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Bayh gives ‘C.J’s Law’ national attention
Posted: Friday, Mar 07, 2008 - 03:48:39 pm EST
By Timothy W. Young - Warrick Publishing Online
 | | Kathryn Martin watches as Gov. Mitch Daniels prepares to sign C.J.’s Law at a press conference last June at Eastbrook Mobile Home Park in Evansville. Photo by Timothy W. Young |
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C.J. Martin’s presence continues to be felt as U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, D-Indiana, recently introduced C.J.’s Home Protection Act to the Senate.
The bill is named after C.J., a two-year-old boy who died in the Nov. 6, 2005 tornado that devastated the tri-state. Twenty-five people were killed, 19 of which were in Eastbrook Mobile Home Park in Evansville.
C.J.’s mother, Kathryn Martin, has since worked feverishly to get a new law requiring all new manufactured homes — not affixed to a permanent foundation — to be installed with NOAA weather radios.
The radios, which cost between $15 to $50, send alerts if severe weather is headed to a resident’s area.
After getting the bill successfully passed in Indiana, Martin then pressed to get the bill approved on the federal level.
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Evansville, introduced the bill to the House last fall, while Bayh introduced the bill to the Senate on Monday, March 3.
“(Kathryn) and her family have suffered a terrible tragedy with the loss of (their) son and two others,” said Bayh. “(She) has very admirably tried to take that tragedy and use it as an inspiration to help others.”
Bayh added that this law could have a “major impact” on saving lives.
“This isn’t going to stop the tornados and this isn’t going to stop bad weather,” said Martin. “We just need to be able to give people the warning.”
Bayh said this bill focuses on the homes that are at the most risk of being damaged in severe weather, those not affixed to a permanent foundation.
The major difference between the state’s law and the federal bill is mobile-home installation would be put under the standards put forth by U.S. Housing and Urban Development.
While state law relies mostly on civil lawsuits for enforcement, HUD would be able to penalize any mobile-home installer who failed to properly install a weather radio in a home with a fine of up to $1,100.
Bayh added that civil lawsuits haven’t been successful in getting the law enforced.
“As a matter of fact, if there’s a serious threat of the loss of life or injury, then (installers) can be charged criminally,” said Bayh. “The focus of our bill is on the installer, not the manufacturer. The installer is in the best position to know where the home is affixed to a permanent foundation or not.”
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