Climate Change Relief for Urban Areas Act of 2023

Subjects: Environmental Protection


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2786 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2786

To amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to prioritize 
urban and community forestry assistance for areas with low tree equity 
 scores, to establish a grant program to enhance public elementary and 
       secondary school rooftop gardens, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 20, 2023

 Mr. Schiff (for himself, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Brown, 
   Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Evans, Mr. Gomez, Mr. 
 Grijalva, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Meng, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. 
Scanlon, Mr. Takano, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the following 
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in 
addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to prioritize 
urban and community forestry assistance for areas with low tree equity 
 scores, to establish a grant program to enhance public elementary and 
       secondary school rooftop gardens, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Climate Change Relief for Urban 
Areas Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITIZATION OF URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ASSISTANCE TO 
              AREAS WITH LOW TREE EQUITY SCORES.

    Section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2105) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following: 
        ``In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall give 
        priority to providing assistance to State foresters or 
        equivalent State officials serving areas with the lowest tree 
        equity scores, as determined by the Secretary'';
            (2) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and 
                adding ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) the term `tree equity score' means a tree equity 
        score, as determined by the Secretary, that is--
                    ``(A) either--
                            ``(i) substantially similar to the tree 
                        equity score established by American Forests 
                        (or a successor tree equity score developed by 
                        such conservation organization or other similar 
                        organization); or
                            ``(ii) a tree equity tool that the 
                        Secretary determines is most appropriate for 
                        the communities served by such tool; and
                    ``(B) based on how the tree canopy and surface 
                temperature of an area align with income, employment, 
                race, age, and health factors of that area as 
                determined by consulting with community representatives 
                or community-based organizations.''; and
            (3) in subsection (i), by striking ``fiscal years 1991 
        through 1995'' and inserting ``fiscal years 2023 through 
        2028''.

SEC. 3. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL 
              ROOFTOP GARDENS.

    (a) Pilot Program Established.--The Secretary shall establish a 
competitive grant program under which the Secretary shall make grants 
to eligible entities to establish or expand rooftop gardens.
    (b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require, including the square feet of 
the proposed rooftop garden (or expansion of such rooftop garden).
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to the eligible entities that have the lowest 
garden equity score, as determined by the Secretary based on, with 
respect to the area in which the eligible entity is located, the 
population density, racial composition, incidence of respiratory 
illness, number of urban gardens, food sovereignty, and average surface 
temperature.
    (d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section shall use the grant funds to carry out each of the 
following:
            (1) Assessing (including through architectural analysis) if 
        the area identified for purposes of establishing or expanding a 
        rooftop garden can support such garden or expansion and the 
        construction thereof.
            (2) Applying for permits with respect to such rooftop 
        garden.
            (3) Establishing a financial plan with respect to the 
        establishment or expansion of such rooftop garden.
            (4) Designing a rooftop garden--
                    (A) of which at least 20 percent is comprised of 
                native plants, fruits, or vegetables;
                    (B) that does not include plants identified by the 
                State in which such garden is located as invasive 
                species;
                    (C) using best practices to reduce risk of 
                contaminants (such as using cleaning soil in raised 
                garden beds); and
                    (D) either--
                            (i) a strategy for increasing energy 
                        efficiency and increasing the surface ability 
                        of a building to reflect sunlight and absorb 
                        less solar energy; or
                            (ii) if the strategy in clause (i) is not 
                        feasible, a strategy to increase habitat and 
                        food availability for pollinators, manage 
                        rainwater, or provide other benefits to the 
                        community.
            (5) Incorporating into the science curriculum of the 
        entity--
                    (A) an urban agriculture lesson plan; or
                    (B) a lesson plan on pollinator habitat, green 
                infrastructure for heat or stormwater management, or 
                remediation of soil and water contaminants by plants.
    (e) Organic Requirement.--An eligible entity that receives a grant 
under this section may only use organic farming methods with respect to 
a rooftop garden established or expanded by such grant.
    (f) Routine Inspections.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall inspect each rooftop 
        garden for which a grant is awarded under this section once 
        each year.
            (2) Contract authority.--The Secretary may enter into 
        contracts with appropriate entities to carry out the 
        inspections required under paragraph (1).
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        public elementary school or secondary school.
            (2) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'' and 
        ``secondary school'' have the meanings given the terms in 
        section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2028.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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