I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 957 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program to protect vulnerable mothers and babies from climate change risks, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 8, 2021 Ms. UNDERWOOD (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. RYAN, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. SOTO, Mr. NADLER, Mr. TRONE, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. BASS, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. EVANS, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. SEWELL, and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com- merce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program to protect vulnerable mothers and babies from climate change risks, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 957 IH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 2 ‘‘Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change 3 Act’’. 4 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 5 this Act is as follows: 6 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Grant program to protect vulnerable mothers and babies from climate change risks. Sec. 3. Grant program for education and training at health profession schools. Sec. 4. NIH Consortium on Birth and Climate Change Research. Sec. 5. Strategy for identifying climate change risk zones for vulnerable moth- ers and babies. Sec. 6. Definitions. SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROTECT VULNERABLE 7 MOTHERS AND BABIES FROM CLIMATE 8 CHANGE RISKS. 9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 10 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 11 and Human Services shall establish a grant program (in 12 this section referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to protect vul- 13 nerable individuals from risks associated with climate 14 change. 15 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the Pro- 16 gram, the Secretary may award, on a competitive basis, 17 grants to 10 covered entities. 18 (c) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 19 the Program, a covered entity shall submit to the Sec- 20 retary an application at such time, in such form, and con- 21 taining such information as the Secretary may require, 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 957 IH which shall include, at a minimum, a description of the 1 following: 2 (1) Plans for the use of grant funds awarded 3 under the Program and how patients and stake- 4 holder organizations were involved in the develop- 5 ment of such plans. 6 (2) How such grant funds will be targeted to 7 geographic areas that have disproportionately high 8 levels of risks associated with climate change for vul- 9 nerable individuals. 10 (3) How such grant funds will be used to ad- 11 dress racial and ethnic disparities in— 12 (A) adverse maternal and infant health 13 outcomes; and 14 (B) exposure to risks associated with cli- 15 mate change for vulnerable individuals. 16 (4) Strategies to prevent an initiative assisted 17 with such grant funds from causing— 18 (A) adverse environmental impacts; 19 (B) displacement of residents and busi- 20 nesses; 21 (C) rent and housing price increases; or 22 (D) disproportionate adverse impacts on 23 racial and ethnic minority groups and other un- 24 derserved populations. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 957 IH (d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.— 1 (1) TIMING.—Not later than 270 days after the 2 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 3 shall select the recipients of grants under the Pro- 4 gram. 5 (2) CONSULTATION.—In selecting covered enti- 6 ties for grants under the Program, the Secretary 7 shall consult with— 8 (A) representatives of stakeholder organi- 9 zations; 10 (B) the Administrator of the Environ- 11 mental Protection Agency; 12 (C) the Administrator of the National Oce- 13 anic and Atmospheric Administration; and 14 (D) from the Department of Health and 15 Human Services— 16 (i) the Deputy Assistant Secretary for 17 Minority Health; 18 (ii) the Administrator of the Centers 19 for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 20 (iii) the Administrator of the Health 21 Resources and Services Administration; 22 (iv) the Director of the National Insti- 23 tutes of Health; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 957 IH (v) the Director of the Centers for 1 Disease Control and Prevention. 2 (3) PRIORITY.—In selecting a covered entity to 3 be awarded a grant under the Program, the Sec- 4 retary shall give priority to covered entities that 5 serve a county— 6 (A) designated, or located in an area des- 7 ignated, as a nonattainment area pursuant to 8 section 107 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 9 7407) for any air pollutant for which air quality 10 criteria have been issued under section 108(a) 11 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 7408(a)); 12 (B) with a level of vulnerability of mod- 13 erate-to-high or higher, according to the Social 14 Vulnerability Index of the Centers for Disease 15 Control and Prevention; or 16 (C) with temperatures that pose a risk to 17 human health, as determined by the Secretary, 18 in consultation with the Administrator of the 19 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- 20 tion and the Chair of the United States Global 21 Change Research Program, based on the best 22 available science. 23 (4) LIMITATION.—A recipient of grant funds 24 under the Program may not use such grant funds to 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 957 IH serve a county that is served by any other recipient 1 of a grant under the Program. 2 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—A covered entity awarded grant 3 funds under the Program may only use such grant funds 4 for the following: 5 (1) Initiatives to identify risks associated with 6 climate change for vulnerable individuals and to pro- 7 vide services and support to such individuals that 8 address such risks, which may include— 9 (A) training for health care providers, 10 doulas, and other employees in hospitals, birth 11 centers, midwifery practices, and other health 12 care practices that provide prenatal or labor 13 and delivery services to vulnerable individuals 14 on the identification of, and patient counseling 15 relating to, risks associated with climate change 16 for vulnerable individuals; 17 (B) hiring, training, or providing resources 18 to community health workers and perinatal 19 health workers who can help identify risks asso- 20 ciated with climate change for vulnerable indi- 21 viduals, provide patient counseling about such 22 risks, and carry out the distribution