Maloney Passes Two More Pieces of Legislation through House of Representatives
Provisions Would Audit Bogus FEMA Contract for Puerto Rico Aid, Enhance Safety for Children on Airplanes
WASHINGTON – Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) announced that two provisions he authored had passed the House of Representatives as part of the Federal Aviation (FAA) Authorization Act of 2018. The first provision would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to investigate a questionable contractor, Florida-based Bronze Star, which failed to deliver $30 million worth of supplies during Hurricane Maria. The second provision would require airlines to upgrade the contents of emergency medical kits, which have not been updated for nearly 20 years, to include appropriately-sized doses of medication for children.
Bronze Star Contract
After news reports revealed that a two-month old company with no prior experience was awarded a $30 million dollar contract to provide tarps and plastic sheeting to victims of Hurricane Maria, Rep. Maloney introduced a provision to conduct a formal audit of the contracting process. The company, Bronze Star LLC, failed to deliver on the contract, leaving tens of thousands of Americans in Puerto Rico without aid supplies necessary to keep homes dry as repairs were made.
“We had thousands and thousands of Americans who went without the help they needed because these guys had no idea what they were doing and apparently it’s the wild west down at FEMA,” said Rep. Maloney. “Every minute counts during emergencies and we’re talking about the potential misuse of $30 million in taxpayer money – we need to figure out what happened, and make sure it never happens again.”
Bronze Star, a Florida-based contractor that was founded in August 2017, received a FEMA contract in October 2017 to supply 500,000 plastic tarps and 60,000 rolls of plastic sheeting to Americans in Puerto Rico reeling from Hurricane Maria. These materials are used to temporarily patch holes in roofs and walls caused by hurricane damage, and designed to keep homes dry until permanent repairs can be made. Bronze Star was only two months old at the time the contract was awarded, had no history of fulfilling government contracts, and was headquartered at a single-family private residence in Florida. Unsurprisingly, the company failed to deliver on the contract.
Rep. Maloney’s provision was initially included in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2017, which passed unanimously through the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during the bill’s mark-up in November 2017. The provision requires the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security to begin an audit of the Bronze Star contract within 30 days and issue a report to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs within 270 days. The audit must consider the contracting and evaluation process, accountability requirements, and how the contract cancellation affected the provision of supplies to people in need in Puerto Rico.
Airline Kids in Transit Safety (KiTS) Act
The Airline Kids in Transit Safety (KiTS) Act would modernize FAA regulations to protect children on commercial airlines. Airplanes are currently not required to carry child-sized doses of emergency medicine or medical devices onboard passenger aircrafts. The KiTS Act would require the FAA to update these regulations within a year. Rep. Maloney first introduced the legislation in 2015 alongside former Republican Rep. Richard Hanna, and again in 2017 with Rep. John Faso (NY-19).
“Most people don’t know that if their kid has a medical problem on a plane that airlines are under no obligation to carry right-sized equipment or medication to care for them, and I think that would scare a lot of people,” said Rep. Maloney. “Parents should be able to fly with peace of mind – and that means airlines should be equipped to handle medical emergencies for all of their passengers – regardless of age.”
“This is common-sense legislation everyone can support,” said Rep. Faso. “Airlines should equip their fleets with life-saving medical supplies that meet the specific needs of children. I’m pleased to see strong third-party support for this positive change. An airline should never be unprepared or ill-equipped, especially at 30,000 feet in the air.”
“When a family boards a commercial flight, the last thing on their minds should be what would happen should their child experience an in-flight medical emergency, like a seizure, asthma attack, or allergic reaction,” said American Academy of Pediatrics President Colleen Kraft, MD, MBA, FAAP. “Currently, the emergency medical kits on airplanes are not equipped to meet children’s unique needs; the Airplane Kids in Transit Safety (KITS) Act would fix that. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) thanks Representatives Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) and John J. Faso (R-N.Y.) for authoring and championing the Airplane KITS Act as part of the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill and urges the U.S. Senate to take up and pass a similar provision without delay.”
With more Americans traveling by air than ever before, adult travelers can generally feel safe knowing that, in the case of a medical emergency, a well-trained flight crew will have the medical equipment necessary to treat them. But shockingly, the Emergency Medical Kits (EMKs) required on commercial flights are woefully inadequate for treating the most vulnerable passengers. Given the vulnerability of infants, children and adolescents during medical emergencies, the FAA should update their outdated regulations on the contents of EMKs.
The Airplane KiTS Act would specifically require the FAA, within one year of enactment, to initiate a rulemaking to update the requirements for EMKs to ensure that they contain appropriate medication and equipment to meet the emergency needs of children. The bill has been endorsed by the American Association of Pediatrics.
