I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5890 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Community 
Preparedness Division of the Department of Homeland Security and 
the Citizen Corps Program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 24, 2008 
Mr. CUELLAR (for himself, Mr. DENT, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Ms. 
JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. PASCRELL, Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, and Mr. ETHERIDGE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 
in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish 
the Community Preparedness Division of the Department 
of Homeland Security and the Citizen Corps Program, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Citizen and Commu-
nity Preparedness Act of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 2. COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS DIVISION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF COMMUNITY PREPARED-
NESS DIVISION.—The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘TITLE 
XXI—DOMESTIC 
PRE-
PAREDNESS 
AND 
COLLEC-
TIVE 
RESPONSE 
TO 
TER-
RORISM AND OTHER EMER-
GENCIES 
‘‘SEC. 2101. COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS DIVISION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Department a 
Community Preparedness Division. 
‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.—The Community Preparedness Di-
vision shall be headed by a Director, who shall be ap-
pointed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Director of the Com-
munity Preparedness Division, shall have the primary re-
sponsibility within the Department for assisting the efforts 
of State, local, and tribal governments in preparing citi-
zens in the United States for acts of terrorism and other 
emergencies, including primary responsibility for each of 
the following: 
‘‘(1) Administration of the Citizen Corps Pro-
gram under section 2102. 
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‘‘(2) Supporting public and community pre-
paredness efforts. 
‘‘(3) Serving as the principal advisor to the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security on public and commu-
nity preparedness issues. 
‘‘(4) Providing Citizen Corps Councils with 
tools, information, and technical assistance to con-
nect local and national citizen preparedness efforts. 
‘‘(5) Establishing specialized preparedness pro-
grams for underserved populations under subsection 
(d). 
‘‘(6) Ensuring coordination with, and leveraging 
to the greatest extent feasible, efforts by private sec-
tor entities, faith-based groups, research and edu-
cational institutions, other nongovernmental organi-
zations, including such organizations that work with 
the disabled and others with special needs, and 
emergency response provider organizations to pro-
mote citizen preparedness and participation. 
‘‘(7) Assisting in the implementation of national 
strategies for public and community preparedness, 
including the development of individual preparedness 
skills and capabilities, assembling preparedness kits, 
developing emergency communications plans, train-
ing in basic first aid, and learning how to react to 
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a variety of emergencies, including an act of ter-
rorism involving chemical, biological, radiological, or 
nuclear weapons, and natural disasters, including 
hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis. 
‘‘(8) Establishing and maintaining a community 
preparedness resource center to compile and dissemi-
nate best practices of citizen preparedness programs. 
‘‘(d) UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.—In carrying out 
the responsibilities under this section, the Director shall 
consider the unique preparedness challenges faced by— 
‘‘(1) persons with physical and mental disabil-
ities, health problems, visual impairments, hearing 
impairments, limited English proficiency, and lit-
eracy barriers; 
‘‘(2) socially and economically disadvantaged 
households and communities; 
‘‘(3) the elderly; 
‘‘(4) children; and 
‘‘(5) individuals with pets or service animals. 
‘‘SEC. 2102. CITIZEN CORPS PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Community 
Preparedness Division a Citizen Corps Program, through 
which the Secretary shall bring community and govern-
ment leaders together to coordinate and leverage efforts 
to strengthen community involvement in emergency pre-
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paredness, planning, mitigation, response, and recovery 
for acts of terrorism and natural disasters. 
‘‘(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—As part of the Citizen 
Corps Program, the Secretary shall carry out a 
grant program to make grants to States. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this subsection, a State shall submit an 
application containing such information and assur-
ances as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant under this sub-
section may be used for any of the following pur-
poses: 
‘‘(A) To form and sustain a State or local 
Citizen Corps Council. 
‘‘(B) To develop and implement edu-
cational programs for the public on both ter-
rorism and natural disaster preparedness and 
volunteer responsibilities. 
‘‘(C) To develop and implement a plan or 
to amend an existing plan to facilitate citizen 
preparedness and participation. 
‘‘(D) To facilitate citizen participation in 
preparedness training and exercises. 
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‘‘(E) To implement volunteer programs 
and activities to support emergency response 
providers. 
