I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2442 

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 

carry out a grant program for projects and activities to address climate 

justice concerns of environmental justice communities, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2021 

Ms. BARRAGA ́N 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 carry out a grant program for projects 

and activities to address climate justice concerns of environmental justice 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Justice Grants 

5 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CLIMATE JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es3 tablish a program under which the Administrator shall 

4 provide grants to eligible entities to assist the eligible enti5 ties in— 

6 (1) building capacity to address issues relating 

7 to climate justice; and 

8 (2) carrying out any activity described in sub9 section (d). 

10 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

11 under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall be a Tribal 

12 government, local government, or nonprofit, community13 based organization. 

14 (c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

15 under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall submit to the 

16 Administrator an application at such time, in such man17 ner, and containing such information as the Administrator 

18 may require, including— 

19 (1) an outline describing the means by which 

20 the project proposed by the eligible entity will— 

21 (A) with respect to climate justice issues at 

22 the local level, increase the understanding of 

23 the environmental justice community at which 

24 the eligible entity will conduct the project; 


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1 (B) improve the ability of the environ2 mental justice community to address each issue 

3 described in subparagraph (A); 

4 (C) facilitate collaboration and cooperation 

5 among various stakeholders (including members 

6 of the environmental justice community); and 

7 (D) support the ability of the environ8 mental justice community to proactively plan 

9 and implement climate justice initiatives; 

10 (2) a proposed budget for each activity of the 

11 project that is the subject of the application; 

12 (3) a list of proposed outcomes with respect to 

13 the proposed project; 

14 (4) a description of the ways by which the eligi15 ble entity may leverage the funds of the eligible enti16 ty, or the funds made available through a grant 

17 under this subsection, to develop a project that is ca18 pable of being sustained beyond the period of the 

19 grant; and 

20 (5) a description of the ways by which the eligi21 ble entity is linked to, and representative of, the en22 vironmental justice community at which the eligible 

23 entity will conduct the project. 

24 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity may only use 

25 a grant under this subsection to carry out culturally and 


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1 linguistically appropriate projects and activities that are 

2 driven by the needs, opportunities, and priorities of the 

3 environmental justice community at which the eligible en4 tity proposes to conduct the project or activity to address 

5 climate justice concerns of the environmental justice com6 munity, including activities— 

7 (1) to create or develop collaborative partner8 ships; 

9 (2) to educate and provide outreach services to 

10 the environmental justice community on climate jus11 tice; 

12 (3) to identify and implement projects to ad13 dress climate justice concerns, including community 

14 solar and wind energy projects, energy efficiency, 

15 home and building electrification, home and building 

16 weatherization, energy storage, solar and wind en17 ergy supported microgrids, battery electric vehicles, 

18 electric vehicle charging infrastructure, natural in19 frastructure, and climate resilient infrastructure. 

20 (e) LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT.—The amount of a 

21 grant under this section may not exceed $2,000,000 for 

22 any grant recipient. 

23 (f) REPORT.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

25 the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 


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1 thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the 

2 Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural 

3 Resources of the House of Representatives and the 

4 Committees on Environment and Public Works and 

5 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a re6 port describing the ways by which the grant pro7 gram under this subsection has helped eligible enti8 ties address issues relating to energy and climate 

9 justice. 

10 (2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Administrator 

11 shall make each report required under paragraph (1) 

12 available to the public (including by posting a copy 

13 of the report on the website of the Environmental 

14 Protection Agency). 

15 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

16 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

17 $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 

18 2031. The Administrator may not use more than 2 per19 cent of the amount appropriated for each fiscal year for 

20 administrative expenses, including outreach and technical 

21 assistance to eligible entities. 

22 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act: 


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1 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis2 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ3 mental Protection Agency. 

4 (2) CLIMATE JUSTICE.—The term ‘‘climate jus5 tice’’ means the fair treatment and meaningful in6 volvement of all individuals, regardless of race, color, 

7 culture, national origin, educational level, or income, 

8 with respect to the development, implementation, 

9 and enforcement of policies and projects that ad10 dress climate change, a recognition of the historical 

11 responsibilities for climate change, and a commit12 ment that the people and communities least respon13 sible for climate change, and most vulnerable to the 

14 impacts of climate change, do not suffer dispropor15 tionately as a result of historical injustice and dis16 investment. 

17 (3) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY.— 

18 The term ‘‘environmental justice community’’ means 

19 any population of color, community of color, indige20 nous community, or low-income community that ex21 periences a disproportionate burden of the negative 

22 human health and environmental impacts of pollu23 tion or other environmental hazards. 

24 (4) INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘in25 digenous community’’ means— 


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1 (A) a federally recognized Indian Tribe; 

2 (B) a State-recognized Indian Tribe; 

3 (C) an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian 

4 community or organization; and 

5 (D) any other community of indigenous 

6 people, including communities in other coun7 tries. 

8 (5) LOW INCOME.—The term ‘‘low income’’ 

9 means an annual household income equal to, or less 

10 than, the greater of— 

11 (A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the 

12 median income of the area in which the house13 hold is located, as reported by the Department 

14 of Housing and Urban Development; and 

15 (B) 200 percent of the Federal poverty 

16 line. 

17 (6) LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘low18 income community’’ means any census block group 

19 in which 30 percent or more of the population are 

20 individuals with low income. 

21 (7) NATURAL INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 

22 ‘‘natural infrastructure’’ means infrastructure that 

23 uses, restores, or emulates natural ecological proc24 esses and— 


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1 (A) is created through the action of nat2 ural physical, geological, biological, and chem3 ical processes over time; 

4 (B) is created by human design, engineer5 ing, and construction to emulate or act in con6 cert with natural processes; or 

7 (C) involves the use of plants, soils, and 

8 other natural features, including through the 

9 creation, restoration, or preservation of vege10 tated areas using materials appropriate to the 

11 region to manage stormwater and runoff, to at12 tenuate flooding and storm surges, and for 

13 other related purposes. 

14 (8) POPULATION OF COLOR.—The term ‘‘popu15 lation of color’’ means a population of individuals 

16 who identify as— 

17 (A) Black; 

18 (B) African American; 

19 (C) Asian; 

20 (D) Pacific Islander; 

21 (E) another non-White race; 

22 (F) Hispanic; 

23 (G) Latino; or 

24 (H) linguistically isolated. 

Æ 


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