I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1889 

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 

continue to carry out certain programs relating to environmental justice, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2021 

Mr. RUIZ (for himself and Mr. MCEACHIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 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 require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to continue to carry out certain programs 

relating to environmental justice, 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 ‘‘Environmental Justice 

5 for Coronavirus Affected Communities Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Communities of color, low-income commu2 nities, Tribal and indigenous communities, fossil 

3 fuel-dependent communities, and other vulnerable 

4 populations, such as persons with disabilities, chil5 dren, and the elderly, are disproportionately bur6 dened by environmental hazards that include expo7 sure to polluted air, waterways, and landscapes. 

8 (2) Environmental justice disparities are also 

9 exhibited through a lack of equitable access to infor10 mation and data on potential exposure to environ11 mental hazards. 

12 (3) Communities experiencing environmental in13 justice have been subjected to systemic racial, social, 

14 and economic injustices and face a disproportionate 

15 burden of adverse human health or environmental 

16 effects, a higher risk of intentional, unconscious, and 

17 structural discrimination, and disproportionate en18 ergy burdens. 

19 (4) These disproportionate burdens are being 

20 exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic. 

21 (5) Citizen science will be essential for environ22 mental justice communities to protect themselves 

23 during this pandemic. 


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1 SEC. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAMS. 

2 (a) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GRANTS.—The Ad3 ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 

4 continue to carry out— 

5 (1) the Environmental Justice Small Grants 

6 Program and the Environmental Justice Collabo7 rative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Pro8 gram, as those programs are in existence on the date 

9 of enactment of this Act; and 

10 (2) the Community Action for a Renewed Envi11 ronment grant programs I and II, as in existence on 

12 January 1, 2012. 

13 (b) AUTHORIZATION FOR GRANTS IN RESPONSE TO

14 COVID–19 EMERGENCY.— 

15 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

16 There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal 

17 year 2022— 

18 (A) $50,000,000 to carry out the programs 

19 described in subsection (a); and 

20 (B) $50,000,000 for grants and activities 

21 authorized under subsections (a) through (c) of 

22 section 103 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 7403) and grants and activities authorized 

24 under section 105 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

25 7405). 


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1 (2) PRIORITY FOR FUNDS.—In awarding grants 

2 under the programs described in subsection (a) pur3 suant to this section, the Administrator shall 

4 prioritize projects that will— 

5 (A) monitor pollution in or near environ6 mental justice communities; 

7 (B) investigate or address the dispropor8 tionate impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic in 

9 environmental justice communities; or 

10 (C) address disproportionate environmental 

11 or public health harms and risks in minority 

12 populations or low-income populations under— 

13 (i) section 103(b) of the Clean Air Act 

14 (42 U.S.C. 7403(b)); 

15 (ii) section 1442 of the Safe Drinking 

16 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–1); 

17 (iii) section 104(k)(7)(A) of the Com18 prehensive Environmental Response, Com19 pensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 

20 U.S.C. 9604(k)(7)(A)); and 

21 (iv) sections 791 through 797 of the 

22 Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 

23 16131 through 16137). 

24 (c) DISTRIBUTION.—Not later than 30 days after 

25 amounts are made available pursuant to subsection (b)(1), 


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1 the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen2 cy shall make awards of grants under each of the pro3 grams described in subsection (a). 

Æ 


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