U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath of Georgia and U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee of Florida have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening federal protections for what they say are vulnerable individuals following a natural disaster.
The FEMA for Safe Recovery Act would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to incorporate additional safeguards against violence, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking into its disaster response and recovery efforts.
McBath said the legislation is intended to address gaps in the federal response that can leave disaster survivors particularly vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
“The FEMA for Safe Recovery Act closes the gaps that leave women, girls, and survivors of natural disasters vulnerable to violence and exploitation,” McBath said. “By making disaster response more adaptable to the realities communities face, we can ensure that every survivor is seen, heard, and protected.”
Under the legislation, FEMA would be directed to issue new guidance within one year addressing coordination between federal and local agencies, safety within disaster shelters, protocols for reporting violence and exploitation, deployment of survivor advocates, and access to disaster information in multiple languages.
The measure would also expand crisis counseling services and require FEMA personnel to receive training on identifying and assisting people who may have experienced violence, exploitation, or human trafficking.
FEMA’s case-management responsibilities would be expanded to explicitly include assistance for survivors navigating the disaster recovery process.
Another provision would require FEMA personnel conducting disaster check-ins to speak with all adult members of a household, rather than relying on a single household representative. Supporters say the change would provide women and other potential victims with a private opportunity to disclose abuse or exploitation that otherwise might go unreported.
