Green New Deal for Health Act

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1229 To establish a Green New Deal for Health to prepare and empower the health care sector to protect the health and well-being of our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate crisis, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 20, 2023 Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. SANDERS, and Ms. WARREN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To establish a Green New Deal for Health to prepare and empower the health care sector to protect the health and well-being of our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate crisis, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Green New Deal for Health Act’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 6 this Act is as follows: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •S 1229 IS Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Definitions. Sec. 3. Findings and sense of Congress on health and climate change. TITLE I—WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT APPROACH Sec. 101. Definitions. Sec. 102. Office of Climate Change and Health Equity; national strategic ac- tion plan. Sec. 103. Advisory board. Sec. 104. Climate change health protection and promotion reports. Sec. 105. Authorization of appropriations. TITLE II—PROTECTING ESSENTIAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS Sec. 201. Maintenance of health care access relating to hospital discontinuation of services or closure. Sec. 202. Empowering community health in environmental justice communities. TITLE III—GREEN AND RESILIENT HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE Sec. 301. Green Hill-Burton funds for climate-ready medical facilities. Sec. 302. Planning and Evaluation Grant Program. TITLE IV—HEALTH CARE SECTOR DECARBONIZATION Sec. 401. Office of Sustainability and Environmental Impact. Sec. 402. Climate risk disclosure for medical supplies. Sec. 403. Green health care manufacturing. TITLE V—A HEALTH WORKFORCE TO TACKLE THE CLIMATE CRISIS Sec. 501. Education and training relating to health risks associated with cli- mate change. Sec. 502. Building a community health workforce for the climate crisis. Sec. 503. Safeguarding essential health care workers. TITLE VI—SAFE, STRONG, AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES Subtitle A—Empowering Resilient Community Mental Health Sec. 601. Grants for resilient community mental health. Subtitle B—Understanding and Preventing Heat Risk Sec. 611. Definitions. Sec. 612. Study on extreme heat information and response. Sec. 613. Financial assistance for research and resilience in addressing extreme heat risks. Sec. 614. Authorization of appropriations. Subtitle C—Home Resiliency for Medical Needs Sec. 621. Medicare coverage of medically necessary home resiliency services. VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •S 1229 IS TITLE VII—RESEARCH AND INNOVATION FOR CLIMATE AND HEALTH Sec. 701. Research and innovation for climate and health. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 1 In this Act: 2 (1) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY.— 3 The term ‘‘environmental justice community’’ means 4 a community with significant representation of com- 5 munities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal 6 and Indigenous communities that experiences, or is 7 at risk of experiencing, higher or more adverse 8 human health or environmental effects. 9 (2) INDIVIDUAL DISPROPORTIONATELY AF- 10 FECTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE.—The term ‘‘indi- 11 vidual disproportionately affected by climate change’’ 12 means an individual that may face elevated mental 13 and physical health risks due to climate change 14 based on 2 or more of the following factors: 15 (A) Age under 5 years old or over 65 years 16 old. 17 (B) Race and ethnicity, and experience of 18 racial bias. 19 (C) Sex, gender, and gender minority sta- 20 tus. 21 (D) Being of reproductive age. 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •S 1229 IS (E) Exposure to environmental health 1 risks due to living conditions or location, includ- 2 ing current or past experience of homelessness. 3 (F) Occupation or exposure to occupational 4 hazards. 5 (G) Household income. 6 (H) Disability. 7 (I) Co-morbidities. 8 (J) Current or past exposure to personal 9 or systemic trauma, including natural disasters. 10 (K) Immigration status. 11 (L) Language isolation. 12 (3) MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.— 13 The term ‘‘medically underserved community’’ has 14 the meaning given such term in section 799B of the 15 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p). 16 SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS ON HEALTH 17 AND CLIMATE CHANGE. 18 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that, according to the 19 assessment of the United States Global Change Research 20 Program entitled ‘‘The Impacts of Climate Change on 21 Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assess- 22 ment’’ and dated 2016— 23 (1) the impacts of human-induced climate 24 change are increasing nationwide; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •S 1229 IS (2) rising greenhouse gas concentrations result 1 in increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, 2 increases in the frequency and intensity of some ex- 3 treme weather events, and rising sea levels; 4 (3) the climate change impacts described in 5 paragraph (2) endanger our health by affecting— 6 (A) our access to care, food, and water 7 sources; 8 (B) the air we breathe; 9 (C) the weather we experience; and 10 (D) our interactions with the built and 11 natural environments; and 12 (4) as the climate continues to change, the risks 13 to human health continue to grow. 14 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con- 15 gress that— 16 (1) climate change poses threats to the United 17 States and globally through its impacts on society, 18 the economy, the physical environment, and physical 19 and mental health; 20 (2) climate change health threats are growing 21 in scale and severity; 22 (3) climate change disproportionately affects in- 23 dividuals in the United States who are economically 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •S 1229 IS disadvantaged, belong to communities of color, or 1 have other social and health vulnerabilities; 2 (4) the health care sector accounts for 8.5 per- 3 cent of United States emissions, further worsening 4 the overall health impacts of climate change; and 5 (5) the Federal Government, working with 6 international, State, Tribal, and local governments, 7 nongovernmental organizations, businesses, and indi- 8 viduals, should use all practicable means and meas- 9 ures— 10 (A) to deploy a whole-of-government and 11 whole-of-health approach to protect our collec- 12 tive health from the impacts of climate change 13 and to mitigate environmental health impacts 14 from health sector operations; 15 (B) to build a just health care ecosystem 16 where all Americans have access to dignified, 17 high-quality care in their communities; 18 (C) to ensure the health care system is re- 19 silient to extreme weather and can continue to 20 provide care before, during, and after crises; 21 (D) to lead the health sector to 22 decarbonize its facilities and operations in an 23 equitable and just manner; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •S 1229 IS (E) to empower a thriving health work- 1 force with good, high-wage union jobs and to 2 recognize the value of all of the essential work- 3 ers that enable high-quality health care; and 4 (F) to invest in, empower, and build safe, 5 strong, and resilient communities. 