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Bill H.R. 6566: FEMA Admin to provide guidance to religious organizations

Rep Laura Richardson, Democrat from California’s 37th District, introduced bill H.R. 6566 via the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on Homeland Security.

The bill, titled, Mass Fatality Planning and Religious Considerations Act, is meant to:

…amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] to provide guidance and coordination for mass fatality planning, and for other purposes.

Introduced in the 112th Congress’ 2d session, the text of the bill includes SEC. 2. FINDINGS, which notes:

Congress finds the following:

(1) Emergency preparedness often plans for how to prepare and provide for survivors of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster, but fails to plan for how to prepare for and respond to mass fatalities that result from such an incident.

(2) Funeral homes, cemeteries, and mortuaries could be overwhelmed should mass fatalities arise from a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster.

(3) Different religions have different customs surrounding death; for example, the Jewish and Muslim religions call for burial of the deceased not later than 48 hours after death.

SEC. 3 provides the suggested amendment to section 504 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 AD (6 U.S.C. 314) which is to read, in part:

…the Administrator [of FEMA] shall provide guidance to…religious organizations…

This is in reference to the aforementioned need to “prepare for and respond to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster that results in mass fatalities.”

Thus far the bill’s actions are as follows:

9/28/2012:

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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.

9/28/2012:

Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure

9/28/2012:

Referred to House Homeland Security

[note that THOMAS (The Library of Congress) updates a day after events take place and so may not reflected most current updates]

GovTrack.us notes:

This bill has a 1% chance of being enacted. The following factors were considered:

The sponsor is a member of the minority party. (-2%)

Just 4% of all House bills in 2009–2010 were enacted.

Even with such low odds, many are expressing concern over the bill’s presumed implications. For example, Simon Black notes:

FEMA, as you may recall, is the same organization that couldn’t get bottles of water delivered to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina…and held up hundreds of seasoned volunteer emergency service workers from entering the city for several days of mandatory sexual harassment training.

Others point to concerns over the fact that this year (2012 AD) alone the Department of Homeland Security has purchased 1.2 billion bullets and has solicited for more than 200 million more (some of which are hollow points boat-tails/HPBT which are banned for certain military use).

Adding even these mere two concerns together results in the observation that during Katrina’s aftermath FEMA instructed New Orleans police departments to shoot looters.

ProPublica reported that former police Lt. David Benelli stated:

During the Katrina days, we weren’t living in the real world, we were living in a holocaust. We were living in a situation that no other police department ever had to endure.

What the government foresees or is otherwise preparing for is yet to be seen.


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