IB 
Union Calendar No. 503 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2780 
[Report No. 117–686, Part I] 
To provide for climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience 
in the United States Territories and Freely Associated States, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 22, 2021 
Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Ms. PLASKETT, 
Mr. SOTO, and Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 
Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
DECEMBER 30, 2022 
Additional sponsors: Ms. TLAIB, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. COHEN, Mr. 
MCEACHIN, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. STANSBURY, 
and Mr. NEGUSE 
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DECEMBER 30, 2022 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 30, 2022 
Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, 
and Science, Space, and Technology discharged; committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be 
printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 22, 2021] 
A BILL 
To provide for climate change planning, mitigation, adapta-
tion, and resilience in the United States Territories and 
Freely Associated States, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Insular Area Climate 
Change Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Findings. 
TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Sec. 101. Insular Area Climate Change Interagency Task Force. 
Sec. 102. Non-Federal cost-share waiver. 
Sec. 103. Coral reefs prize competitions. 
TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
Sec. 201. Office of Insular Affairs Technical Assistance Program. 
Sec. 202. Runit Dome report and monitoring activities. 
TITLE III—NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 
ADMINISTRATION 
Sec. 301. Climate Change Insular Research Grant Program. 
Sec. 302. Coastal management technical assistance and report. 
Sec. 303. National Weather Service technical assistance and grants. 
Sec. 304. Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act. 
TITLE IV—DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 
Sec. 401. Office of Insular Area Energy Policy and Programs. 
Sec. 402. Comprehensive energy plans. 
Sec. 403. Energy Efficient Product Rebate Program. 
Sec. 404. Renewable Energy Grant Program. 
Sec. 405. Offshore wind for the territories. 
Sec. 406. State Energy Program non-Federal cost-share waiver. 
TITLE V—ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 
Sec. 501. Definitions. 
Sec. 502. Insular Area National Program Office. 
Sec. 503. Insular Area Sustainable Infrastructure Grant Program. 
Sec. 504. Insular Area Renewable Energy Grant Program. 
Sec. 505. Insular Area Technical Assistance Program. 
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TITLE VI—EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 
Sec. 601. Community disaster loans repayment cancellation. 
Sec. 602. Disaster relief non-Federal cost-share waiver. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) 
ADAPTATION.—The 
term 
‘‘Adaptation’’ 
means the capacity of natural and human systems to 
adjust to climate change or its impacts in a matter 
that will reduce damage or take advantage of any 
beneficial aspects. 
(2) FREELY
ASSOCIATED
STATES.—The term 
‘‘Freely Associated States’’ means the Republic of the 
Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, 
and the Republic of Palau. 
(3) INSULAR AREAS.—The term ‘‘Insular Areas’’ 
means the territories and Freely Associated States. 
(4) MITIGATION.—The term ‘‘Mitigation’’ means 
measures and initiatives that would limit or reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions. 
(5) RESILIENCE.—The term ‘‘Resilience’’ means 
the capacity of natural and human systems to resist, 
assimilate, and recover from the effects of climate 
change in an efficient and timely manner, maintain-
ing or restoring basic structures and essential func-
tions. 
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(6) RENEWABLE ENERGY.—The term ‘‘renewable 
energy’’ means energy that has been derived from 
Earth’s natural resources that are not finite or ex-
haustible, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, geo-
thermal, and ocean (thermal and mechanics). 
(7) RENEWABLE
ENERGY
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘renewable energy system’’ includes off-grid or stand- 
alone systems, microgrids, nano grids, and virtual 
power plants systems based on renewable energy 
sources, including storage and other related ancillary 
equipment. These may also be referred to as ‘‘eligible 
projects’’. Waste to energy are not considered as eligi-
ble projects. 
(8) TERRITORIES.—The term ‘‘territories’’ means 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin 
Islands of the United States. 
(9) TERRITORY.—The term ‘‘territory’’ means 
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin 
Islands of the United States. 
SEC. 4. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
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(1) The Insular Areas are topographically and 
environmentally diverse and treasured by millions of 
individuals who call them home. 
(2) The territories in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico 
and the Virgin Islands of the United States) and the 
territories in the Pacific (American Samoa, the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
Guam) face many of the same climate change-related 
challenges. Freely Associated States face similar cli-
mate change-related vulnerabilities. 
(3) Insular Areas are experiencing sea level rise, 
coastal erosion, and increasing storm impacts that 
threaten lives, critical infrastructure, ecosystems, and 
livelihood security. 
(4) Temperature increases are likely to further 
create and intensify the length of droughts, reduce 
water supply, impact public health, and increase de-
mand of freshwater in Insular Areas. In addition, 
temperature increases will drive coral reefs to extinc-
tion, eliminating a natural barrier against storm 
surge, increasing destruction of infrastructure, and 
threatening lives of the inhabitants of the islands. 
(5) In 2017, two major storms, Hurricane Irma 
and Hurricane Maria, impacted Puerto Rico and the 
Virgin Islands of the United States. Hurricane Maria 
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caused thousands of deaths in Puerto Rico and the 
Virgin Islands of the United States and significant 
damage to their infrastructure, including Puerto 
Rico’s energy system. Hurricane Maria destroyed 
millions of trees in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Is-
lands of the United States, which has significantly 
increased erosion and sediment transport. As a result, 
reservoirs have lost significant storage capacity and 
coral reefs are severely impacted. 
(6) In 2018, Typhoon Yutu impacted the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and 
Guam, causing catastrophic destruction in those terri-
tories. 
TITLE I—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
SEC. 101. INSULAR AREA CLIMATE CHANGE INTERAGENCY 
TASK FORCE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE.—Not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the fol-
lowing shall jointly establish the ‘‘Insular Area Climate 
Change Interagency Task Force’’ (hereafter in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Task Force’’): 
(1) The Secretary of the Interior. 
(2) The Secretary of Energy. 
(3) The Secretary of State. 
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(d) COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the establishment of the Task Force, the Task Force, 
in consultation with Insular Areas governments, shall issue 
a comprehensive report that— 
(1) identifies Federal programs that have an im-
pact on climate change planning, mitigation, adapta-
tion, and resilience, but exclude territories in regard 
to eligibility, funding, and assistance, or do not pro-
vide equitable baseline funding in relation to States; 
and 
(2) provides advice and recommendations related 
to climate change in Insular Areas, such as new sug-
gested Federal programs or initiatives. 
(e) PUBLICATION; PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
shall ensure that the report required under subsection (d) 
is— 
(1) submitted to the Committees on Energy and 
Commerce and Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives, and Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate; 
(2) published in the Federal Register for public 
comment for a period of at least 60 days; and 
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(3) made available on a public website along 
with any comments received during the public com-
ment period required under paragraph (2). 
SEC. 102. NON-FEDERAL COST-SHARE WAIVER. 
Section 501 of the Omnibus Territories Act of 1977 
(48 U.S.C. 1469a), is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in 
the case of the Insular Areas, any department or agency 
shall waive any requirement for non-Federal matching 
funds under $750,000 (including in-kind contributions) re-
quired by law to be provided by those jurisdictions.’’. 
SEC. 103. CORAL REEFS PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
(a) PRIZE COMPETITIONS.—The Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy shall work with the head 
of each Federal agency represented on the U.S. Coral Reef 
Task Force established under Executive Order 13089 (63 
Fed. Reg. 32701) to establish prize competitions, in accord-
ance with section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), that promote 
coral reef research and conservation in the Insular Areas. 
(b) WAIVER OF MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—Section 
204(b) of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 6403(b)) is amended— 
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(1) by striking the enumerator and heading for 
paragraph (2) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) WAIVERS.— 
‘‘(A) NEED AND BENEFIT.—’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end of paragraph (2) the 
following: 
‘‘(B) SUSTAINING
CORAL
REEF
MANAGE-
MENT
AND
MONITORING.—The Secretary shall 
waive all of the matching requirement under 
paragraph (1) for grants to implement State and 
territorial coral reef conservation cooperative 
agreements to sustain coral reef management 
and monitoring in Florida, Hawaii, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Vir-
gin Islands of the United States.’’. 
TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF THE 
INTERIOR 
SEC. 201. OFFICE OF INSULAR AFFAIRS TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, act-
ing through the Office of Insular Affairs Technical Assist-
ance Program, shall provide technical assistance for climate 
change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience to 
Insular Areas under the jurisdiction of such Program. 
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(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Inte-
rior to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of the fis-
cal years 2022 through 2026. 
SEC. 202. RUNIT DOME REPORT AND MONITORING ACTIVI-
TIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
submit to the Committees on Natural Resources and Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, 
a report, prepared by independent experts not employed by 
the U.S. government, on the impacts of climate change on 
the ‘‘Runit Dome’’ nuclear waste disposal site in Enewetak 
Atoll, Marshall Islands, and on other environmental haz-
ards in the vicinity thereof. The report shall include the 
following: 
(1) A detailed scientific analysis of any threats 
to the environment, and to the health and safety of 
Enewetak Atoll residents, posed by each of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The ‘‘Runit Dome’’ nuclear waste dis-
posal site. 
(B) Crypts used to contain nuclear waste 
and other toxins on Enewetak Atoll. 
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(C) Radionuclides and other toxins present 
in the lagoon of Enewetak Atoll, including areas 
in the lagoon where nuclear waste was dumped. 
(D) Radionuclides and other toxins, includ-
ing beryllium, which may be present on the is-
lands of Enewetak Atoll as a result of nuclear 
tests and other activities of the U.S. government, 
including tests of chemical and biological war-
fare agents, rocket tests, contaminated aircraft 
landing on Enewetak Island, and nuclear clean-
up activities. 
(E) Radionuclides and other toxins that 
may be present in the drinking water on 
Enewetak Island or in the water source for the 
desalination plant. 
(F) Radionuclides and other toxins that 
may be present in the groundwater under and in 
the vicinity of the nuclear waste disposal facility 
on Runit Island. 
(2) A detailed scientific analysis of the extent to 
which rising sea levels, severe weather events and 
other effects of climate change might exacerbate any 
of the threats identified above. 
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