H.R. 2674: Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act

This bill, titled the Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act, proposes amendments to the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Its primary aim is to enhance the research and development efforts concerning the impacts of climate change on homeland security by establishing specific responsibilities for the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Key Provisions

• Evaluation of Current Research: The Under Secretary for Science and Technology is required to assess existing federal research concerning the potential negative effects of climate change. This includes evaluating how these effects impact preparedness, emergency planning, and responses to natural disasters.
• Funding Structure Assessment: The evaluation must also consider whether the current federal funding structure for responding to major disasters is adequate to address the identified impacts of climate change.
• Conducting Research: Depending on the evaluation results, the Under Secretary may conduct further research and development on ways to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on homeland security, provided that funding is available.
• Research Focus: Any research and development activities will prioritize issues that directly affect the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to operate effectively.
• Consultation Required: The Under Secretary must consult and coordinate with other relevant federal agencies, state, local, tribal, territorial governments, and operators of critical infrastructure to inform the research process.
• Reporting Obligations: The Under Secretary is required to submit reports to Congress on the research and development activities related to climate change. The first report is due within one year of the enactment of the bill, followed by annual reports for the next three years.
• Definition of Climate Change: The bill includes a definition for climate change, characterizing it as detectable changes in climate systems that can be linked to human activities and atmospheric changes.

Overall Objective

The overall goal of this legislation is to bolster federal initiatives to understand and address how climate change poses risks to homeland security, ultimately aiming to create more robust preparedness and response strategies in the face of climate-related challenges.

Relevant Companies

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