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II
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 1347
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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL 22, 2021
Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, and Mr. CARPER) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on En-
vironment and Public Works
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-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Environmental Justice
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for Communities Act of 2021’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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Congress finds that—
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(1) communities of color, low-income commu-
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nities, Tribal and indigenous communities, fossil
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•S 1347 IS
fuel-dependent communities, and other vulnerable
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populations, such as persons with disabilities, chil-
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dren, and the elderly, are disproportionately bur-
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dened by environmental hazards that include expo-
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sure to polluted air, waterways, and landscapes;
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(2) environmental justice disparities are also ex-
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hibited through a lack of equitable access to infor-
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mation and data on potential exposure to environ-
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mental hazards;
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(3) communities experiencing environmental in-
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justice have been subjected to systemic racial, social,
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and economic injustices and face—
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(A) a disproportionate burden of adverse
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human health or environmental effects;
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(B) a higher risk of intentional and struc-
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tural discrimination; and
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(C) disproportionate pollution burdens;
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(4) the disproportionate burdens described in
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paragraph (3)—
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(A) are being exacerbated by the COVID–
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19 pandemic; and
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(B) will be addressed with resources pro-
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vided to environmental justice communities in
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the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public
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Law 117–2); and
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(5) citizen involvement and empowerment will
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be essential for environmental justice communities to
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protect themselves during the COVID–19 pandemic.
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SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS.
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(a) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANTS.—The Ad-
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ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall
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continue to carry out—
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(1) the Environmental Justice Small Grants
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Program and the Environmental Justice Collabo-
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rative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Pro-
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gram, as those programs are in existence on the date
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of enactment of this Act; and
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(2) the Community Action for a Renewed Envi-
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ronment grant programs I and II, as in existence on
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January 1, 2012.
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(b) DISTRIBUTION.—Not later than 30 days after
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amounts are made available pursuant to subsection (c),
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the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen-
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cy shall make awards of grants under each of the pro-
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grams described in subsection (a).
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(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
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authorized to be appropriated to carry out the programs
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described in subsection (a) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal
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years 2022 through 2027.
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Æ
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