6 TITLE I—WHOLE-OF- 7 GOVERNMENT APPROACH 8 SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 9 In this title: 10 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 11 the Director of the Office. 12 (2) NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.—The 13 term ‘‘national strategic action plan’’ means the na- 14 tional strategic action plan published pursuant to 15 section 102(b)(1). 16 (3) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the Of- 17 fice of Climate Change and Health Equity estab- 18 lished by section 102(a)(1). 19 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 20 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 21 SEC. 102. OFFICE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH EQ- 22 UITY; NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN. 23 (a) OFFICE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH EQ- 24 UITY.— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •S 1229 IS (1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 1 (A) IN GENERAL.—There is established 2 within the Department of Health and Human 3 Services the Office of Climate Change and 4 Health Equity. 5 (B) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Office 6 shall be to facilitate a robust, Federal response 7 to the impact of climate change on the health 8 of the American people and the health care sys- 9 tem. 10 (C) DIRECTOR.—There is established the 11 position of Director of the Office, who— 12 (i) shall be the head of the Office; and 13 (ii) may report to the Assistant Sec- 14 retary for Health. 15 (2) ACTIVITIES.—The duties of the Office shall 16 be to address priority health actions relating to the 17 health impacts of climate change, including by doing 18 each of the following: 19 (A) Contribute to assessments of how cli- 20 mate change is affecting the health of individ- 21 uals living in the United States. 22 (B) Understand the needs of the popu- 23 lations most disproportionately affected by cli- 24 mate-related health threats. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •S 1229 IS (C) Serve as a credible source of informa- 1 tion on the physical, mental, and behavioral 2 health consequences of climate change. 3 (D) Align Federal efforts to deploy cli- 4 mate-conscious human services and direct serv- 5 ices to support and protect populations com- 6 posed of individuals disproportionately affected 7 by climate change. 8 (E) Create and distribute tools and re- 9 sources to support climate resilience for the 10 health sector, community-based organizations, 11 and individuals. 12 (F) Create and distribute tools and re- 13 sources to support health sector efforts to track 14 and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. 15 (G) Lead efforts to reduce the carbon foot- 16 print and environmental impacts of the health 17 sector. 18 (H) Carry out other activities determined 19 appropriate by the Secretary. 20 (b) NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.— 21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 22 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, on 23 the basis of the best available science, and in con- 24 sultation pursuant to paragraph (2), shall publish a 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •S 1229 IS national strategic action plan to coordinate effective 1 deployment of Federal efforts to ensure that public 2 health and health care systems are prepared for and 3 can respond to the impacts of climate change on 4 health in the United States. 5 (2) CONSULTATION.—In developing or making 6 any revision to the national strategic action plan, the 7 Secretary shall— 8 (A) consult with the Director, the Adminis- 9 trator of the Environmental Protection Agency, 10 the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans 11 and Atmosphere, the Administrator of the Na- 12 tional Aeronautics and Space Administration, 13 the Director of the Indian Health Service, the 14 Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, 15 the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Vet- 16 erans Affairs, the National Environmental Jus- 17 tice Advisory Council, the heads of other appro- 18 priate Federal agencies, Tribal governments, 19 and State and local government officials; and 20 (B) provide meaningful opportunity for en- 21 gagement, comment, and consultation with rel- 22 evant public stakeholders, particularly rep- 23 resentatives of populations composed of individ- 24 uals disproportionately affected by climate 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 11 •S 1229 IS change, environmental justice communities, 1 Tribal communities, health care providers, pub- 2 lic health organizations, and scientists. 3 (3) NATIONAL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN COM- 4 PONENTS.—The national strategic action plan shall 5 include an assessment of, and strategies to improve, 6 the health sector capacity of the United States to 7 address climate change, including— 8 (A) identifying, prioritizing, and engaging 9 communities and populations who are dis- 10 proportionately affected by exposures to climate 11 hazards; 12 (B) addressing mental and physical health 13 disparities exacerbated by climate impacts to 14 enhance community health resilience; 15 (C) identifying the link between environ- 16 mental injustice and vulnerability to the im- 17 pacts of climate change and prioritizing those 18 who have been harmed by environmental and 19 climate injustice; 20 (D) providing outreach and communication 21 aimed at public health and health care profes- 22 sionals and the public to promote preparedness 23 and response strategies; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Apr 25, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1229.IS S1229 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 12 •S 1229 IS (E) tracking and assessing programs 1 across Federal agencies to advance research re- 2 lated to the impacts of climate change on 3 health; 4 (F) identifying and assessing existing pre- 5 paredness and response strategies for the health 6 impacts of climate change; 7 (G) prioritizing critical public health and 8 health care infrastructure projects; 9 (H) providing modeling and forecasting 10 tools of climate change health impacts, includ- 11 ing local impacts, where feasible; 12 (I) establishing academic and regional cen- 13 ters of excellence; 14 (J) recommending models for [Text truncated for display. 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