of relevant 23 services and support; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 957 IH (C) enhancing the monitoring of risks as- 1 sociated with climate change for vulnerable in- 2 dividuals, including by— 3 (i) collecting data on such risks in 4 specific census tracts, neighborhoods, or 5 other geographic areas; and 6 (ii) sharing such data with local 7 health care providers, doulas, and other 8 employees in hospitals, birth centers, mid- 9 wifery practices, and other health care 10 practices that provide prenatal or labor 11 and delivery services to local vulnerable in- 12 dividuals; and 13 (D) providing vulnerable individuals— 14 (i) air conditioning units, residential 15 weatherization support, filtration systems, 16 household appliances, or related items; 17 (ii) direct financial assistance; and 18 (iii) services and support, including 19 housing and transportation assistance, to 20 prepare for or recover from extreme weath- 21 er events, which may include floods, hurri- 22 canes, wildfires, droughts, and related 23 events. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 957 IH (2) Initiatives to mitigate levels of and exposure 1 to risks associated with climate change for vulner- 2 able individuals, which shall be based on the best 3 available science and which may include initiatives 4 to— 5 (A) develop, maintain, or expand urban or 6 community forestry initiatives and tree canopy 7 coverage initiatives; 8 (B) improve infrastructure, including 9 buildings and paved surfaces; 10 (C) develop or improve community out- 11 reach networks to provide culturally and lin- 12 guistically appropriate information and notifica- 13 tions about risks associated with climate change 14 for vulnerable individuals; and 15 (D) provide enhanced services to racial and 16 ethnic minority groups and other underserved 17 populations. 18 (f) LENGTH OF AWARD.—A grant under this section 19 shall be disbursed over 4 fiscal years. 20 (g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 21 provide technical assistance to a covered entity awarded 22 a grant under the Program to support the development, 23 implementation, and evaluation of activities funded with 24 such grant. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 957 IH (h) REPORTS TO SECRETARY.— 1 (1) ANNUAL REPORT.—For each fiscal year 2 during which a covered entity is disbursed grant 3 funds under the Program, such covered entity shall 4 submit to the Secretary a report that summarizes 5 the activities carried out by such covered entity with 6 such grant funds during such fiscal year, which shall 7 include a description of the following: 8 (A) The involvement of stakeholder organi- 9 zations in the implementation of initiatives as- 10 sisted with such grant funds. 11 (B) Relevant health and environmental 12 data, disaggregated, to the extent practicable, 13 by race, ethnicity, gender, and pregnancy sta- 14 tus. 15 (C) Qualitative feedback received from vul- 16 nerable individuals with respect to initiatives 17 assisted with such grant funds. 18 (D) Criteria used in selecting the geo- 19 graphic areas assisted with such grant funds. 20 (E) Efforts to address racial and ethnic 21 disparities in adverse maternal and infant 22 health outcomes and in exposure to risks associ- 23 ated with climate change for vulnerable individ- 24 uals. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 957 IH (F) Any negative and unintended impacts 1 of initiatives assisted with such grant funds, in- 2 cluding— 3 (i) adverse environmental impacts; 4 (ii) displacement of residents and 5 businesses; 6 (iii) rent and housing price increases; 7 and 8 (iv) disproportionate adverse impacts 9 on racial and ethnic minority groups and 10 other underserved populations. 11 (G) How the covered entity will address 12 and prevent any impacts described in subpara- 13 graph (F). 14 (2) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 30 days 15 after the date on which a report is submitted under 16 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall publish such re- 17 port on a public website of the Department of 18 Health and Human Services. 19 (i) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than the date 20 that is 5 years after the date on which the Program is 21 established, the Secretary shall submit to Congress and 22 publish on a public website of the Department of Health 23 and Human Services a report on the results of the Pro- 24 gram, including the following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 957 IH (1) Summaries of the annual reports submitted 1 under subsection (h). 2 (2) Evaluations of the initiatives assisted with 3 grant funds under the Program. 4 (3) An assessment of the effectiveness of the 5 Program in— 6 (A) identifying risks associated with cli- 7 mate change for vulnerable individuals; 8 (B) providing services and support to such 9 individuals; 10 (C) mitigating levels of and exposure to 11 such risks; and 12 (D) addressing racial and ethnic disparities 13 in adverse maternal and infant health outcomes 14 and in exposure to such risks. 15 (4) A description of how the Program could be 16 expanded, including— 17 (A) monitoring efforts or data collection 18 that would be required to identify areas with 19 high levels of risks associated with climate 20 change for vulnerable individuals; 21 (B) how such areas could be identified 22 using the strategy developed under section 5; 23 and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 12 •HR 957 IH (C) recommendations for additional fund- 1 ing. 2 (j) COVERED ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, the 3 term ‘‘covered entity’’ means a consortium of organiza- 4 tions serving a county that— 5 (1) shall include a community-based organiza- 6 tion; and 7 (2) may include— 8 (A) another stakeholder organization; 9 (B) the government of such county; 10 (C) the governments of one or more mu- 11 nicipalities within such county; 12 (D) a State or local public health depart- 13 ment or emergency management agency; 14 (E) a local health care practice, which may 15 include a licensed and accredited hospital, birth 16 center, midwifery practice, or other health care 17 practice that provides prenatal or labor and de- 18 livery services to vulnerable individuals; 19 (F) an Indian tribe or tribal organization 20 (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 21 Indian Self-Determination and Education As- 22 sistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H957.IH H957 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 13 •HR 957 IH (G) an Urban Indian organization (as de- 1 fined in section [Text truncated for display. 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