II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1244 To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Civilian Climate Corps to help communities respond to climate change and transition to a clean economy, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 20, 2021 Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. MERKLEY, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, and Mr. BOOKER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to establish a Civilian Climate Corps to help communities respond to climate change and transition to a clean econ- omy, 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 ‘‘Civilian Climate Corps 4 for Jobs and Justice Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1244 IS (1) The effects of climate change include ex- 1 treme heat, drought, intensified storms and hurri- 2 canes, rising sea level, ocean acidification, inten- 3 sifying wildfires, and other natural disasters. 4 (2) These natural disasters exert profound im- 5 pacts on the lives and livelihoods of all individuals, 6 but some communities, particularly low-income com- 7 munities and communities of color, are dispropor- 8 tionately exposed and vulnerable to climate impacts 9 and pollution. 10 (3) To stem the worst effects of climate change, 11 the global economy must completely decarbonize and 12 remain carbon negative thereafter, which requires a 13 domestic economy-wide transition to a clean and 14 sustainable economy within a rapid timeframe. 15 (4) Such a transition requires a massive labor 16 mobilization and the development of a diverse, inclu- 17 sive, and skilled workforce. Historically underserved 18 communities must equitably receive the resources 19 they need to effectively mitigate and adapt to cli- 20 mate change, and displaced or unemployed workers 21 require retraining and support. 22 (5) Millions of people face unemployment and 23 barriers to opportunity, especially in low-income 24 rural, urban, and tribal environments. These chal- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1244 IS lenges have been exacerbated by the COVID–19 cri- 1 sis, which also disproportionately affected low-in- 2 come people and young people of color, who cur- 3 rently face unemployment at rates double the na- 4 tional average. 5 (6) An existing network of national, State, trib- 6 al, and local service and conservation corps can be 7 rapidly scaled and supplemented to mobilize labor, 8 provide job opportunities and career training, and 9 help establish the workforce necessary to accomplish 10 the transition to a clean and just economy. 11 (7) Corps positions provide hands-on work ex- 12 perience, income, and job training for unemployed 13 individuals in the United States, as well as leader- 14 ship skills, an opportunity for community service, 15 and an understanding of environmental stewardship. 16 (8) The Corporation for National and Commu- 17 nity Service has the ability to recruit, select, fund, 18 and oversee 1,500,000 members of service corps by 19 2025 to complete important projects across the en- 20 tire country to help address the climate crisis. 21 (9) Unsatisfactory wages and working condi- 22 tions, and employers’ refusal to respect workers’ 23 rights to organize and collectively bargain, lead to 24 labor disputes, which threaten to frustrate or delay 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1244 IS the urgent mobilization necessary to address climate 1 change. Such disputes are prevented or minimized 2 when the law effectively protects the right of workers 3 to receive fair compensation and benefits, to form or 4 join unions, to collectively bargain over the terms 5 and conditions of employment, and to engage in 6 other concerted activities for mutual aid or protec- 7 tion. 8 SEC. 3. CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS PROGRAM. 9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The National and Community 10 Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) is amended 11 by inserting after subtitle J of title I the following new 12 subtitle: 13 ‘‘Subtitle K—Civilian Climate 14 Corps 15 ‘‘SEC. 199O. PURPOSE; DEFINITIONS. 16 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this subtitle 17 to— 18 ‘‘(1) add to and increase the scale of the exist- 19 ing network of service programs to complete clean 20 energy, climate resilience, conservation, environ- 21 mental remediation, and sustainable infrastructure 22 projects necessary to respond to and solve the cli- 23 mate crisis, while providing education, workforce de- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1244 IS velopment, and career pathways to participants, with 1 a focus on historically underserved communities; and 2 ‘‘(2) authorize the operation of, support for, 3 and assistance to service programs that meet na- 4 tional and community needs related to climate 5 change, clean energy, and environmental justice. 