‘‘(4) CONDITIONS
OF
RECEIPT
OF
FUNDS.— 
Each State that receives a grant under this sub-
section shall ensure that in carrying out any of the 
purposes under paragraph (3) outreach efforts ex-
tend, as appropriate, to— 
‘‘(A) underserved populations specified in 
section 2101(d); 
‘‘(B) neighborhoods bordering critical in-
frastructure; 
‘‘(C) urban and rural communities; 
‘‘(D) border communities; and 
‘‘(E) faith-based and volunteer community 
service organizations. 
‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION
AND
COORDINATION.—As 
part of the Citizen Corps Program, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) administer— 
‘‘(A) the Community Emergency Response 
Team Program under section 2103, or any suc-
cessor thereto; and 
‘‘(B) the Fire Corps Program under sec-
tion 2104, or any successor thereto; 
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‘‘(2) coordinate with the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services in the administration of the 
Medical Reserve Corps, or any successor thereto, 
which is a program to educate and train citizens and 
medical professionals to assist with medical and pub-
lic health outreach and administration before, dur-
ing, and after acts of terrorism and other emer-
gencies; and 
‘‘(3) coordinate with the Attorney General in 
the administration of— 
‘‘(A) Neighborhood Watch, or any suc-
cessor thereto, which is a program to provide 
information, training, and resources to citizens 
and law enforcement agencies throughout the 
country to identify potential terrorist activities 
and other threats; and 
‘‘(B) Volunteers In Police Services, or any 
successor thereto, which is a program to edu-
cate and train citizens to increase the capacity 
of volunteer State and local law enforcement of-
ficials to assist before, during, and after an act 
of terrorism or other emergency. 
‘‘(d) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH NON-PROF-
IT ENTITIES.—The Secretary may enter into cooperative 
agreements with non-profit entities to enhance citizen pre-
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paredness and outreach programs that the Secretary has 
determined have a proven track record of success on a na-
tional or regional basis. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of the Citizen and 
Community Preparedness Act of 2008, and every two 
years thereafter, the Director of the Community Prepared-
ness Division shall submit to Congress a report that evalu-
ates the management and effectiveness of the Fire Corps 
Program under section 2104 and the Community Emer-
gency Response Team Program under section 2103. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— 
‘‘(1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
‘‘(2) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 
‘‘(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; 
‘‘(4) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; and 
‘‘(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2013. 
‘‘SEC. 2103. COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Community 
Preparedness Division a Community Emergency Response 
Team Program, through which the Secretary shall educate 
citizens about preparedness and mitigation and train citi-
zens in basic response skills, including fire safety, light 
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search and rescue, and medical operations in preparation 
for acts of terrorism and other emergencies. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 
amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 
2102(f) for any fiscal year, $1,750,000 is authorized to 
carry out this section. 
‘‘SEC. 2104. FIRE CORPS PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Community 
Preparedness Division a Fire Corps Program, through 
which the Secretary shall facilitate the use of volunteers 
in non-emergency roles at fire and rescue departments to 
better prepare local communities to respond to acts of ter-
rorism and other emergencies. 
‘‘(d) FIRE CORPS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall es-
tablish an advisory committee to be known as the 
‘Fire Corps Advisory Committee’ (hereinafter re-
ferred to in this section as the ‘Committee’) to pro-
vide guidance and assistance to the Secretary in car-
rying out the Fire Corps Program. 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the Com-
mittee shall be appointed by the Secretary and shall 
include— 
‘‘(A) representatives of fire and emergency 
service organizations; 
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‘‘(B) representatives of the United States 
Fire Administration; and 
‘‘(C) other individuals that the Secretary 
determines are appropriate. 
‘‘(3) TERMS
OF
SERVICE; PAY
AND
ALLOW-
ANCES.—The Secretary shall determine the number, 
terms of service, and pay and allowances of members 
of the Committee appointed by the Secretary, except 
that the term of service of any such member may 
not exceed three years. 
‘‘(4) APPLICABILITY
OF
FEDERAL
ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE ACT.—Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Fed-
eral Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
not apply to the Committee. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 
amounts authorized to be appropriated under section 
2102(g)(1) for any fiscal year, $1,500,000 is authorized 
to carry out this section. 
‘‘SEC. 2105. NATIONAL CITIZEN CORPS COUNCIL. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is in the Community 
Preparedness Division a National Citizen Corps Council. 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the Council 
shall be national leaders of organizations and associations 
representing emergency response providers, community 
and volunteer services providers, government officials, the 
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private sector, and underserved populations described in 
section 2101(d) and shall be appointed by the Secretary. 
The Secretary shall determine the number of members of 
the Council. 
‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The responsibilities of the 
Council are as follows: 
‘‘(1) To facilitate cooperation at the national 
level in support of the Citizen Corps Program under 
section 2102. 
‘‘(2) To identify opportunities for Federal, 
State, local, and tribal organizations to collaborate 
to accomplish the shared goals of the Citizen Corps 
Program. 
‘‘(3) To encourage the development and support 
of State and local Citizen Corps Councils. 
‘‘(4) To exchange facts and information regard-
ing programs to promote citizen preparedness, public 
awareness, and volunteer service opportunities. 
‘‘(d) MEETINGS.—The Secretary or a designee shall 
convene meetings of the National Citizen Corps Council 
at the discretion of the Secretary but not less than annu-
ally. 
‘‘SEC. 2106. PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGN. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a public affairs campaign using various media outlets 
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that is designed to assist citizens in preparing for an act 
of terrorism or other emergency. 
‘‘(b) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.—The campaign 
shall— 
‘‘(1) utilize a broad spectrum of both main-
stream and specialty print, radio and television out-
lets; and 
‘‘(2) disseminate information to underserved 
communities specified in section 2101(d). 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013. 
‘‘SEC. 2107. PILOT PROGRAM TO ENHANCE CITIZEN PRE-
PAREDNESS 
AT 
EDUCATIONAL 
INSTITU-
TIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of the Citizen and Community Pre-
paredness Act of 2008, the Secretary shall commence a 
pilot program to enhance citizen preparedness at primary 
and secondary schools and on university and college cam-
puses by providing training, exercises, and public aware-
ness campaigns. 
‘‘(b) SELECTION OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.— 
The Secretary shall select at least three primary and sec-
ondary schools and at least three colleges and universities 
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to participate in the pilot program required under sub-
section (a). At each school, college, and university selected 
by the Secretary, the Secretary shall develop and imple-
ment a program to prepare administrators, teachers, stu-
dents, and parents for acts of terrorism and other emer-
gencies. 
‘‘(c) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting educational 
institutions under subsection (b) to participate in the pilot 
program required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
ensure the participation of educational institutions of 
varying sizes that represent a geographic (including urban 
and rural) cross section of the United States. The Sec-
retary shall also ensure the participation of historically 
black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institu-
tions, or Tribal colleges and universities. 
‘‘(d) TRANSFER
OF INFORMATION
AND KNOWL-
EDGE.—The Secretary shall establish mechanisms to en-
sure that the information and knowledge acquired by each 
participant in the pilot program are transferred to the 
other participants and other interested parties. 
‘‘(e) REPORT.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date on which the Secretary completes the pilot program 
under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Gov-
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ernmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the pilot pro-
gram under this section. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section. 
‘‘(g) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out a 
pilot program under this section shall terminate on the 
date that is two years after the date of the enactment of 
the Citizen and Community Preparedness Act of 2008. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘historically Black college or uni-
versity’ has the meaning given that term in section 
322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1061). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 502(5) of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1101a(5)). 
‘‘(3) The term ‘Tribal College or University’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 316 of 
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3)).’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘TITLE XXI—DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS AND COLLECTIVE 
RESPONSE TO TERRORISM AND OTHER EMERGENCIES 
‘‘Sec. 2101. Community Preparedness Division. 
‘‘Sec. 2102. Citizen Corps Program. 
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‘‘Sec. 2103. Community Emergency Response Team Program. 
‘‘Sec. 2104. Fire Corps Program. 
‘‘Sec. 2105. National Citizen Corps Council. 
‘‘Sec. 2106. Public affairs campaign. 
‘‘Sec. 2107. Pilot program to enhance citizen preparedness at educational 
institutions.’’. 
SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate a report specifying the amount of grant funds awarded 
to each State under section 2102(b) of the Homeland Se-
curity Act of 2002, as added by section 2, and the pur-
poses for which such funds were awarded. 
Æ 
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