Sec. 6. Training, technical assistance, and research disability and disaster centers
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The purpose of this section is to provide financial support to eligible entities to create centers through which the eligible entities will— provide training and technical assistance to State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief, public health, and social service agencies in the implementation and enhancement of systemic and effective engagement policies, programs, and activities that ensure— that the needs and civil rights of covered individuals are addressed and implemented throughout all phases of disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation; and the inclusion of covered individuals in the development of all State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster preparation plans; assist Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief agencies in the coordination and integration of Federal, State (including territorial), local, and Tribal services and programs to serve covered individuals in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their needs during a disaster; conduct research and expand knowledge about covered individuals and their experiences during the preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation phases of disasters; and discover, through research, and disseminate knowledge about, the most effective methods for— protecting the civil rights of covered individuals during times of disasters; including covered individuals in all phases of disaster preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation; reducing their deaths, injuries and losses from disasters; reducing the displacement and disproportionate effects of relocation after a disaster, including financial and social effects, on covered individuals; and ensuring covered individuals are participants in the research, development, and distribution of evidence-based information regarding disasters.
In this section: The term eligible entity means an entity or partnership of entities that— submits an application to the Secretary in accordance with subsection (e); is or includes an institution (which may be an institution of higher education), or a nongovernmental organization, that focuses on— serving the needs of individuals with disabilities; or serving the needs of older adults; in the case of an entity or partnership with a disability focus, has a cross-disability service focus; has experience in conducting training, technical assistance, and research pertaining to consumer-directed community support services for covered individuals; includes covered individuals in positions of leadership in the planning, management, and operation of the programs of training, technical assistance, and research; has knowledge and experience pertaining to the implementation and enhancement of systemic and effective engagement policies, programs, and activities that promote the inclusion, needs, and civil rights of covered individuals in preparation for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of disasters; and has, or will establish, an advisory council or similar entity, of which at least 51 percent of the members are covered individuals.
The term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001(a) ). The term stakeholder group means a group of individuals and organizations that— is committed to disability inclusive and older adult inclusive disaster management; includes covered individuals throughout preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities; has leaders that include covered individuals; has a governing or advisory board, of which at least half of the members are covered individuals; and has a mission to inclusively serve covered individuals.
The Secretary may award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities, to provide for— activities that include covered individuals in the preparation (including planning) for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of disasters; and except as described in subsection (d)(2), research related to disasters and covered individuals. In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, award a grant to an eligible entity in an amount that is not less than $2,500,000 and not more than $10,000,000.
The Secretary shall award not fewer than 2 of the grants in each of the 10 Federal regions of the Department of Health and Human Services. At least 1 grant in each region shall be awarded to an eligible entity exclusively to conduct training and technical assistance described in paragraphs
(1)and
(2)of subsection (a). The Secretary shall award the grants for periods of 5 years, through an open competition held at the end of each 5-year period. Eligible entities that receive grants under this section may reapply for such grants at the end of the periods. To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. Each such application shall include, at a minimum, the following: A description of the applicant’s demonstrated experience in providing training, information, and support to individuals with disabilities in preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating disasters. A description of the applicant’s demonstrated experience in providing training, information, and support to older adults in preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating disasters. A description of the applicant’s demonstrated experience in working with Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial government agencies in preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating disasters. A description of the steps the applicant, acting through the center, will take to target services to low-income individuals and individuals identified as disproportionately affected in disasters, including those individuals at greatest risk of institutionalization. An assurance that the applicant, acting through the center, will— work with State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief, public health, and social service agencies to determine the best means for delivery of services to address the needs of covered individuals; assist in establishing State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster plans to address the needs of both rural and urban populations; in carrying out activities under the grant, conduct sufficient outreach to centers for independent living, VOADs, and other nongovernmental organizations, including organizations that represent and are comprised of covered individuals; include covered individuals in a meaningful way in the development and execution of activities carried out under the grant; provide adequate staff, including staff who are individuals with disabilities, to carry out the activities under the grant; and communicate information on the programs and systems developed under the grant, in accessible formats and languages, including American Sign Language, of the communities being served. In awarding grants for activities described in this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that— demonstrate a minimum of 3 years of experience in actively conducting disability inclusive and older adult inclusive disaster management; propose activities to address the preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation needs of covered individuals; propose activities to address leadership