WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), senior Democrat on the Retirement Security and Aging Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, continued her fight to make sure seniors are not left behind when it comes to emergency preparedness with the inclusion of language in the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, to require state and local governments to pay close attention to the needs of seniors in disaster planning and response. The bill has been unanimously approved by the HELP Committee and now heads to the Senate floor.

“During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we all saw that many times the people who were left behind were the elderly. Older adults have distinct needs that present challenges to community-wide planning and response,” said Senator Mikulski. “That’s why I fought for this provision to make sure seniors are not forgotten in emergency situations.”

The bill includes a provision that requires state and local governments that receive federal disaster preparedness funding to include Area Agencies on Aging in their emergency planning. It also lists seniors, as well as women and children, as vulnerable populations requiring special care during an emergency.

Senator Mikulski fought for similar legislative language in the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2006 earlier this year that requires states and Area Agencies on Aging to coordinate and develop plans to establish guidelines for addressing the senior population during a disaster or emergency.

“I believe that ‘Honor Thy Mother and Father’ is not just a good commandment to live by, but a good policy to govern by. Taking care of America’s seniors during emergencies is an important responsibility that we have to our nation’s elderly population,” said Senator Mikulski. “I will continue to fight in the U.S. Senate to make sure the government is looking out for our seniors.”

The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act would improve public health and medical preparedness, and responses during emergencies and disasters. The legislation reauthorizes the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which was signed into law following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and will expire at the end of September 2006. This law made important improvements in the government’s ability to detect bioterrorist attacks and to care for a greater number of patients in an emergency.

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