{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://debbiedingell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dingell-webster-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-worst-case", "Dingell, Webster Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Worst-Case Scenario Preparedness for Hospitals, Long-term Care Facilities", "2017-12-06", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MI", "Debbie Dingell", "D000624", "debbiedingell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-12) and Daniel Webster (FL-11) today introduced legislation to strengthen and evaluate emergency preparedness procedures for hospitals and long-term care facilities. The Worst-Case Scenario Hospital Preparedness Act comes in the aftermath of the 2017 hurricane season, which caused flooding and power outages at hospitals and medical facilities from Florida to Puerto Rico, resulting in public health emergencies and, in some cases, loss of life.\n\u201cEmergency preparedness policies and procedures at our nation\u2019s hospitals have been seriously tried and tested this year,\u201d said Dingell. \u201cThe destruction wrought in the paths of Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate left hospitals and long-term care facilities without power, flooded or shutdown, resulting in tragic loss of life. In the face of these extreme weather threats, it is critical that emergency preparedness procedures across all medical facilities be reviewed. This legislation takes a proactive approach to identify new polices that better address future threats \u2013 both manmade and natural \u2013 so we can better protect patients.\u201d\n\u201cDisaster preparedness is critical for protecting lives, improving resiliency and being good stewards of disaster relief dollars,\u201d said Webster. \u201cThe bill is a practical approach to ensuring that hospitals and long-term care facilities across the nation are more resilient against natural disasters. Maintaining a high standard of inspection, upkeep, and disaster preparedness, especially in places like in my home state of Florida, reduces the future loss of important facilities that many seniors and veterans in my district rely on. Being better prepared on the front end should also save taxpayers millions of dollars in disaster relief.\u201d\nThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security lists health care as one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors. The Worst-Case Scenario Hospital Preparedness Act seeks to improve emergency preparedness in the health care sector by directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to engage with the National Academy of Medicine to conduct a comprehensive study into the future threats impacting emergency preparedness procedures for hospitals, long term care facilities, and other health care facilities. The study will provide Congress with new recommendations and expert analysis on:\n current emergency preparedness policies and regulations;\n\tidentifying new policies that better address all future threats;\n\timproving Federal grant programs to assist health care facilities; and\n\tproviding updated guidelines for alternative power systems and access to clean water.\n For a copy of the legislation, please click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://debbiedingell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dingell-webster-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-worst-case"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5858320984989405, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}