6 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this subtitle: 7 ‘‘(1) INDIAN COUNTRY.—The term ‘Indian 8 country’ has the meaning given that term in section 9 1151 of title 18, United States Code. 10 ‘‘(2) UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITY OF 11 NEED.—The term ‘under-resourced community of 12 need’ means— 13 ‘‘(A) a community with significant rep- 14 resentation of communities of color, low-income 15 communities, or tribal and indigenous commu- 16 nities, that experiences, or is at risk of experi- 17 encing, higher or more adverse human health or 18 environmental effects, as compared to other 19 communities; 20 ‘‘(B) communities in Indian country; 21 ‘‘(C) a community facing economic transi- 22 tion, deindustrialization, and historic under- 23 investment; or 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 1244 IS ‘‘(D) a community with a high rate of pov- 1 erty or unemployment, as determined by the Di- 2 rector in consultation with the advisory board 3 established in section 199X (referred to in this 4 subtitle as the ‘advisory board’) and appro- 5 priate Federal resources identifying environ- 6 mental justice communities. 7 ‘‘SEC. 199P. ESTABLISHMENT OF A CIVILIAN CLIMATE 8 CORPS. 9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Corporation shall establish 10 the Civilian Climate Corps to carry out the purpose of this 11 subtitle. 12 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.—The Civilian Climate 13 Corps authorized by subsection (a) shall operate two pro- 14 gram components: 15 ‘‘(1) A national climate service program de- 16 scribed in section 199Q, for which 66 percent of the 17 funds appropriated to carry out this subtitle shall be 18 made available for operation and administrative ex- 19 penses. 20 ‘‘(2) A national climate service grant program 21 described in section 199R, for which 34 percent of 22 the funds appropriated to carry out this subtitle 23 shall be made available for operation and adminis- 24 trative expenses. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 1244 IS ‘‘SEC. 199Q. NATIONAL CLIMATE SERVICE PROGRAM. 1 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Under the national climate serv- 2 ice program component of the Civilian Climate Corps es- 3 tablished by section 199P, participants shall work in 4 teams on Civilian Climate Corps projects. 5 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.—An individual shall 6 be eligible for selection for the national climate service 7 program if the individual is, or will be, at least 17 years 8 of age on or before December 31 of the calendar year in 9 which the individual enrolls in the program, regardless of 10 immigration status. 11 ‘‘(c) DIVERSE BACKGROUND OF PARTICIPANTS; 12 GENDER REPRESENTATION.— 13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In selecting individuals for 14 the national climate service program, the Director 15 appointed pursuant to section 199X(c)(1) (referred 16 to in this subtitle as the ‘Director’) shall ensure that 17 eligible participants are from economically, geo- 18 graphically, and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The 19 Director shall take appropriate steps to recruit and 20 select participants such that not less than 50 per- 21 cent of participants are from under-resourced com- 22 munities of need. 23 ‘‘(2) SERVICE IN COMMUNITIES OF ORIGIN.—To 24 the extent practicable, the Director shall ensure that 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 1244 IS participants are provided opportunities to perform 1 service in their communities of origin if desired. 2 ‘‘(3) GENDER REPRESENTATION.—To the 3 greatest extent practicable, the Director shall ensure 4 inclusion and representation of all genders among 5 participants. 6 ‘‘(4) RURAL REPRESENTATION.—To the great- 7 est extent practicable, the Director shall ensure in- 8 clusion and representation of participants from 9 counties with a population of less than 50,000 resi- 10 dents. 11 ‘‘(d) PERIOD OF PARTICIPATION.—Individuals desir- 12 ing to participate in the national service program shall 13 enter into an agreement with the Director to participate 14 in the Civilian Climate Corps for a period of not less than 15 nine months and not more than one year, as specified by 16 the Director. Individuals may renew the agreement for not 17 more than one additional such period, with any number 18 of years between periods of service. 