October 11, 2001 Clinton-Dodd-Slaughter Introduce Legislation to Protect Children Against Terrorism Legislation Addresses Health Needs of Children, Provides Support Services for Children Affected by September 11th Attacks Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) today introduced legislation to make sure the special health needs of children are taken into account in responding to the threat of terrorism. Senator Christopher Dodd, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions' Subcommittee on Children and Families, is expected to hold a hearing on this issue in the coming weeks. The Protecting America's Children Against Terrorism Act would create a National Task Force on Children and Terrorism, comprised of experts in children's health, to review our bioterrorism preparedness policies to ensure that they reflect children's unique health needs. "Parents in New York have been coming up to me and asking important questions about how to protect their children in the case of a threat. In this confusing time, we must make sure that we provide parents with accurate information and replace the fear with facts," Senator Clinton said. "And, we need to be absolutely certain that the medicine and treatments we're putting in place account for the specific needs of our children. This legislation would ensure that the expert doctors and health professionals, who would be on the frontlines in responding to an attack, are trained and equipped to treat children too." "Children - our nation's most precious resource -- may be a quarter of our population but they're one hundred percent of our future. That's why we simply cannot afford - especially now -- to play Russian roulette when it comes to the medicine we give our children," said Senator Dodd. "But just as we recognize the need to ensure their health, we ought to also reach out to children on all fronts as they - like all Americans - grapple with this new and difficult national challenge." "As we become more aware of the threats of terrorism and bioterrorism, the need to protect our children is even greater. We need to empower parents, health care workers, public safety personnel and teachers with information and resources to protect children," said Congresswoman Slaughter. "The events of September 11th have changed the world dramatically. Our society needs to change to reflect these new realities. Few things are more important than protecting our children." The Task Force would be comprised of national child health experts on infectious disease, environmental health, and toxicology; representatives of children's health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of Children's Hospitals; and relevant Federal agencies. The Task Force would be charged with training physicians and health care personnel on the health needs of children, researching the proper dosages and antidotes for treating children against biological and chemical agents and providing parents with information and facts. In addition, the legislation would also address the needs of the many children who have already been affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11th, including: Providing grants to community groups and schools to offer counseling and mental health services for children and their caregivers who have been affected by terrorism, including those children who lost a parent in the attacks, had a parent who was called into military duty, or even witnessed the violence themselves; Creating an office of children's services within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for helping children who lose a parent in a disaster by offering them many different types of support services, including counseling and legal services for adoption; Providing funding to implement 2-1-1, a universal and easy-to-remember telephone number designed by the United Way and the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems and approved by the Federal Communications Commission, to assess the needs of children and families and connect them with available services, many being coordinated by the over 400 hotline numbers established in the wake of the September 11th attacks.