Floor SpeechUrgent2026-05-13

STATEMENT ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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Context

On 2026-05-13, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a floor speech titled "STATEMENT ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS" in the Senate.

Full Text

STATEMENT ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2280-S2281] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STATEMENT ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS By Ms. DUCKWORTH: S. 4514. A bill to provide funding to the Bureau of Prisons, States, and localities to carry out mental health screenings and provide referrals to mental health care providers for certain corrections officers; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026. This critical legislation honors the memory of an Illinoisan who should still be with us today by taking action to address a crisis unfolding inside our Federal, State and local correctional facilities in Illinois and across the country. Blake Schwarz was a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Thomson, IL. He was proud of the work he did every day to keep his community and his colleagues safe. In 2023, Blake died by suicide, leaving behind his wife Michelle and never getting the chance to witness the wonderful smile of his soon-to-be-born daughter. I am heartbroken that Michelle and her family must live with the aftermath of a loss that was preventable. I had the privilege of sitting down with Michelle last year. She did not come to my office looking for sympathy. She came to make sure that Blake was not just a statistic. She came to make sure no other family in this country has to endure what hers has endured. The legislation I am introducing today is the direct result of her advocacy, the advocacy of Blake's colleagues at FCI Thomson, and the advocacy of law enforcement professionals across our country who refuse to let their colleagues feel abandoned to take on the struggles of mental health alone. We ask our law enforcement officers to do a job that few Americans understand and even fewer are willing to do themselves. The job is extremely difficult and physically and mentally demanding. Corrections officers in this country die by suicide at a rate estimated to be as much as seven times higher than the rate for the general population. More than one in three corrections officers live with post-traumatic stress disorder, and far too often, corrections officers struggle with their mental health alone because of a culture that stigmatizes any perception of weakness and a fear that they will lose their job if they do seek treatment. This fear and stigma keep people silent. The Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act gives corrections officers, who risk their lives every day, access to the mental health care they deserve that aids their critical work and prevents tragedies. With my legislation, corrections officers will have readily accessible mental health care both on and off duty. It also confronts the fear and stigma that keep officers silent by guaranteeing that an officer's badge will never be on the line because that public safety officer sought appropriate care for a mental health issue. Blake Schwarz is gone, and nothing we do here will bring him back. But it is my honor and privilege to introduce this legislation to ensure that his name is attached not to another statistic but to a law that saves lives. I commend Michelle and all the dedicated men and women of FCI Thomson for their bravery, hard work, and steadfast advocacy. I urge every one of my colleagues to take Blake's story as a painful reminder that we must do better for our corrections officers and prevent future tragedies. ______ By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth): S. 4515. A bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to carry out a pilot program to enhance the mapping of urban flooding and associated property damage and the availability of that mapped data to homeowners, businesses, and localities to help understand and mitigate the risk of such flooding, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 4515 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. FLOOD MAPPING MODERNIZATION AND HOMEOWNER EMPOWERMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2) Coastal.--The term ``coastal'' means, with respect to a unit of general local government, that the unit borders a body of water that-- (A) is more than 2,000 square miles in size; and (B) is not a river. (3) Pelagic.--The term ``pelagic'' means, with respect to a unit of general local government, that-- (A) the unit is a coastal unit; and (B) the body of water that the unit borders is-- (i) an ocean; or (ii) a large, open body of water, including a bay or a gulf, that empties into an ocean. (4) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the pilot program carried out by the Administrator under this section. (5) Urban flooding.--The term ``urban flooding''-- (A) means the inundation, by water, of property in a built environment, particularly in a densely populated area, that-- (i) is caused by falling rain-- (I) collecting on an impervious surface; or (II) increasing the level of a body of water that is located near that built environment; and (ii) overwhelms the capacity of drainage systems in the built environment, such as storm sewers; (B) includes-- (i) a situation in which stormwater enters a building through a window, door, or other opening; (ii) the backup of water through a sewer pipe, shower, toilet, sink, or floor drain; (iii) the seepage of water through a wall or a floor; (iv) the accumulation of water on property or a public right-of-way; and (v) the overflow from a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean; and (C) does not include flooding in an undeveloped or agricultural area. (6) Urbanized area.--The term ``urbanized area'' means an area that has been defined and designated as an urbanized area by the Bureau of the Census during the most recently completed decennial census. (b) Establishment.--The Administrator shall carry out a pilot program to make grants to units of local government to-- (1) enhance the production of maps relating to urban flooding and associated property damage; and (2) increase the availability of the maps described in paragraph (1) to homeowners, businesses, and units of local government to enable those entities to minimize the risk of urban flooding. (c) Objectives.--Amounts from grants made under the pilot program may be used only to carry out activities that meet the following objectives: (1) Developing a methodology for assessing the risk of urban flooding through the deployment of technology-based mapping tools that-- (A) are easily understandable by the public; and (B) effectively convey information regarding the level of flood risk. (2) Providing structure-specific projections of annual chance flood frequency. (3) Providing structure-based flood risk assessments. (4) Providing program design for the mitigation of the risk of urban flooding. (5) Incorporating information regarding climate trends into urban flooding risk assessments. (6) Making the information described in this subsection publicly available on the internet through a web-based portal so as to increase transparency regarding homeowner flood risks. (d) Eligible Recipients.-- (1) In general.--A grant under the pilot program may be made only to-- (A) a unit of general local government that is located in an urbanized area with a population of more than 50,000 individuals; or (B) a stormwater management authority of a unit of general local government described in subparagraph (A). (2) One-time grants.--A grant under the pilot program may not be made to-- (A) any unit of general local governmental, or the stormwater management authority of a unit of general local government, that previously received a grant under the pilot program; (B) any unit of general local government if the stormwater management agency for that unit previously received a grant under the pilot program; or [[Page S2281]] (C) any stormwater management agency of a unit of general local government if that unit previously received a grant under the pilot program. (3) Treatment of certain stormwater management authorities.-- (A) In general.--In the case of a stormwater management authority that operates with respect to more than 1 unit of general local government, the application of that authority shall be considered for purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection and subsections (f), (g), and (h)(1) to be made for the largest unit of general local government with respect to which that authority operates. (B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in subparagraph (A) may be construed to limit the ability of a stormwater management authority described in that subparagraph to carry out activities under a demonstration project in any other jurisdiction in, or with respect to any other unit of local government with, which that authority operates. (e) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the pilot program, a unit of general local government or a stormwater management agency shall submit to the Administrator an application in such form and containing such information as the Administrator shall require. (f) Selection of Recipients.-- (1) Annual selection.--Subject to paragraph (2), and to the submission of approvable applications, in each fiscal year for which amounts are made availa

Referenced legislation: S4514, S4514, S4515

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STATEMENT ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 13, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2280-S2281] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STATEMENT ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS By Ms. DUCKWORTH: S. 4514. A bill to provide funding to the Bureau of Prisons, States, and localities to carry out mental health screenings and provide referrals to mental health care providers for certain corrections officers; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Ms. DUCKWORTH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026. This critical legislation honors the memory of an Illinoisan who should still be with us today by taking action to address a crisis unfolding inside our Federal, State and local correctional facilities in Illinois and across the country. Blake Schwarz was a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Institution in Thomson, IL. He was proud of the work he did every day to keep his community and his colleagues safe. In 2023, Blake died by suicide, leaving behind his wife Michelle and never getting the chance to witness the wonderful smile of his soon-to-be-born daughter. I am heartbroken that Michelle and her family must live with the aftermath of a loss that was preventable. I had the privilege of sitting down with Michelle last year. She did not come to my office looking for sympathy. She came to make sure that Blake was not just a statistic. She came to make sure no other family in this country has to endure what hers has endured. The legislation I am introducing today is the direct result of her advocacy, the advocacy of Blake's colleagues at FCI Thomson, and the advocacy of law enforcement professionals across our country who refuse to let their colleagues feel abandoned to take on the struggles of mental health alone. We ask our law enforcement officers to do a job that few Americans understand and even fewer are willing to do themselves. The job is extremely difficult and physically and mentally demanding. Corrections officers in this country die by suicide at a rate estimated to be as much as seven times higher than the rate for the general population. More than one in three corrections officers live with post-traumatic stress disorder, and far too often, corrections officers struggle with their mental health alone because of a culture that stigmatizes any perception of weakness and a fear that they will lose their job if they do seek treatment. This fear and stigma keep people silent. The Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act gives corrections officers, who risk their lives every day, access to the mental health care they deserve that aids their critical work and prevents tragedies. With my legislation, corrections officers will have readily accessible mental health care both on and off duty. It also confronts the fear and stigma that keep officers silent by guaranteeing that an officer's badge will never be on the line because that public safety officer sought appropriate care for a mental health issue. Blake Schwarz is gone, and nothing we do here will bring him back. But it is my honor and privilege to introduce this legislation to ensure that his name is attached not to another statistic but to a law that saves lives. I commend Michelle and all the dedicated men and women of FCI Thomson for their bravery, hard work, and steadfast advocacy. I urge every one of my colleagues to take Blake's story as a painful reminder that we must do better for our corrections officers and prevent future tragedies. ______ By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth): S. 4515. A bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to carry out a pilot program to enhance the mapping of urban flooding and associated property damage and the availability of that mapped data to homeowners, businesses, and localities to help understand and mitigate the risk of such flooding, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 4515 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Flood Mapping Modernization and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. FLOOD MAPPING MODERNIZATION AND HOMEOWNER EMPOWERMENT PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2) Coastal.--The term ``coastal'' means, with respect to a unit of general local government, that the unit borders a body of water that-- (A) is more than 2,000 square miles in size; and (B) is not a river. (3) Pelagic.--The term ``pelagic'' means, with respect to a unit of general local government, that-- (A) the unit is a coastal unit; and (B) the body of water that the unit borders is-- (i) an ocean; or (ii) a large, open body of water, including a bay or a gulf, that empties into an ocean. (4) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the pilot program carried out by the Administrator under this section. (5) Urban flooding.