I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2695 
To establish an Office of Environmental Justice in the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and to authorize an environmental justice small grants 
program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 25, 2017 
Ms. JAYAPAL (for herself, Mr. MCEACHIN, and Ms. BARRAGA´N) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish an Office of Environmental Justice in the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency and to authorize an envi-
ronmental justice small grants program, 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 ‘‘Environmental Justice 
Small Grants Program Act of 2017’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Despite Executive Order 12898 (relating to 
‘‘Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice 
in Minority Populations and Low-Income Popu-
lations’’), communities of color, low income commu-
nities, people with limited English proficiency, indig-
enous peoples, and people living with disabilities ex-
perience the impacts of climate change at a dis-
proportionate rate. 
(2) The Environmental Protection Agency 
formed the Environmental Justice Small Grants 
Program to support and empower frontline commu-
nities that are working on solutions to the dispropor-
tionate impacts of climate change. 
(3) Between 2000 and 2015, the Environmental 
Protection Agency, through the Environmental Jus-
tice Small Grants Program, awarded more than 630 
small grants to assist with the cost of conducting re-
search and education, as well as developing commu-
nity-based solutions. 
SEC. 3. OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. 
There is established in the Environmental Protection 
Agency an Office of Environmental Justice, which shall 
be headed by a Director. 
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SEC. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SMALL GRANTS PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of En-
vironmental Justice shall establish an environmental jus-
tice grant program to make grants to eligible entities in 
accordance with this section. 
(b) GRANTS.—The Director may make a grant under 
this section, in an amount not to exceed $50,000, to an 
eligible entity to carry out an environmental justice 
project. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AFFECTED
COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘af-
fected community’’ means a community that— 
(A) may be disproportionately affected by 
environmental harms and risks; and 
(B) is affected by a local environmental or 
public health issue that is identified in an appli-
cation for a grant under this section. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) an entity that— 
(i) is an organization (including an 
environmental justice network, a faith- 
based organization, and an organization af-
filiated with a religious institution)— 
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(I) described in section 501(c)(3) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under sec-
tion 501(a) of such Code; or 
(II) recognized as a nonprofit or-
ganization by the government of the 
State, territory, commonwealth, or 
federally recognized Tribe with juris-
diction over the area in which it is lo-
cated; 
(ii) demonstrates that it has worked 
directly with the affected community, as 
determined by the Director; and 
(iii) is located in the State, territory, 
or commonwealth, or area over which a 
federally recognized Tribe has jurisdiction, 
in which the proposed environmental jus-
tice project is located; 
(B) a federally recognized Tribal govern-
ment with jurisdiction over the area in which 
the proposed environmental justice project is lo-
cated; or 
(C) a Tribal organization that dem-
onstrates that it has worked directly with the 
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affected community, as determined by the Ad-
ministrator. 
(3) ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROJECT.—The 
term ‘‘environmental justice project’’ means a 
project consisting of activities designed to empower 
and educate an affected community to— 
(A) understand environmental and public 
health issues; and 
(B) identify ways to address those issues 
at the local level. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$16,000,000 for each fiscal year. 
Æ 
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