House Passes CJ’s Home Protection Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX) applauded today’s passage of CJ’s Home Protection Act, a bill requiring manufactured and mobile homes to be equipped with weather radios. Granger was an original sponsor of the bill along with Reps. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Dennis Moore (D-KS).
“I’m thrilled CJ’s Home Protection Act has passed the House and am hopeful it will soon be signed into law,” said Congresswoman Granger. “The built-in technology this bill would provide would ensure people are getting the information they need before a severe local storm system hits. This will help save hundreds of lives and prevent needless, tragic deaths.”
CJ’s Home Protection Act would change the Federal manufactured home construction and safety standards to require every manufactured home delivered for sale to be supplied with a weather radio. Weather radios provide immediate broadcasts of severe weather warnings and civil emergency messages, including tornado and flood warnings, AMBER alerts for child abductions, and chemical spill notifications. Prices range from $20-$80.
The bill is named after CJ Martin, a two-year-old boy, whose life was taken by an F3 tornado in southwest Indiana in 2005. His mother, Kathryn, turned her grief into a state-wide advocacy campaign that resulted in an Indiana law requiring NOAA Weather Radios be installed in all new mobile and manufactured housing, which then prompted the federal initiative. Rep. Ellsworth introduced the bill and Granger signed on as an original sponsor.
“CJ Martin is the reason we are here today. He is a reminder of the destruction that comes to families and communities when severe weather strikes without warning,” said Congressman Ellsworth. “Severe weather doesn’t distinguish between Republicans and Democrats. It doesn’t care whether you live in Indiana or Alabama or Kansas or California. This is public safety legislation the Senate should support, because if we prevent just one mother from losing her son, a $30 weather radio is not too much to ask.”
Passage by the House is only the first step in the process. CJ’s bill will next go to the Senate for its consideration. Upon passage in the Senate, the bill must then be signed by President Bush before becoming law.
Granger sits on the Appropriations Committee and serves on the Energy and Water Development, Homeland Security and Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittees. Granger is the first and only female Republican to serve in the Texas House delegation. Granger represents the 12th District of Texas and is currently serving her sixth term in Congress.