II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4736 

To prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020 

Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. STABENOW, and Ms. 

SMITH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To prepare the United States for the impacts of climate 

change, 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 ‘‘Climate Planning, Re5 silience, and Enhanced Preparedness Act of 2020’’ or the 

6 ‘‘Climate PREP Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. AGENCY CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANS RE8 QUIRED. 

9 (a) AGENCY CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLANS

10 REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the 


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1 enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall sub2 mit to the Director and the Chair an agency climate 

3 change adaptation plan. 

4 (b) CONTENTS OF PLAN.—Each agency climate 

5 change adaptation plan submitted pursuant to subsection 

6 (a) shall include the following: 

7 (1) An identification and assessment of climate 

8 change-related impacts on and risks to the ability of 

9 the agency to accomplish its missions, operations, 

10 and programs. 

11 (2) A description of programs, policies, and 

12 plans the agency has in place and any additional ac13 tion the agency plans to take to manage the impacts 

14 and risks identified in paragraph (1) and build resil15 ience, both immediately and at milestones that are 

16 5, 10, and 20 years after the date of the enactment 

17 of this Act. 

18 (3) A description of how any climate change re19 lated impact and risk identified under paragraph (1) 

20 that is determined by the agency to be so significant 

21 that it impairs the statutory mission or operation of 

22 the agency will be addressed. 

23 (4) An assessment of whether implementation 

24 of any of the programs, policies, or plans of the 

25 agency exacerbates climate change-related impacts 


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1 and risks, and a description of how the agency will 

2 consider the need to improve climate change adapta3 tion and resilience, including the costs and benefits 

4 of such improvement, with respect to agency sup5 pliers, supply chain, real property investments, and 

6 capital equipment purchases such as updating agen7 cy policies for leasing, building upgrades, relocation 

8 of existing facilities and equipment, and construction 

9 of new facilities. 

10 (5) In the case of the implementation of a pro11 gram that uses cost-benefit analyses, a description of 

12 how the agency incorporates climate change risks 

13 into the cost-benefit analyses, including the metrics 

14 and methodologies used. 

15 (6) A description of opportunities identified to 

16 address the disproportionate impacts of climate 

17 change on frontline communities and vulnerable pop18 ulations. 

19 (7) A description of how the agency will pro20 mote the preparedness and resilience of the Federal 

21 workforce with respect to climate change. 

22 (8) A description of how the agency will con23 tribute to coordinated interagency efforts to support 

24 climate change preparedness and resilience at all lev25 els of government, including collaborative work 


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1 across regional offices of agencies and through co2 ordinated development of information, data, and 

3 tools. 

4 (c) PROGRESS REPORTS.—In 2023 and every two 

5 years thereafter, the head of each agency shall submit to 

6 the Director and the Chair a report on the implementation 

7 of the plans required pursuant to subsection (a), including 

8 updated identification and assessments of climate change9 related impacts and risks. 

10 SEC. 3. COUNCIL ON CLIMATE PREPAREDNESS AND RESIL11 IENCE. 

12 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an inter13 agency counsel, to be known as the Council on Climate 

14 Preparedness and Resilience (in this section referred to 

15 as the ‘‘Council’’). 

16 (b) CO-CHAIRS.—There shall be three Chairs of the 

17 Task Force (collectively known as the ‘Co-Chairs’) made 

18 up of the Chair, the Director of the Office of Science and 

19 Technology Policy, and the Assistant to the President for 

20 Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. 

21 (c) MEMBERS.—In addition to the Co-Chairs, the 

22 Council shall be composed of the following members who 

23 are senior officials (Deputy Secretary or equivalent offi24 cer) from the following: 

25 (1) The Department of State. 


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1 (2) The Department of the Treasury. 

2 (3) The Department of Defense. 

3 (4) The Department of Justice. 

4 (5) The Department of the Interior. 

5 (6) The Department of Agriculture. 

6 (7) The Department of Commerce. 

7 (8) The Department of Labor. 

8 (9) The Department of Health and Human 

9 Services. 

10 (10) The Department of Housing and Urban 

11 Development. 

12 (11) The Department of Transportation. 

13 (12) The Department of Energy. 

14 (13) The Department of Education. 

15 (14) The Department of Veterans Affairs. 

16 (15) The Department of Homeland Security. 

17 (16) The United States Agency for Inter18 national Development. 

19 (17) The Army Corps of Engineers. 

20 (18) The Environmental Protection Agency. 

21 (19) The General Services Administration. 

22 (20) The Millennium Challenge Corporation. 

23 (21) The National Aeronautics and Space Ad24 ministration. 

25 (22) The U.S. Small Business Administration. 


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1 (23) The Corporation for National and Commu2 nity Service. 

3 (24) The Office of Personnel Management. 

4 (25) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

5 (26) The Office of the Director of National In6 telligence. 

7 (27) The Council of Economic Advisers. 

8 (28) The National Economic Council. 

9 (29) The Domestic Policy Council. 

10 (30) The Office of Management and Budget. 

11 (31) The White House Office of Public Engage12 ment and Intergovernmental Affairs. 

13 (32) The United States Trade Representative. 

14 (33) Such agencies or offices as the President 

15 or Co-Chairs shall designate. 

16 (d) ADMINISTRATION.—The Council on Environ17 mental Quality shall provide administrative support and 

18 additional resources, as appropriate, to the Council. Agen19 cies shall assist and provide information to the Council 

20 deemed necessary by the Chair to carry out its functions. 

21 Each such agency shall pay its own expenses related to 

22 participating as members of the Council. 

23 (e) COUNCIL STRUCTURE.—The Co-Chairs shall des24 ignate members of the Council to serve as a steering com25 mittee, which shall help determine priorities and strategic 


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1 direction for the Council in accordance with subsection (f). 

