Environmental Justice for Coronavirus Affected Communities Act

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1889 To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to continue to carry out certain programs relating to environmental justice, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 12, 2021 Mr. RUIZ (for himself and Mr. MCEACHIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be sub- sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protec- tion Agency to continue to carry out certain programs relating to environmental justice, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Environmental Justice 4 for Coronavirus Affected Communities Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 May 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1889.IH H1889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1889 IH (1) Communities of color, low-income commu- 1 nities, Tribal and indigenous communities, fossil 2 fuel-dependent communities, and other vulnerable 3 populations, such as persons with disabilities, chil- 4 dren, and the elderly, are disproportionately bur- 5 dened by environmental hazards that include expo- 6 sure to polluted air, waterways, and landscapes. 7 (2) Environmental justice disparities are also 8 exhibited through a lack of equitable access to infor- 9 mation and data on potential exposure to environ- 10 mental hazards. 11 (3) Communities experiencing environmental in- 12 justice have been subjected to systemic racial, social, 13 and economic injustices and face a disproportionate 14 burden of adverse human health or environmental 15 effects, a higher risk of intentional, unconscious, and 16 structural discrimination, and disproportionate en- 17 ergy burdens. 18 (4) These disproportionate burdens are being 19 exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic. 20 (5) Citizen science will be essential for environ- 21 mental justice communities to protect themselves 22 during this pandemic. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 May 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1889.IH H1889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1889 IH SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS. 1 (a) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANTS.—The Ad- 2 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 3 continue to carry out— 4 (1) the Environmental Justice Small Grants 5 Program and the Environmental Justice Collabo- 6 rative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Pro- 7 gram, as those programs are in existence on the date 8 of enactment of this Act; and 9 (2) the Community Action for a Renewed Envi- 10 ronment grant programs I and II, as in existence on 11 January 1, 2012. 12 (b) AUTHORIZATION FOR GRANTS IN RESPONSE TO 13 COVID–19 EMERGENCY.— 14 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 15 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal 16 year 2022— 17 (A) $50,000,000 to carry out the programs 18 described in subsection (a); and 19 (B) $50,000,000 for grants and activities 20 authorized under subsections (a) through (c) of 21 section 103 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 22 7403) and grants and activities authorized 23 under section 105 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 24 7405). 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 May 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1889.IH H1889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1889 IH (2) PRIORITY FOR FUNDS.—In awarding grants 1 under the programs described in subsection (a) pur- 2 suant to this section, the Administrator shall 3 prioritize projects that will— 4 (A) monitor pollution in or near environ- 5 mental justice communities; 6 (B) investigate or address the dispropor- 7 tionate impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic in 8 environmental justice communities; or 9 (C) address disproportionate environmental 10 or public health harms and risks in minority 11 populations or low-income populations under— 12 (i) section 103(b) of the Clean Air Act 13 (42 U.S.C. 7403(b)); 14 (ii) section 1442 of the Safe Drinking 15 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–1); 16 (iii) section 104(k)(7)(A) of the Com- 17 prehensive Environmental Response, Com- 18 pensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 19 U.S.C. 9604(k)(7)(A)); and 20 (iv) sections 791 through 797 of the 21 Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 22 16131 through 16137). 23 (c) DISTRIBUTION.—Not later than 30 days after 24 amounts are made available pursuant to subsection (b)(1), 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 May 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1889.IH H1889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1889 IH the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen- 1 cy shall make awards of grants under each of the pro- 2 grams described in subsection (a). 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 May 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1889.IH H1889 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS