I 
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. BARRAGA´N, 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. 
SA´NCHEZ, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. TAKANO, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Work-
force, 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 sec-
ondary school rooftop gardens, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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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 FOR-
ESTRY 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 Sec-
retary shall give priority to providing assistance to 
State foresters or equivalent State officials serving 
areas with the lowest tree equity scores, as deter-
mined by the Secretary’’; 
(2) in subsection (h)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe-
riod 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 For-
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ests (or a successor tree equity score devel-
oped by such conservation organization or 
other similar organization); or 
‘‘(ii) a tree equity tool that the Sec-
retary 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 in-
come, 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 GAR-
DENS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—The Secretary 
shall establish a competitive grant program under which 
the Secretary shall make grants to eligible entities to es-
tablish 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, 
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and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire, including the square feet of the proposed rooftop 
garden (or expansion of such rooftop garden). 
(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, 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 estab-
lishing 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 gar-
den. 
(4) Designing a rooftop garden— 
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(A) of which at least 20 percent is com-
prised 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 ef-
ficiency 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. 
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(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 estab-
lished 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 enti-
ty’’ 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. 
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(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. 
Æ 
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