II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 694 

To require the Secretary of Energy to provide grants for energy efficiency 

improvements and renewable energy improvements at public school facilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 10, 2021 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. MERKLEY, Ms. HIRONO, and Ms. STABENOW) introduced 

the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Energy to provide grants for 

energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy improvements at public school facilities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Renew America’s 

5 Schools Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS 

2 AND RENEWABLE ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS 

3 AT PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES. 

4 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

5 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti6 ty’’ means a consortium of— 

7 (A) 1 local educational agency; and 

8 (B) 1 or more— 

9 (i) schools; 

10 (ii) nonprofit organizations; 

11 (iii) for-profit organizations; or 

12 (iv) community partners that have the 

13 knowledge and capacity to partner and as14 sist with energy improvements. 

15 (2) ENERGY IMPROVEMENT.—The term ‘‘en16 ergy improvement’’ means— 

17 (A) any improvement, repair, or renovation 

18 to a school that results in a direct reduction in 

19 school energy costs, including improvements to 

20 the envelope, air conditioning system, ventila21 tion system, heating system, domestic hot water 

22 heating system, compressed air system, dis23 tribution system, lighting system, power system, 

24 and controls of a building; 

25 (B) any improvement, repair, or renovation 

26 to, or installation in, a school that leads to an 


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1 improvement in teacher and student health, in2 cluding indoor air quality, daylighting, ventila3 tion, electrical lighting, windows, roofing (in4 cluding green roofs), outdoor gardens, and 

5 acoustics; 

6 (C) any improvement, repair, or renovation 

7 to a school involving the installation of renew8 able energy technologies (such as wind power, 

9 photovoltaics, solar thermal systems, geo10 thermal energy, hydrogen-fueled systems, bio11 mass-based systems, biofuels, anaerobic digest12 ers, and hydropower); 

13 (D) the installation of zero-emissions vehi14 cle infrastructure on school grounds for— 

15 (i) exclusive use of school buses, 

16 school fleets, or students; or 

17 (ii) the general public; and 

18 (E) the purchase or lease of zero-emissions 

19 vehicles to be used by a school, including school 

20 buses, fleet vehicles, and other operational vehi21 cles. 

22 (3) HIGH SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘high school’’ 

23 has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of 

24 the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

25 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 


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1 (4) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 

2 ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 

3 the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec4 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

5 (5) PARTNERING LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN6 CY.—The term ‘‘partnering local educational agen7 cy’’, with respect to an eligible entity, means the 

8 local educational agency participating in the consor9 tium of the eligible entity. 

10 (6) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

11 the Secretary of Energy. 

12 (7) ZERO-EMISSIONS VEHICLE INFRASTRUC13 TURE.—The term ‘‘zero-emissions vehicle infrastruc14 ture’’ means infrastructure used to charge or fuel— 

15 (A) a zero-emission vehicle (as defined in 

16 section 88.102–94 of title 40, Code of Federal 

17 Regulations (or successor regulation)); or 

18 (B) a vehicle that produces zero exhaust 

19 emissions of any criteria pollutant (or precursor 

20 pollutant) or greenhouse gas under any possible 

21 operational mode or condition. 

22 (b) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall award competitive 

23 grants to eligible entities to make energy improvements 

24 in accordance with this section. 

25 (c) APPLICATIONS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity desiring a 

2 grant under this section shall submit to the Sec3 retary an application at such time, in such manner, 

4 and containing such information as the Secretary 

5 may require. 

6 (2) CONTENTS.—The application submitted 

7 under paragraph (1) shall include each of the fol8 lowing: 

9 (A) A needs assessment of the current con10 dition of the school and school facilities that 

11 will receive the energy improvements. 

12 (B) A draft work plan of the intended 

13 achievements of the eligible entity at the school. 

14 (C) A description of the energy improve15 ments that the eligible entity will carry out at 

16 the school. 

17 (D) A description of the capacity of the eli18 gible entity to provide services and comprehen19 sive support to make the energy improvements 

20 referred to in subparagraph (C). 

21 (E) An assessment of the expected needs 

22 of the eligible entity for operation and mainte23 nance training funds, and a plan for use of 

24 those funds, if applicable. 


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1 (F) An assessment of the expected energy 

2 efficiency and safety benefits of the energy im3 provements. 

4 (G) A cost estimate of the proposed energy 

5 improvements. 

6 (H) An identification of other resources 

7 that are available to carry out the activities for 

8 which grant funds are requested under this sec9 tion, including the availability of utility pro10 grams and public benefit funds. 

11 (d) PRIORITY.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants under 

13 this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an 

14 eligible entity— 

15 (A) that has renovation, repair, and im16 provement funding needs; and 

17 (B)(i) that, as determined by the Sec18 retary, serves a high percentage of students, in19 cluding students in a high school in accordance 

20 with paragraph (2), who are eligible for a free 

21 or reduced price lunch under the Richard B. 

