Representatives Lieu, Weber Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Disaster Response and Recovery Plans in Federal Prisons

NEW YORK — Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) have introduced the Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act (HR.7940) in the House of Representatives, a bill that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans protect the health, safety, and civil rights of incarcerated individuals during natural disasters and public health emergencies. JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) President and CEO DeAnna Hoskins issued the following statement:

“We applaud Rep. Lieu’s efforts to bring much-needed attention to the Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act. Legislation that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans to protect the health, safety, and civil rights not only of incarcerated individuals but also the people who work in those facilities has never been more urgent in light of he COVID-19 pandemic and other natural and manmade disasters from the last few years. It is time for Congress to pass this common sense bipartisan legislation.”

This bill is the House companion to the Senate Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act (S.2592) that was introduced by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) in 2021. Both of these pieces of legislation have been informed by JLUSA’s #JustUs platform.