Title: Homeland Security for Children Act
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Homeland Security for Children Act
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans to review and incorporate into DHS policy feedback from organizations representing the needs of children.
The bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to identify and integrate the needs of children into activities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against the risk of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, including by appointing a technical expert to coordinate such integration.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1847 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1847

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that the needs of 
children are considered in homeland security, trafficking, and disaster 
               recovery planning, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 19, 2017

Mr. Daines (for himself and Ms. Hassan) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that the needs of 
children are considered in homeland security, trafficking, and disaster 
               recovery 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 THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR STRATEGY, POLICY, 
              AND PLANS.

    Section 709(c)(6) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
349(c)(6)) is amended by inserting ``, including feedback from 
organizations representing the needs of children,'' after ``stakeholder 
feedback''.

SEC. 3. TECHNICAL EXPERT AUTHORIZED.

    Section 503(b)(2) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
313(b)(2)) 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:
                    ``(I) identify and integrate the needs of children 
                into activities to prepare for, protect against, 
                respond to, recover from, and mitigate against the risk 
                of natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other 
                manmade 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 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act and 
annually thereafter for 4 years, the Under Secretary for Strategy, 
Policy, and Plans of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit 
to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
Representatives a report describing the efforts the Department has 
undertaken to review and incorporate feedback from organizations 
representing the needs of children into Department policy in accordance 
with paragraph (6) of section 709(c) of the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 (6 U.S.C. 349(c)) (as added by section 2 of this Act), and the 
effect of that review and incorporation on the efforts of the 
Department to combat human trafficking and drug trafficking and respond 
to natural and manmade disasters, including information on the 
following:
            (1) The designation of any individual responsible for 
        carrying out the duties under such paragraph (6).
            (2) Any review, formal or informal, of Department policies, 
        programs, or activities to assess the suitability of the 
        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 the 
        policies, programs, or activities are appropriate for children.
            (4) Coordination with organizations or experts outside the 
        Department, under such paragraph (6), conducted to inform any 
        review, change, modification, or promulgation of policies, 
        programs, or activities described in paragraph (2) or (3) of 
        this subsection.
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