II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4189 

To establish youth advisory councils for the purpose of providing recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, and Department 

of Commerce with respect to environmental issues as those issues relate 

to youth communities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 18, 2024 

Ms. BUTLER (for herself and Mr. MARKEY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL 

To establish youth advisory councils for the purpose of providing recommendations to the Environmental Protection 

Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, and Department of 

Commerce with respect to environmental issues as those 

issues relate to youth communities, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Youth Climate Leader3 ship Act of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) COVERED AGENCY HEAD.—The term ‘‘cov7 ered agency head’’ means each of the following 

8 heads of agencies: 

9 (A) The Administrator of the Environ10 mental Protection Agency. 

11 (B) The Secretary of the Interior. 

12 (C) The Secretary of Energy. 

13 (D) The Secretary of Agriculture. 

14 (E) The Secretary of Commerce. 

15 (2) DESIGNATED FEDERAL OFFICER.—The 

16 term ‘‘designated Federal officer’’ means the des17 ignated Federal officer for a Youth Advisory Council 

18 appointed under section 3(b)(6). 

19 (3) DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY.—The term 

20 ‘‘disadvantaged community’’ means a community 

21 identified as a disadvantaged community by the 

22 Justice40 Initiative (or a successor initiative) and 

23 the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool of 

24 the Council on Environmental Quality (or a suc25 cessor tool). 


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1 (4) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.—The term ‘‘en2 vironmental justice’’ means the just treatment and 

3 meaningful involvement of all people, without regard 

4 to income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affili5 ation, or disability, in agency decisionmaking and 

6 other Federal activities that affect human health 

7 and the environment so that people— 

8 (A) are fully protected from dispropor9 tionate and adverse human health and environ10 mental effects (including risks) and hazards, in11 cluding those related to climate change, the cu12 mulative impacts of environmental and other 

13 burdens, and the legacy of racism or other 

14 structural or systemic barriers; and 

15 (B) have equitable access to a healthy, sus16 tainable, and resilient environment in which to 

17 live and engage in cultural and subsistence 

18 practices. 

19 (5) YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The term 

20 ‘‘Youth Advisory Council’’ means a Youth Advisory 

21 Council established by a covered agency head pursu22 ant to section 3(a). 

23 SEC. 3. YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCILS. 

24 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Each covered agency head 

25 shall establish within the respective agency of the covered 


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1 agency head a Youth Advisory Council for the purpose of 

2 providing recommendations to the applicable covered 

3 agency head with respect to governmental approaches to 

4 environmental issues as those issues relate to youth, in5 cluding— 

6 (1) recommendations with respect to programs 

7 to help the governments of disadvantaged commu8 nities address environmental issues in those dis9 advantaged communities; 

10 (2) recommendations with respect to perform11 ance measures that could be used to measure the 

12 impact of climate change and other environmental 

13 harms that affect youth communities; and 

14 (3) researching, writing reports on, and making 

15 recommendations with a focus on environmental jus16 tice, climate change mitigation and resiliency, and 

17 pollution reduction. 

18 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

19 (1) SIZE.—A Youth Advisory Council shall con20 sist of not fewer than 15, and not greater than 25, 

21 representative members of non-Federal interests 

22 that have demonstrated high levels of knowledge and 

23 expertise in environmental issues, to be appointed by 

24 the applicable covered agency head. 

25 (2) REQUIREMENTS.— 


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1 (A) AGE.—A member of a Youth Advisory 

2 Council shall have an age, at the time of ap3 pointment or reappointment under paragraph 

4 (4), of not less than 16 years and not more 

5 than 29 years. 

6 (B) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY REQUIRED.— 

7 A covered agency head shall seek to ensure that 

8 members of a Youth Advisory Council are from 

9 geographically diverse locations across the 

10 United States. 

11 (C) CONSIDERATION OF BACKGROUNDS.— 

12 (i) IN GENERAL.—In selecting mem13 bers of a Youth Advisory Council, a cov14 ered agency head shall consider candidates 

15 with varying backgrounds, including— 

16 (I) business and industry; 

17 (II) academic institutions; 

18 (III) State, local, and Tribal gov19 ernments; 

20 (IV) public interest groups; 

21 (V) environmental organizations; 

22 and 

23 (VI) service groups. 

24 (ii) REQUIREMENT.—Of the members 

25 of a Youth Advisory Council, not more 


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1 than 60 percent may come from any 1 cat2 egory described in clause (i). 

