Climate Action Now Act

To direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Climate Action Now Act 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) In Paris, on December 12, 2015, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. (2) The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (3) The Paris Agreement requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. (4) The Paris Agreement further requires each party to update its nationally determined contribution every 5 years, with each successive nationally determined contribution representing a progression beyond the previous nationally determined contribution, and reflecting the party’s highest possible ambition. (5) The United States communicated its nationally determined contribution to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28 percent. (6) A number of existing laws, regulations, and other mandatory measures in the United States are relevant to achieving this target, including the Clean Air Act ( 42 U.S.C. 7401 Public Law 102–486 Public Law 110–140 (7) On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, which would leave the United States as the only UNFCCC member state that is not a signatory to the Paris Agreement. (8) Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, the earliest possible effective withdrawal date by the United States is November 4, 2020. However, the United States is still obligated to maintain certain commitments under the Paris Agreement, such as continuing to report its emissions to the United Nations. 3. Prohibition on use of funds to advance the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended to take any action to advance the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement. 4. Plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement (a) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement that describes— (1) how the United States will achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level by 2025; and (2) how the United States will use the Paris Agreement’s transparency provisions to confirm that other parties to the Agreement with major economies are fulfilling their announced contributions to the Agreement. (b) Updates to plan Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public an updated plan under subsection (a). (c) Appropriate congressional committees defined In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate. 5. Paris Agreement defined In this Act, the term Paris Agreement April 18, 2019 Reported from the Committee on Foreign Affairs April 18, 2019 Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce

Summary: Climate Action Now Act This bill requires the President to develop and update annually a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement on climate change. (Sec. 3) In addition, the bill prohibits federal funds from being used to withdraw from the agreement. (Sec. 4) The bill outlines what must be included in the plan, including descriptions of steps to (1) cut greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, and (2) confirm that other parties to the agreement with major economies are fulfilling their announced contributions. The President must seek and publish comments from the public when submitting and updating the plan. (Sec. 5) Within six months, the President must report on the effect of the Paris Agreement on clean energy job development in rural communities. (Sec. 6) Within six months, the President must also contract with the National Academy of Sciences to report on the potential impacts of a withdrawal by the United States from the agreement on the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. economy and on U.S. workers. (Sec. 8) Within one year, the Government Accountability Office must study and report on the impact of the plan on U.S. territories.