climate change is re4 flected in terrorism preparedness and emergency 

5 planning and policies, including with respect to pre6 paredness, response to, and recovery from natural 

7 disasters. 

8 ‘‘(3) The degree to which the Federal funding 

9 structure to respond to major disaster declarations 

10 and emergency declarations is adequately structured 

11 to meet the demands of responding to and recov12 ering from acts of terrorism and natural disasters 

13 that are aggravated by climate change. 

14 ‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this section, 

15 the Under Secretary for Science and Technology shall con16 sult with the heads of other relevant agencies and depart17 ments of the Federal Government, first responders, and 

18 relevant owners and operators of critical infrastructure. 

19 ‘‘(d) CLIMATE CHANGE DEFINED.—The term ‘cli20 mate change’ refers to detectable changes in one or more 

21 climate system components that is directly or indirectly 

22 attributed to— 

23 ‘‘(1) human activity; and 

24 ‘‘(2) altering the composition of the global at25 mosphere.’’. 


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1 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

2 in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 

3 amended by inserting after the item relating to section 

4 320 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 321. Climate change research and development.’’. 

5 SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 

6 Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 

7 of this Act and annually thereafter for 3 years, the Under 

8 Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department 

9 of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on 

10 Homeland Security and the Committee on Science, Space, 

11 and Technology of the House of Representatives and the 

12 Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Af13 fairs of the Senate a report on any research and develop14 ment activities carried out pursuant to section 321 of the 

15 Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 10, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 

By ROBERT F. REEVES, 

Deputy Clerk. 


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