The House of Representatives advanced this week the School and Daycare Protection Act (H.R. 6387), introduced by U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), to prompt action from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management.
Under H.R. 6387, DHS would create a School Security Coordinating Council to prepare for terrorist acts in schools and daycare centers. The Council, which would include seven members of DHS, FEMA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Director, the Director of the Secret Service, and more, would labor on emergency planning that would encompass the safety needs of students during such emergencies.
“We need to make the needs of children a higher priority before, during, and after a terrorist attack,” Payne said. “Children are the most vulnerable Americans when these incidents happen. I spoke with emergency officials and child advocates in my district and during Congressional hearings. They stated that America needs a formal, national office with emergency and childcare experts to create plans to care for children quickly during and after a terrorist incident. I introduced this bill to create that office and provide states with the leadership necessary to protect children when these incidents occur.”
On the security council’s behalf, the DHS secretary would be required to report on activities undertaken over the previous year, each year beginning by Jan. 30, 2023. The bill now heads for the Senate.