I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9951 

To direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide for collaboration between the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental Protection 

Agency to promote economic revitalization efforts of environmentally contaminated sites, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 8, 2024 

Ms. STEVENS (for herself and Mr. MRVAN) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 

in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, and Energy and 

Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator 

of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide for 

collaboration between the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency to 

promote economic revitalization efforts of environmentally contaminated sites, 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, 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 9951 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Revitalization Efforts 

3 for Sustainable Transformation And Remediation for 

4 Thriving Communities Act of 2024’’ or the ‘‘RESTART 

5 Communities Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION AND 

7 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RE8 VITALIZATION COORDINATION. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, act10 ing through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Eco11 nomic Development (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Assist12 ant Secretary’’), and the Administrator of the Environ13 mental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the 

14 ‘‘Administrator’’) shall carry out interagency activities to 

15 promote the economic revitalization of eligible sites before, 

16 during, and after environmental remediation. 

17 (b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The As18 sistant Secretary and the Administrator may coordinate 

19 the activities under subsection (a) through the establish20 ment of a memorandum of understanding, or other appro21 priate interagency agreement. 

22 (c) INTERAGENCY ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the 

23 activities under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary 

24 and the Administrator may engage in any interagency ac25 tivity, including any of the following: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 9951 IH

1 (1) Establish any interagency process to pro2 mote the economic revitalization of an eligible site, 

3 including— 

4 (A) any process that— 

5 (i) promotes timely action by the As6 sistant Secretary or the Administrator in 

7 supporting the economic revitalization ac8 tivities of an eligible site; 

9 (ii) supports access by site stake10 holders to technical assistance resources 

11 and services available at or through the 

12 Economic Development Administration or 

13 the Environmental Protection Agency; 

14 (iii) subject to policies promoting fair 

15 and open competition, supports access by 

16 site stakeholders to relevant Federal grant 

17 and loan programs, including such pro18 grams at or through the Economic Devel19 opment Administration or the Environ20 mental Protection Agency, to promote eco21 nomic revitalization after environmental re22 mediation activities; and 

23 (iv) supports access by site stake24 holders to best practices, frameworks, and 

25 other information, as appropriate, for the 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 9951 IH

1 development of economic revitalization 

2 plans that focus on community engage3 ment, environmental justice, and the ben4 efit of economically distressed commu5 nities; and 

6 (B) any other interagency process as deter7 mined necessary by the Assistant Secretary and 

8 the Administrator. 

9 (2) Support the collection of public input by 

10 site stakeholders and surrounding communities of an 

11 eligible site to promote community support for eco12 nomic revitalization activities at the Economic De13 velopment Administration or the Environmental Pro14 tection Agency. 

15 (3) Support the development and dissemination 

16 of best practices, frameworks, and other tools, 

17 metrics, and resources to promote the success of eco18 nomic revitalization of an eligible site. 

19 (4) Support data collection and data sharing 

20 practices, as determined by the Assistant Secretary 

21 and the Administrator, to monitor and report on the 

22 success of economic revitalization at an eligible site. 

23 (5) Support education, training, and workforce 

24 development activities for site stakeholders to in25 crease the success of economic revitalization before, 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 9951 IH

1 during, and after environmental remediation at an 

2 eligible site, including— 

3 (A) internships, fellowships, and other 

4 work-based learning opportunities at the Eco5 nomic Development Administration and the En6 vironmental Protection Agency, subject to the 

7 availability of appropriations; 

8 (B) development of postsecondary or cre9 dential curriculum, experiential learning, or 

10 other project-based learning opportunities 

11 through collaboration with stakeholders that 

12 support the activities of this section; and 

13 (C) professional development opportunities 

14 for site stakeholders in professional fields rel15 evant to environmental remediation or economic 

16 revitalization. 

17 (d) COLLABORATION.—In carrying out the activities 

18 under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary and the Ad19 ministrator are authorized to consult other Federal, State, 

20 local, Tribal, or territorial governmental entities. 

21 (e) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 

22 of enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary and 

23 the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congres24 sional committees a report detailing the following: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 9951 IH

1 (1) Interagency activities between the Economic 

2 Development Administration and Environmental 

3 Protection Agency carried out under this section. 

4 (2) Collaborative economic revitalization 

5 achievements at eligible sites and supporting com6 munities as appropriate, including the engagement 

7 of site stakeholders in supporting the activities car8 ried out under this section. 

9 (3) Interagency education, training, and work10 force development activities for site stakeholders, in11 cluding the dissemination of best practices and en12 gagement of students to establish a robust future 

13 workforce for economic revitalization and environ14 mental remediation. 

15 (4) Potential opportunities to expand the inter16 agency activities of the Economic Development Ad17 ministration and Environmental Protection Agency. 

18 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

19 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT20 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com21 mittees’’ means— 

22 (A) the Committee on Environment and 

23 Public Works of the Senate; 

24 (B) the Committee on Energy and Com25 merce of the House of Representatives; and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 9951 IH

1 (C) the Committee on Transportation and 

2 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives. 

3 (2) ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION.—The term 

4 ‘‘economic revitalization’’ means any effort by a site 

5 stakeholder, the Assistant Secretary, and the Admin6 istrator to establish favorable conditions for the cre7 ation of new, or retention of existing, long-term pri8 vate sector job opportunities in a community, includ9 ing the expansion or upgrade of existing physical in10 frastructure at an eligible site. 

11 (3) ELIGIBLE SITE.—The term ‘‘eligible site’’ 

12 means any site of current or former environmental 

13 contamination, including any current or former man14 ufacturing facility, at which the Assistant Secretary 

15 or the Administrator plans to do, currently is doing, 

16 or has previously done any of the following: 

17 (A) Engage with site stakeholders. 

18 (B) Provide Federal funding or resources. 

19 (C) Provide technical assistance. 

20 (4) ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION.—The 

21 term ‘‘environmental contamination’’ means any 

22 hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant that 

23 harms public safety or the surrounding environment. 

24 (5) SITE STAKEHOLDER.—The term ‘‘site 

25 stakeholder’’ means any entity other than the DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:20 Oct 24, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9951.IH H9951

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
8 

•HR 9951 IH

1 partment of Commerce or the Environmental Pro2 tection Agency that is engaged in the economic revi3 talization of an eligible site. 

4 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

5 the several States, the District of Columbia, each 

6 commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 

7 States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS