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 Com-
mittee 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 Protec-
tion Agency to carry out a grant program for projects 
and activities to address climate justice concerns of envi-
ronmental justice communities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Justice Grants 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CLIMATE JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator shall es-
tablish a program under which the Administrator shall 
provide grants to eligible entities to assist the eligible enti-
ties in— 
(1) building capacity to address issues relating 
to climate justice; and 
(2) carrying out any activity described in sub-
section (d). 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall be a Tribal 
government, local government, or nonprofit, community- 
based organization. 
(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 
under subsection (a), an eligible entity shall submit to the 
Administrator an application at such time, in such man-
ner, and containing such information as the Administrator 
may require, including— 
(1) an outline describing the means by which 
the project proposed by the eligible entity will— 
(A) with respect to climate justice issues at 
the local level, increase the understanding of 
the environmental justice community at which 
the eligible entity will conduct the project; 
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(B) improve the ability of the environ-
mental justice community to address each issue 
described in subparagraph (A); 
(C) facilitate collaboration and cooperation 
among various stakeholders (including members 
of the environmental justice community); and 
(D) support the ability of the environ-
mental justice community to proactively plan 
and implement climate justice initiatives; 
(2) a proposed budget for each activity of the 
project that is the subject of the application; 
(3) a list of proposed outcomes with respect to 
the proposed project; 
(4) a description of the ways by which the eligi-
ble entity may leverage the funds of the eligible enti-
ty, or the funds made available through a grant 
under this subsection, to develop a project that is ca-
pable of being sustained beyond the period of the 
grant; and 
(5) a description of the ways by which the eligi-
ble entity is linked to, and representative of, the en-
vironmental justice community at which the eligible 
entity will conduct the project. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity may only use 
a grant under this subsection to carry out culturally and 
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linguistically appropriate projects and activities that are 
driven by the needs, opportunities, and priorities of the 
environmental justice community at which the eligible en-
tity proposes to conduct the project or activity to address 
climate justice concerns of the environmental justice com-
munity, including activities— 
(1) to create or develop collaborative partner-
ships; 
(2) to educate and provide outreach services to 
the environmental justice community on climate jus-
tice; 
(3) to identify and implement projects to ad-
dress climate justice concerns, including community 
solar and wind energy projects, energy efficiency, 
home and building electrification, home and building 
weatherization, energy storage, solar and wind en-
ergy supported microgrids, battery electric vehicles, 
electric vehicle charging infrastructure, natural in-
frastructure, and climate resilient infrastructure. 
(e) LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT.—The amount of a 
grant under this section may not exceed $2,000,000 for 
any grant recipient. 
(f) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and annually 
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thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the 
Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives and the 
Committees on Environment and Public Works and 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a re-
port describing the ways by which the grant pro-
gram under this subsection has helped eligible enti-
ties address issues relating to energy and climate 
justice. 
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Administrator 
shall make each report required under paragraph (1) 
available to the public (including by posting a copy 
of the report on the website of the Environmental 
Protection Agency). 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2031. The Administrator may not use more than 2 per-
cent of the amount appropriated for each fiscal year for 
administrative expenses, including outreach and technical 
assistance to eligible entities. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) CLIMATE JUSTICE.—The term ‘‘climate jus-
tice’’ means the fair treatment and meaningful in-
volvement of all individuals, regardless of race, color, 
culture, national origin, educational level, or income, 
with respect to the development, implementation, 
and enforcement of policies and projects that ad-
dress climate change, a recognition of the historical 
responsibilities for climate change, and a commit-
ment that the people and communities least respon-
sible for climate change, and most vulnerable to the 
impacts of climate change, do not suffer dispropor-
tionately as a result of historical injustice and dis-
investment. 
(3) ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE
COMMUNITY.— 
The term ‘‘environmental justice community’’ means 
any population of color, community of color, indige-
nous community, or low-income community that ex-
periences a disproportionate burden of the negative 
human health and environmental impacts of pollu-
tion or other environmental hazards. 
(4) INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘in-
digenous community’’ means— 
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(A) a federally recognized Indian Tribe; 
(B) a State-recognized Indian Tribe; 
(C) an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian 
community or organization; and 
(D) any other community of indigenous 
people, including communities in other coun-
tries. 
(5) LOW
INCOME.—The term ‘‘low income’’ 
means an annual household income equal to, or less 
than, the greater of— 
(A) an amount equal to 80 percent of the 
median income of the area in which the house-
hold is located, as reported by the Department 
of Housing and Urban Development; and 
(B) 200 percent of the Federal poverty 
line. 
(6) LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘low- 
income community’’ means any census block group 
in which 30 percent or more of the population are 
individuals with low income. 
(7) NATURAL
INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 
‘‘natural infrastructure’’ means infrastructure that 
uses, restores, or emulates natural ecological proc-
esses and— 
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(A) is created through the action of nat-
ural physical, geological, biological, and chem-
ical processes over time; 
(B) is created by human design, engineer-
ing, and construction to emulate or act in con-
cert with natural processes; or 
(C) involves the use of plants, soils, and 
other natural features, including through the 
creation, restoration, or preservation of vege-
tated areas using materials appropriate to the 
region to manage stormwater and runoff, to at-
tenuate flooding and storm surges, and for 
other related purposes. 
(8) POPULATION OF COLOR.—The term ‘‘popu-
lation of color’’ means a population of individuals 
who identify as— 
(A) Black; 
(B) African American; 
(C) Asian; 
(D) Pacific Islander; 
(E) another non-White race; 
(F) Hispanic; 
(G) Latino; or 
(H) linguistically isolated. 
Æ 
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