development in State, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies and covered individual advocacy organizations; includes covered individuals in positions of leadership in the planning, management, and operation of the activities carried out under this section; demonstrate ability to provide training that prevents bias due to disability or age, and that uses experiential approaches and does not rely on simulations; demonstrate expertise concerning the obligation to prevent discrimination against covered individuals on the basis of disability and age in programs and provide activities and specific plans for achieving and maintaining physical access, program access, and effective communication for covered individuals throughout all grant activities; demonstrate that the eligible entity involved will use measurable collaboration and partnership strategies with State, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies, centers for independent living, VOADs, and other nongovernmental organizations, including organizations that represent and are comprised of covered individuals; demonstrate that the eligible entity will use measurable disaster outcomes strategies in carrying out grant activities; demonstrate the ability to quickly create products, such as videos, fact sheets, guidelines, and checklists, to be used in disaster management; employ constituents of the entity in decisionmaking positions; provide disability inclusive and older adult inclusive disaster management leadership skills development; demonstrate awareness of available resources in the community for meeting the preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation needs of covered individuals; and demonstrate expertise in promoting the use of universal design (as defined in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1003 )), the philosophy of independent living (within the meaning of that philosophy in title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 796 et seq. )), intersectionality imperatives, and the social model of disability. Grant funds made available under this section shall be used only for activities described in and approved by the Secretary as a part of an application submitted under subsection (e), to carry out— a strategy designed to ensure the inclusion of covered individuals in the preparation (including planning) for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of disasters; and research to enhance the activities described in subparagraph (A), using not more than 25 percent of the grant funds to carry out that research. Such activities may include initiatives that provide comprehensive training, technical assistance, development of funding sources, and support to State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief, public health, and social service agencies and stakeholder groups, in order to ensure that, in carrying out disaster management planning and programs, the agencies and groups address the inclusion, civil rights, and needs of covered individuals by— hiring personnel with direct knowledge of and experience with meeting the civil rights of covered individuals to be free from discrimination on the basis of disability or age in programs and activities; training staff of State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief, public health, and social service agencies on the needs and civil right of covered individuals, preferably through training by experts who are, collectively, individuals with disabilities and older adults; creating partnerships between eligible entities, State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief, public health, and social service agencies, centers for independent living, VOADs, and other nongovernmental organizations, including organizations that represent and are comprised of covered individuals; assisting in the development and implementation, in partnership with State, local, Tribal, and territorial disaster relief, public health, and social service agencies, of plans that will provide for a continuum of services to remove barriers to full engagement for covered individuals during a disaster and in preparedness (including planning) for, response to, recovery from, and mitigation of a disaster; assisting in the creation of standards and identification of funding sources for rebuilding disaster-damaged housing and new housing that is accessible, affordable, and disaster-resilient; assisting in the creation of standards for homeowner and flood insurance coverage for rebuilding disaster-damaged housing and new housing that is accessible, affordable, and disaster-resilient; establishing universal design and accessibility standards, and establishing specifications for visitability (based on the visitability standards), for achieving and maintaining equal access for covered individuals throughout all hazard mitigation and disaster resilience activities; establishing initiatives to increase new and transferred technology and innovations to solve notification, evacuation, health maintenance, and other barriers for covered individuals before, during, and after disasters; and conducting research, in partnership with covered individuals, that will contribute to knowledge and strategies to— decrease injuries, deaths, and harm to covered individuals; create inclusive disaster preparedness, recovery, response, and mitigation strategies for State, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies, centers for independent living, VOADs, and other nongovernmental organizations, including organizations that represent and are comprised of covered individuals; preserve community living options and access to needed services and supports for covered individuals during post-disaster periods; and conduct longitudinal studies that create and maintain datasets to assist in the understanding of Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial policies designed to reduce the negative impact of disasters on covered individuals and protect the civil right of covered individuals to be free from discrimination on the basis of disability or age in programs and activities. The Secretary shall establish standards and guidelines for activities supported by a grant under this section. Such standards and guidelines shall be developed with the input of stakeholder groups. In a situation in which a refinement or adaptation of the standards or guidelines is made necessary by a local circumstance, the Secretary shall enter into negotiations with an eligible entity applying for such a grant for a project in the affected area, to refine or adapt the standards and guidelines for the project. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, no entity, agency, or group assisted under this section shall take any action that infringes in any manner on the civil right of covered individuals to be free from discrimination on the basis of disability or age in programs and activities. Not later than January 31 of fiscal years 2026 and 2028, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report describing the activities carried out under this section during the preceding 2 fiscal years. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
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Sec. 6
Training, technical assistance, and research disability and disaster centers
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