I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7220 

To require the Secretary of State to publish a quarterly assessment regarding 

the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 6, 2018 

Mr. MCEACHIN (for himself and Mr. SCHNEIDER) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of State to publish a quarterly 

assessment regarding the Paris Agreement, 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 ‘‘Produce All Relevant 

5 Information to Safeguard Climate Act’’ or the ‘‘PARIS 

6 Climate Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

8 It is the sense of Congress that— 

9 (1) the policy of the United States should re10 flect and respond to the findings of the Fourth NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Dec 07, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7220.IH H7220

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1 tional Climate Assessment, which states that ‘‘the 

2 warming trend observed over the past century can 

3 only be explained by the effects that human activi4 ties, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, have 

5 had on the climate’’, that ‘‘the evidence of human6 caused climate change is overwhelming’’, that ‘‘cli7 mate-related threats to Americans’ physical, social, 

8 and economic well-being are rising’’, and that ‘‘with9 out substantial and sustained reductions in global 

10 greenhouse gas emissions . . . annual losses in some 

11 economic sectors are projected to reach hundreds of 

12 billions of dollars by the end of the century’’, in 

13 some scenarios reducing gross domestic product by 

14 as much as 10 percent; 

15 (2) the President and Congress, in formulating 

16 a policy response to the findings of the National Cli17 mate Assessment, should fully address all of the 

18 threats contemplated in such Assessment, including 

19 the increasing frequency of heat waves, floods, 

20 wildfires, and other extreme weather events, increas21 ing scarcity of water, expanded territory for certain 

22 infectious diseases, and diminishing air quality, and 

23 should be mindful of low-income communities, com24 munities of color, or other vulnerable populations 


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1 that are disproportionately impacted by climate 

2 change; and 

3 (3) in order to best minimize or prevent the 

4 harms of which the National Climate Assessment 

5 warns, the Federal Government must join with other 

6 governments in a concerted global effort to swiftly 

7 curtail greenhouse gas and meet the goals estab8 lished by the Paris Agreement. 

9 SEC. 3. QUARTERLY ASSESSMENTS REGARDING THE PARIS 

10 AGREEMENT. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 

12 date of the enactment of this Act and quarterly thereafter, 

13 the Secretary of State shall publish on a publicly available 

14 website of the Department of State and submit to the ap15 propriate congressional committees an assessment that ad16 dresses each of the following matters regarding the Paris 

17 Agreement: 

18 (1) How many parties to the Paris Agreement 

19 have formally indicated an intent to withdraw from 

20 such Agreement. 

21 (2) Whether the Department has a reasonable 

22 expectation that any of the parties referred to in 

23 paragraph (1) may pursue withdrawal from the 

24 Paris Agreement in the next year, and if so, an idenVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:41 Dec 07, 2018 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7220.IH H7220

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1 tification of such parties and the motives for such 

2 withdrawal. 

3 (3) Whether the United States has established 

4 specific terms for re-engagement with the Paris 

5 Agreement, per stated Administration policy at the 

6 United Nations (C.N.464.2017.TREATIES– 

7 XXVII.7.d) on August 4, 2017. 

8 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT10 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com11 mittees’’ means— 

12 (A) in the House of Representatives— 

13 (i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; 

14 (ii) the Committee on Armed Services; 

15 (iii) the Committee on Natural Re16 sources; 

17 (iv) the Committee on Science, Space, 

18 and Technology; and 

19 (v) the Committee on Energy and 

20 Commerce; and 

21 (B) in the Senate— 

22 (i) the Committee on Foreign Rela23 tions; 

24 (ii) the Committee on Armed Services; 


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1 (iii) the Committee on the Environ2 ment and Public Works; 

3 (iv) the Committee on Health, Edu4 cation, Labor, and Pensions; and 

5 (v) the Committee on Energy and 

6 Natural Resources. 

7 (2) PARIS AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Paris 

8 Agreement’’ means the United Nations Framework 

9 Convention on Climate Change’s 21st Conference of 

10 Parties in Paris, France, adopted December 12, 

11 2015. 

Æ 


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