3 (D) REPRESENTATION OF DISADVANTAGED

4 COMMUNITIES.—Of the members of a Youth 

5 Advisory Council, not less than 50 percent shall 

6 come from, reside primarily in, or work pri7 marily in disadvantaged communities. 

8 (E) DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND

9 ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS.—In selecting 

10 members of a Youth Advisory Council, a cov11 ered agency head shall consider diversity, eq12 uity, inclusion, and accessibility, in accordance 

13 with Executive Order 14035 (42 U.S.C. 2000e 

14 note; relating to diversity, equity, inclusion, and 

15 accessibility in the Federal workforce). 

16 (3) TERM.—A member of a Youth Advisory 

17 Council shall serve for a term of 2 years. 

18 (4) REAPPOINTMENT.—A covered agency head 

19 may reappoint members of a Youth Advisory Council 

20 to that Youth Advisory Council. 

21 (5) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in a Youth Advi22 sory Council— 

23 (A) shall not affect the powers of the 

24 Youth Advisory Council; and 


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1 (B) shall be filled in the same manner as 

2 the original appointment. 

3 (6) DESIGNATED FEDERAL OFFICER.—Each 

4 covered agency head shall appoint a full-time em5 ployee of the agency of the covered agency head to 

6 serve as the designated Federal officer for the appli7 cable Youth Advisory Council. 

8 (7) CO-CHAIRPERSONS; VICE-CHAIRPERSONS.— 

9 Each covered agency head shall, from among the 

10 members of the applicable Youth Advisory Council, 

11 appoint 2 co-chairpersons and 2 vice-chairpersons. 

12 (c) MEETINGS.— 

13 (1) FREQUENCY.—A Youth Advisory Council 

14 shall meet at the call of the applicable designated 

15 Federal officer, but not less frequently than annu16 ally. 

17 (2) OPEN MEETINGS.—The meetings of a 

18 Youth Advisory Council shall be open to the public 

19 unless the covered agency head determines, in ac20 cordance with section 552b(c) of title 5, United 

21 States Code, to close a meeting or portion of a meet22 ing. 

23 (3) AGENDA.—The agenda of a meeting of a 

24 Youth Advisory Council shall be approved in advance 

25 by the applicable designated Federal officer. 


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1 (4) REQUIREMENT.—A Youth Advisory Council 

2 or subcommittee of a Youth Advisory Council may 

3 not meet without the presence of the applicable des4 ignated Federal officer (or a designee). 

5 (5) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—A person inter6 ested in the proceedings of a Youth Advisory Council 

7 or interested in providing comment on a matter be8 fore a Youth Advisory Council may— 

9 (A) attend meetings of the Youth Advisory 

10 Council; 

11 (B) appear before the Youth Advisory 

12 Council; and 

13 (C) file written comments with the Youth 

14 Advisory Council. 

15 (6) ADJOURNMENT.—The designated Federal 

16 officer for a Youth Advisory Council may adjourn 

17 the meeting of the Youth Advisory Council if the 

18 designated Federal officer determines it is in the 

19 public interest to do so. 

20 (d) SUBCOMMITTEES.—A Youth Advisory Council 

21 may establish subcommittees as determined appropriate 

22 by the Youth Advisory Council. 

23 (e) EDUCATION.—Each covered agency head shall de24 velop and provide to members of the Youth Advisory 

25 Council an educational curriculum, which shall include 


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1 briefings on the organizational structure and work of the 

2 agency of the covered agency head. 

3 (f) REPORTS.—Not less frequently than annually, a 

4 Youth Advisory Council shall submit to the applicable cov5 ered agency head a report describing any recommenda6 tions of the Youth Advisory Council made in accordance 

7 with subsection (a). 

8 (g) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The agency of a 

9 covered agency head shall provide administrative support 

10 to the Youth Advisory Council of the agency. 

11 (h) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—Section 1013 of title 

12 5, United States Code, shall not apply to a Youth Advisory 

13 Council. 

14 (i) APPLICABILITY TO EXISTING COUNCILS.—The 

15 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 

16 may, in accordance with this Act, designate the National 

17 Environmental Youth Advisory Council as the Youth Advi18 sory Council of the Environmental Protection Agency. 

19 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

20 There is authorized to be appropriated $250,000 to 

21 each of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Depart22 ment of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the De23 partment of Agriculture, and the Department of ComVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:21 May 10, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4189.IS S4189

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1 merce for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2035 for the 

2 purpose of carrying out this Act. 

Æ 


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