22 Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 1751 et seq.); or 

24 (ii) the partnering local educational agency 

25 of which is designated with a school district loVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:48 Apr 07, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S694.IS S694

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1 cale code of 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the 

2 National Center for Education Statistics in con3 sultation with the Bureau of the Census. 

4 (2) HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.—In the case of 

5 students in a high school, the percentage of students 

6 eligible for a free or reduced price lunch described 

7 in paragraph (1)(B)(i) shall be calculated using data 

8 from the schools that feed into the high school. 

9 (e) COMPETITIVE CRITERIA.—The competitive cri10 teria used by the Secretary to award grants under this 

11 section shall include the following: 

12 (1) The extent of the disparity between the fis13 cal capacity of the eligible entity to carry out energy 

14 improvements at school facilities and the needs of 

15 the partnering local educational agency for those en16 ergy improvements, including consideration of— 

17 (A) the current and historic ability of the 

18 partnering local educational agency to raise 

19 funds for construction, renovation, moderniza20 tion, and major repair projects for schools; 

21 (B) the ability of the partnering local edu22 cational agency to issue bonds or receive other 

23 funds to support the current infrastructure 

24 needs of the partnering local educational agency 

25 for schools; and 


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1 (C) the bond rating of the partnering local 

2 educational agency. 

3 (2) The likelihood that the partnering local edu4 cational agency or eligible entity will maintain, in 

5 good condition, any school and school facility that is 

6 the subject of improvements. 

7 (3) The potential energy efficiency and safety 

8 benefits from the proposed energy improvements. 

9 (f) USE OF GRANT AMOUNTS.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in this 

11 subsection, an eligible entity receiving a grant under 

12 this section shall use the grant amounts only to 

13 make the energy improvements described in the ap14 plication submitted by the eligible entity under sub15 section (c). 

16 (2) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE TRAIN17 ING.—An eligible entity receiving a grant under this 

18 section may use not more than 5 percent of the 

19 grant amounts for operation and maintenance train20 ing for energy efficiency and renewable energy im21 provements, such as maintenance staff and teacher 

22 training, education, and preventative maintenance 

23 training. 

24 (3) THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATION AND ANAL25 YSIS.—An eligible entity receiving a grant under this 


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1 section may use a portion of the grant amounts for 

2 a third-party investigation and analysis of the en3 ergy improvements carried out by the eligible entity, 

4 such as energy audits and existing building commis5 sioning. 

6 (4) CONTINUING EDUCATION.—An eligible enti7 ty receiving a grant under this section may use not 

8 more than 3 percent of the grant amounts to develop 

9 a continuing education curriculum relating to energy 

10 improvements. 

11 (g) COMPETITION IN CONTRACTING.—If an eligible 

12 entity receiving a grant under this section uses grant 

13 funds to carry out repair or renovation through a contract, 

14 the eligible entity shall be required to ensure that the con15 tract process— 

16 (1) through full and open competition, ensures 

17 the maximum practicable number of qualified bid18 ders, including small, minority, and women-owned 

19 businesses; and 

20 (2) gives priority to businesses located in, or re21 sources common to, the State or geographical area 

22 in which the repair or renovation under the contract 

23 will be carried out. 


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1 (h) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary shall develop 

2 and publish guidelines and best practices for activities car3 ried out under this section. 

4 (i) REPORT BY ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—An eligible entity 

5 receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the 

6 Secretary, at such time as the Secretary may require, a 

7 report describing— 

8 (1) the use of the grant funds for energy im9 provements; 

10 (2) the estimated cost savings realized by those 

11 energy improvements; 

12 (3) the results of any third-party investigation 

13 and analysis conducted relating to those energy im14 provements; 

15 (4) the use of any utility programs and public 

16 benefit funds; and 

17 (5) the use of performance tracking for energy 

18 improvements, such as the Energy Star program es19 tablished under section 324A or the United States 

20 Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and 

21 Environmental Design (LEED) green building rat22 ing system for existing buildings. 

23 (j) WAGE RATE REQUIREMENTS.— 

24 (1) DAVIS-BACON.—Any laborer or mechanic 

25 employed by any contractor or subcontractor in the 


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1 performance of work on any energy improvements 

2 funded by a grant under this section shall be paid 

3 wages at rates not less than those prevailing on 

4 similar construction in the locality as determined by 

5 the Secretary of Labor under subchapter IV of chap6 ter 31 of title 40, United States Code (commonly re7 ferred to as the ‘‘Davis-Bacon Act’’). 

8 (2) AUTHORITY.—With respect to the labor 

9 standards specified in paragraph (1), the Secretary 

10 of Labor shall have the authority and functions set 

11 forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 

12 (64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 3145 of 

13 title 40, United States Code. 

14 (k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

15 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

16 $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 

Æ 


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