Ensuring Accessible Disaster Preparedness and Civil Rights for Older Adults and Disabled.
This Act mandates comprehensive inclusion and protection for older adults and individuals with disabilities across all phases of disaster management, from planning to recovery. It establishes dedicated federal funding for accessible human services and training, while strictly prohibiting discrimination in the allocation of scarce resources, such as healthcare, during emergencies. The goal is to ensure equal access to safety, communication, and essential support services.
Key points
Requires all disaster communications, shelters, and services funded by federal aid to be fully accessible (physical access, ASL, Braille, plain language).
Establishes a Disaster Human Services Emergency Fund ($100M authorized annually) to provide rapid support like personal care, case management, and services preventing institutionalization after disasters.
Mandates that Crisis Standards of Care (used when resources are scarce) must comply with civil rights laws, explicitly banning discrimination based on age or disability in resource allocation.
Requires new housing constructed using disaster funds to meet basic accessibility standards ("visitability").
Status:
Introduced
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