# What This Bill Actually Does

This bill tells the Department of Homeland Security to study how climate change affects national security and emergency preparedness. Right now, the DHS doesn't have a formal requirement to research these connections, so this bill creates that responsibility. Specifically, it asks the DHS's science and technology division to look at existing research about climate change and security, figure out what gaps exist in our knowledge, and then conduct new research to fill those gaps.

The bill focuses on three main areas. First, it wants research on how climate change can indirectly fuel terrorism and extremism—for example, when climate-related disasters destroy crops or jobs, the resulting economic hardship and competition for resources can make people more vulnerable to radicalization. Second, it asks whether emergency planning and disaster preparedness actually account for climate change impacts, or if they're still based on outdated assumptions about how often and severe disasters will be. Third, it examines whether the federal funding system for disaster recovery is set up to handle the increasing costs of climate-related emergencies, especially when they're combined with other crises like terrorist attacks.

To do this work, the DHS will need to talk with other federal agencies, local first responders, and companies that run critical infrastructure like power plants and water systems. The bill requires the DHS to report back to Congress every year for four years about what they're learning and what research they're conducting. This is essentially a mandate to connect the dots between climate change and homeland security in a systematic way, rather than treating them as separate issues.

For everyday people, this matters because it could lead to better emergency planning in your community, more realistic disaster preparedness, and potentially better funding for recovery when climate-related disasters strike. It's also an acknowledgment that climate change isn't just an environmental issue—it's a security issue that affects how the government plans for emergencies and protects critical services you depend on.

Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act

Clarke, Yvette D.

Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to evaluate current federal research and development regarding approaches to mitigate the consequences of climate change on homeland security, identify research and development gaps, and conduct additional research and development to fill those gaps.