2 The Co-Chairs and steering committee may establish 

3 working groups as needed. 

4 (f) MISSION AND FUNCTION OF THE COUNCIL.—The 

5 Council shall coordinate across Federal agencies and of6 fices, and in partnership with State and local governments 

7 (including the State and Local Leaders Task Force estab8 lished in section 4), academic and research institutions, 

9 and the private and nonprofit sectors to do the following: 

10 (1) Develop, recommend, coordinate interagency 

11 efforts on, and track implementation of Federal 

12 Government actions related to climate change pre13 paredness and resilience. 

14 (2) Provide expertise to assist regional, State, 

15 and local action to— 

16 (A) assess vulnerabilities that due to or ex17 acerbated by climate change; and 

18 (B) cost-effectively increase climate change 

19 preparedness and resilience of communities, 

20 critical economic sectors, natural and built in21 frastructure, and natural resources. 

22 (3) Integrate climate change science in policies 

23 and planning, where appropriate, of agencies and 

24 the private sector, including by developing and de25 ploying of innovative, actionable, and accessible FedVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:29 Oct 16, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4736.IS S4736

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1 eral climate change related information, data, and 

2 tools. 

3 (4) Such other functions as the Co-Chairs may 

4 determine necessary, including implementing, as ap5 propriate, the recommendations of the State and 

6 Local Leaders Task Force on Climate Change Pre7 paredness and Resilience established in section 4. 

8 SEC. 4. STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS TASK FORCE ON CLI9 MATE CHANGE PREPAREDNESS AND RESIL10 IENCE. 

11 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—To inform Federal efforts to 

12 support climate change preparedness and resilience, there 

13 is established a task force to be known as the State and 

14 Local Leaders Task Force on Climate Change Prepared15 ness and Resilience (in this section referred to as the 

16 ‘‘Task Force’’). 

17 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Co-Chairs of the Task Force 

18 shall be the Chair and the Director of the White House 

19 Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. In addition to the Co20 Chairs, the members shall be such elected State and local 

21 officials as may be invited by the Co-Chairs to participate. 

22 Members of the Task Force, acting in their official capac23 ity, may designate employees with authority to act on their 

24 behalf. 


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1 (c) MISSION AND FUNCTION.—Not later than 1 year 

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Co-Chairs 

3 of the Task Force shall submit to the President and the 

4 Council recommendations on how the Federal Government 

5 may accomplish do the following: 

6 (1) Remove barriers, create incentives, and oth7 erwise modernize Federal programs to encourage in8 vestments, practices, and partnerships that facilitate 

9 increased adaptation and resilience to climate 

10 change-related impacts. 

11 (2) Provide climate change preparedness tools 

12 and actionable information for States and local com13 munities. 

14 (3) Otherwise support State and local prepared15 ness for and resilience to climate change. 

16 (d) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate not 

17 later than 6 months after the date on which the rec18 ommendations are submitted pursuant to subsection (c). 

19 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

20 In this Act: 

21 (1) ADAPTATION.—The term ‘‘adaptation’’ 

22 means adjustment in natural or human systems in 

23 anticipation of or response to a changing environ24 ment in a way that effectively uses beneficial oppor25 tunities or reduces negative effects. 


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1 (2) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 

2 meaning given the term ‘‘Executive agency’’ under 

3 section 105 of title 5, United States Code, but does 

4 not include the Government Accountability Office. 

5 (3) CHAIR.—The term ‘‘Chair’’ means the 

6 Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality. 

7 (4) CLIMATE CHANGE.—The term ‘‘climate 

8 change’’ means the long-term change in the average 

9 weather patterns influencing local, regional, and 

10 global climates, that are primarily driven by human11 produced greenhouse gas emissions, and observed 

12 through key indicators including global land and 

13 ocean temperature increases, rising sea levels, loss of 

14 polar and mountain glacier ice, cloud and vegetation 

15 cover changes, and increases in extreme weather 

16 such as hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, 

17 floods, and precipitation. 

18 (5) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

19 the Director of the Office of Management and Budg20 et. 

21 (6) FRONTLINE COMMUNITY.—The term 

22 ‘‘frontline community’’ means a low-income commu23 nity, community of color, or Tribal community that 

24 is disproportionately impacted or burdened by cli25 mate change and associated phenomena. 


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1 (7) IMPACT.—The term ‘‘impact’’ means con2 sequences, both realized and expected, for natural 

3 and human systems. 

4 (8) PREPAREDNESS.—The term ‘‘preparedness’’ 

5 means actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, 

6 and exercise to build, apply, and sustain the capa7 bilities necessary to prevent, protect against, amelio8 rate the effects of, respond to, and recover from cli9 mate change related damages to life, health, prop10 erty, livelihoods, ecosystems, and national security. 

11 (9) RESILIENCE.—The term ‘‘resilience’’ means 

12 the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to 

13 changing conditions and withstand, respond to, and 

14 recover rapidly from disruptions while ensuring the 

15 sustainment of mission-critical operations. 

16 (10) RISK.—The term ‘‘risk’’ means an assess17 ment based on formal analysis of the consequences, 

18 likelihoods and responses to the impacts of climate 

19 change and how societal constraints shape adapta20 tion options. 

21 (11) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 

22 the several States, the District of Columbia, each 

23 commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 

24 States, and each federally recognized Indian Tribe. 


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1 (12) VULNERABLE POPULATION.—The term 

2 ‘‘vulnerable population’’ means groups of individuals, 

3 including those with underlying health conditions, 

4 subject to greater climate change exposure, or ad5 versely impacted by social determinants of health, 

6 who experience heightened sensitivity to climate-re7 lated health and economic impacts. 

Æ 


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