19 ‘‘(e) DIRECTOR.—Upon the establishment of the Ci- 20 vilian Climate Corps, the Civilian Climate Corps national 21 climate service program shall be under the direction of the 22 Director. 23 ‘‘(f) MEMBERSHIP IN CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 1244 IS ‘‘(1) SELECTION OF MEMBERS.—The Director 1 or the Director’s designee shall select individuals for 2 participation within the national climate service pro- 3 gram, which shall grant the individual membership 4 within the Civilian Climate Corps. 5 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP.—To be 6 selected to become a member of the Civilian Climate 7 Corps through the national climate service program, 8 an individual shall submit an application to the Di- 9 rector or to any other office as the Director may 10 designate, at such time, in such manner, and con- 11 taining such information as the Director shall re- 12 quire. At a minimum, the application shall contain 13 sufficient information to enable the Director, or the 14 campus director of the appropriate campus, to deter- 15 mine whether selection of the applicant for member- 16 ship in the Civilian Climate Corps is appropriate. 17 ‘‘(3) TEAM LEADERS.— 18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director may se- 19 lect individuals with prior supervisory or service 20 experience to be team leaders within units in 21 the Civilian Climate Corps national climate 22 service program, to perform service that in- 23 cludes leading and supervising teams of Civilian 24 Climate Corps members. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 1244 IS ‘‘(B) RIGHTS AND BENEFITS.—A team 1 leader shall be provided the same rights and 2 benefits applicable to other Civilian Climate 3 Corps members, except that the Director may 4 increase the limitation on the amount of the liv- 5 ing allowance under section 199S(b) for a team 6 leader. 7 ‘‘(g) ORGANIZATION OF NATIONAL CLIMATE SERV- 8 ICE PROGRAM INTO UNITS.— 9 ‘‘(1) UNITS.—The national climate service pro- 10 gram shall be divided into units by the Director or 11 Director’s designee. Each Civilian Climate Corps 12 member shall be assigned to a unit. 13 ‘‘(2) UNIT LEADERS.—The leader of each unit 14 shall be selected by the Director. The designated 15 leader shall accompany the unit throughout the pe- 16 riod of agreed service of the members of the unit. 17 ‘‘(h) CAMPUSES.— 18 ‘‘(1) UNITS MAY BE ASSIGNED TO CAMPUSES.— 19 The units of the national climate service program 20 may be grouped together as appropriate in campuses 21 for operational, support, and, when necessary, 22 boarding purposes. The Civilian Climate Corps cam- 23 pus for a unit shall be in a facility or central loca- 24 tion established as the operational headquarters for 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 1244 IS the unit. When necessary and appropriate, Civilian 1 Climate Corps members may be housed in the cam- 2 puses or provided housing vouchers and support in 3 cases where boarding is not possible. 4 ‘‘(2) CAMPUS DIRECTOR.—There shall be a 5 campus director for each campus. The campus direc- 6 tor is the head of the campus, and preference shall 7 be given to hiring directors that are members of the 8 community in which a campus is situated. 9 ‘‘(3) FACILITIES.—Upon the establishment of 10 the program, the Director shall identify Federal fa- 11 cilities in consultation with the General Services 12 Agency and the advisory board under section 199X 13 that may be used, in whole or in part, by the na- 14 tional climate service program. Eligible facilities 15 shall include existing campuses operated by the Cor- 16 poration and other programs. 17 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE SITE FOR A CAMPUS.—A cam- 18 pus may be located in a facility described in para- 19 graph (3) or in another facility that the Director de- 20 termines is appropriate. 21 ‘‘(i) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REQUIREMENT.— 22 The Director shall ensure that not less than 50 percent 23 of Civilian Climate Corps labor and investment under this 24 section supports climate service projects that are based in 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:29 May 18, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1244.IS S1244 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •S 1244 IS under-resourced communities of need, of which, not less 1 than 10 percent of such funds for under-resourced com- 2 munities of need shall support projects tha [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]