Prompted in part by a viral photo from 2017 showing residents of a Houston-area assisted living community sitting waist-deep in water for hours during Hurricane Harvey before they were evacuated, the federal government is establishing two new committees to provide support for older adults and people with disabilities during emergencies. 

The National Advisory Committee on Seniors and Disasters will provide advice and recommendations to the Health and Human Services secretary “to support and enhance all-hazards public health and medical preparedness, response activities and recovery aimed at meeting the unique needs of seniors [older adults].” The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response will oversee the 17-member committee and is accepting applications for membership.

The National Advisory Committee on Individuals with Disabilities and Disasters will provide similar oversight with expertise on disability accessibility and disaster planning and preparedness.

The Protecting Seniors During Disasters Act was introduced in 2017 to create a panel to advise officials on how to prepare and care for older adults during emergency situations. The bipartisan bill was a result of a photo that was widely shared on social media that year, showing residents of a Texas senior living community stranded for hours during Hurricane Harvey before they were evacuated. The bill also was in response to the deaths of nine residents of a Hollywood, FL, rehabilitation center that same year after Hurricane Irma knocked out the facility’s air conditioning.

The Public Health Service Act was amended in 2019 to require HHS to establish the seniors advisory committee. The committee, required to meet at least twice a year, is charged with providing guidance to local, state and federal officials on how to better prepare older adults for “all-hazards emergencies,” how to better evaluate their health needs during emergencies, and what activities should be carried out when emergencies are declared.

Seven voting members —  scientific, public health and medical experts — will be appointed by HHS. Voting members will serve three-year terms.

An additional 10 non-voting members will include at least two non-federal healthcare professionals and at least two state or local representatives with expertise in geriatric medical disaster planning, preparedness, response or recovery. The balance of the committee will be the heads of several federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others. 

The committee will disband Sept. 30, 2023.