--The term ``urban flooding''-- (A) means the inundation, by water, of property in a built environment, particularly in a densely populated area, that-- (i) is caused by falling rain-- (I) collecting on an impervious surface; or (II) increasing the level of a body of water that is located near that built environment; and (ii) overwhelms the capacity of drainage systems in the built environment, such as storm sewers; (B) includes-- (i) a situation in which stormwater enters a building through a window, door, or other opening; (ii) the backup of water through a sewer pipe, shower, toilet, sink, or floor drain; (iii) the seepage of water through a wall or a floor; (iv) the accumulation of water on property or a public right-of-way; and (v) the overflow from a body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean; and (C) does not include flooding in an undeveloped or agricultural area. (6) Urbanized area.--The term ``urbanized area'' means an area that has been defined and designated as an urbanized area by the Bureau of the Census during the most recently completed decennial census. (b) Establishment.--The Administrator shall carry out a pilot program to make grants to units of local government to-- (1) enhance the production of maps relating to urban flooding and associated property damage; and (2) increase the availability of the maps described in paragraph (1) to homeowners, businesses, and units of local government to enable those entities to minimize the risk of urban flooding. (c) Objectives.--Amounts from grants made under the pilot program may be used only to carry out activities that meet the following objectives: (1) Developing a methodology for assessing the risk of urban flooding through the deployment of technology-based mapping tools that-- (A) are easily understandable by the public; and (B) effectively convey information regarding the level of flood risk. (2) Providing structure-specific projections of annual chance flood frequency. (3) Providing structure-based flood risk assessments. (4) Providing program design for the mitigation of the risk of urban flooding. (5) Incorporating information regarding climate trends into urban flooding risk assessments. (6) Making the information described in this subsection publicly available on the internet through a web-based portal so as to increase transparency regarding homeowner flood risks. (d) Eligible Recipients.-- (1) In general.--A grant under the pilot program may be made only to-- (A) a unit of general local government that is located in an urbanized area with a population of more than 50,000 individuals; or (B) a stormwater management authority of a unit of general local government described in subparagraph (A). (2) One-time grants.--A grant under the pilot program may not be made to-- (A) any unit of general local governmental, or the stormwater management authority of a unit of general local government, that previously received a grant under the pilot program; (B) any unit of general local government if the stormwater management agency for that unit previously received a grant under the pilot program; or [[Page S2281]] (C) any stormwater management agency of a unit of general local government if that unit previously received a grant under the pilot program. (3) Treatment of certain stormwater management authorities.-- (A) In general.--In the case of a stormwater management authority that operates with respect to more than 1 unit of general local government, the application of that authority shall be considered for purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection and subsections (f), (g), and (h)(1) to be made for the largest unit of general local government with respect to which that authority operates. (B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in subparagraph (A) may be construed to limit the ability of a stormwater management authority described in that subparagraph to carry out activities under a demonstration project in any other jurisdiction in, or with respect to any other unit of local government with, which that authority operates. (e) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the pilot program, a unit of general local government or a stormwater management agency shall submit to the Administrator an application in such form and containing such information as the Administrator shall require. (f) Selection of Recipients.-- (1) Annual selection.--Subject to paragraph (2), and to the submission of approvable applications, in each fiscal year for which amounts are made availa Referenced legislation: S4514, S4514, S4515