[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4898 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4898
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a
competitive program to make emergency preparedness planning and
implementation grants to local educational agencies and districts
located in areas under a high threat of terrorist attacks, natural
disasters, or public health emergencies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 21, 2010
Ms. Richardson (for herself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Ms.
Clarke, and Ms. Kilroy) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in
addition to the Committees on Homeland Security and Energy and
Commerce, 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 concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a
competitive program to make emergency preparedness planning and
implementation grants to local educational agencies and districts
located in areas under a high threat of terrorist attacks, natural
disasters, or public health emergencies.
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 ``Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Preparedness Planning Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) There is an immediate need for comprehensive and
coordinated emergency preparedness planning support for local
educational agencies and districts nationwide.
(2) Local educational agencies and districts historically
have had limited roles in the emergency preparedness planning
process administered by other agencies and districts, have not
received priority consideration in that process, and have had
minimal access to funds allocated to emergency preparedness.
(3) Grants made under section 3 will enable local
educational agencies and districts to take an active role in
emergency planning and give them access to the broad range of
skills and expertise of the many other agencies or dsitricts
involved in emergency planning and preparedness.
SEC. 3. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING
GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
establish a competitive program to make grants for emergency
preparedness planning and implementation to local educational agencies
and districts located in areas under a high threat of terrorist
attacks, natural disasters, or public health emergencies.
(b) Eligibility.--The Secretary may only award a grant under this
section to a local educational agency or district that--
(1) is located near a place that is under a high threat
of--
(A) terrorist attacks, as determined by the
Secretary;
(B) natural disasters, as determined by the
Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency; or
(C) public health emergencies, as determined by the
Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and
(2) submits an application at such time, in such form, and
with such information and assurances as the Secretary may
require, including--
(A) assurances that such local educational agency
or district will use such grant amounts to carry out
the activities in subsection (e); and
(B) a budget and timeline for carrying out such
activities.
(c) Priority.--
(1) Initial priority.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary shall give priority to local educational
agencies and districts located in areas with higher population
densities and that are under a higher threat of terrorist
attacks, natural disasters, or public health emergencies than
other local educational agencies and districts eligible under
subsection (b).
(2) Further priority.--Among the priority local educational
agencies and districts described in paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall give further priority to local educational
agencies and districts that have in the past demonstrated the
ability to formulate and implement effective emergency
preparedness plans.
(d) Grant Amount.--Amounts awarded under this section shall not
exceed $500,000 per local educational agency or district per fiscal
year.
(e) Use of Funds.--
(1) Required use of funds.--
(A) In general.--A local educational agency or
district receiving a grant under this section shall use
such funds to implement or to formulate and implement
an emergency preparedness plan.
(B) Elements of plan.--The plan required by
subparagraph (A) shall provide for--
(i) the creation in the office of the
superintendent or other chief executive officer
of the local educational agency or district of
a School Emergency Response Center to provide
coordination, communication, and support for
school-based emergency preparedness planning
and implementation;
(ii) the creation of a Regional Advisory
Council chaired by the superintendent or other
chief executive officer of the local
educational agency or district and composed of
other appropriate representatives from the
local educational agency or district and from
emergency management and law enforcement
agencies, local public health offices,
nongovernmental organizations, and other
appropriate stakeholders; and
(iii) the development of a plan specific to
each school under the local educational
agency's or district's authority for each type
of emergency likely to occur in the area.
(2) Permitted use of funds.--A local educational agency or
district receiving a grant under this section may use any such
funds remaining after complying with paragraph (1)(A) for any
purpose relating to emergency preparedness planning or
implementation.
(f) Local Educational Agency Defined.--As used in this section, the
term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in
section 9101(26) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7801(26)), and, if applicable, such term also includes a
group of local educational agencies located in the same region that are
collaborating to formulate and implement an emergency preparedness plan
described in subsection (e)(1).
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000, of which not more
than 5 percent shall be available for the costs of administering the
grant program, for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2013.
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