I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3424 
To establish a program under which the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall provide grants to eligible State consortia to 
establish and carry out municipal sustainability certification programs, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2011 
Mr. HOLT (for himself, Mr. ANDREWS, and Mr. SIRES) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a program under which the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency shall provide 
grants to eligible State consortia to establish and carry 
out municipal sustainability certification programs, 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 ‘‘Sustainable States Act 
of 2011’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) local government leadership is critical in 
crafting and implementing effective, long-term solu-
tions to regionally distinct challenges, such as— 
(A) energy demand and supply; 
(B) water resource management; 
(C) waste production and management; 
(D) pollution; 
(E) environmental stewardship and con-
servation; and 
(F) economic competitiveness, growth, and 
development; 
(2) State-specific municipal sustainability cer-
tification programs provide a framework for con-
structive competition among the municipalities of a 
State that accelerates the development and dem-
onstration of effective local solutions to those chal-
lenges; and 
(3) public-private partnerships are successful 
means of sustaining the operation of municipal sus-
tainability certification programs which, as evidenced 
by the successful program in the State of New Jer-
sey— 
(A) reduce municipal costs; 
(B) create jobs; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(C) drive local economic growth; and 
(D) yield environmental benefits. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) 
MUNICIPAL
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFI-
CATION
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘municipal sustain-
ability certification program’’ means a program es-
tablished and carried out by a sustainable State con-
sortium that— 
(A) determines a set of State-specific 
benchmarks for use in evaluating sustainability; 
and 
(B) certifies a municipality as sustainable 
based on documented achievement of those 
benchmarks. 
(3) SUSTAINABLE
STATE
CONSORTIUM.—The 
term ‘‘sustainable State consortium’’ means a part-
nership consisting of local governments, a State, 1 
or more public universities, and any other municipal 
organizations, businesses, or nonprofit organizations 
selected by the consortium that is formed to estab-
lish a municipal sustainability certification program. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(4) TOP
PERFORMER.—The term ‘‘top per-
former’’ means a municipality that— 
(A) has successfully completed a municipal 
sustainability certification program; and 
(B) is recognized by the Administrator for 
outstanding leadership in municipal sustain-
ability. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR MUNICIPAL SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFI-
CATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a pro-
gram under which the Administrator shall provide 
grants to sustainable State consortia for use in es-
tablishing and carrying out municipal sustainability 
certification programs. 
(2) FLEXIBLE GUIDELINES FOR AWARD SELEC-
TION.—The Administrator shall establish flexible 
guidelines that reflect regional differences for use by 
sustainable State consortia in establishing State-spe-
cific municipal sustainability certification programs. 
(3) GRANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall provide grants under this paragraph to 
sustainable State consortia for use in estab-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
lishing and carrying out municipal sustain-
ability certification programs. 
(B) ELIGIBILITY.—Not more than 1 sus-
tainable State consortium per State may apply 
for and receive a grant under this section. 
(C) NUMBER AND TERM OF GRANTS.—The 
Administrator shall provide not more than 20 
grants under this section, each of which shall 
have a term of 3 years. 
(D) LIMITATION ON AMOUNTS.—A grant 
provided under this section shall not exceed 
$600,000 during the term of the grant. 
(E) GEOGRAPHICAL
DISTRIBUTION
OF 
GRANT FUNDS.—The Administrator shall pro-
vide grants under this section in a manner that 
results in, to the maximum extent practicable, 
a geographical balance of funds provided, as de-
termined by the Administrator. 
(4) DATA AND REPORTS.—The Administrator 
shall annually— 
(A) collect and compile data from sustain-
able State consortia with respect to municipal 
actions undertaken to obtain municipal sustain-
ability certification; and 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(B) submit to Congress a concise report 
that describes, for the year covered by the re-
port, municipal actions undertaken to obtain 
municipal sustainability certification. 
(5) STATE AND LOCAL NEEDS.—The Adminis-
trator shall encourage sustainable State consortia— 
(A) to establish certification standards be-
yond the guidelines established by the Adminis-
trator; 
(B) to otherwise adapt the administration 
of the program established under this section to 
meet regional or local needs; and 
(C) to plan for public-private partnership 
agreements that will sustain the operation of 
the certification program of a State beyond the 
term of the grant. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) FEES.—The Administrator shall not charge 
fees for certification, training, use of program tools, 
or any other participation in the program estab-
lished under this section. 
(2) WEB SITE.—The Administrator shall estab-
lish a Web site that allows for interactive dialogue 
and collaboration among community leaders and citi-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
zens engaged in municipal sustainability certifi-
cation. 
(c) FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 
through 2014. 
(2) OTHER
FUNDING.—A sustainable State 
consortium or other entity that receives a grant 
under this section may seek additional foundation, 
nonprofit, private-sector, and other sources of fund-
ing to support additional program elements and mu-
nicipal incentives that are in addition to the min-
imum requirements for a grant under this section. 
SEC. 5. PROJECT GRANTS FOR TOP PERFORMERS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a pro-
gram under which the Administrator shall award 
project grants to municipalities certified by sustain-
able State consortia to extend the leadership of the 
municipalities in meeting sustainability challenges. 
(2) 
ACCOUNTING
FOR
REGIONAL
DIF-
FERENCES.—To the maximum extent practicable, 
the Administrator shall take regional differences into 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
account when selecting top performers under this 
section. 
(3) GRANTS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall select top performers from among the mu-
nicipalities that have achieved certification by 
sustainable State consortia to compete for indi-
vidual project grants. 
(B) ELIGIBILITY.—Not more than 2 top 
performers from any State may receive a grant 
under this section per fiscal year. 
(C) NUMBER OF GRANTS.—The Adminis-
trator shall provide not more than 20 grants 
under this section. 
(D) LIMITATION ON AMOUNTS.—A grant 
provided under this section shall not exceed 
$100,000 in the aggregate. 
(b) FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 
through 2014. 
(2) OTHER FUNDING.—A top performer mu-
nicipality that receives a grant under this section 
may seek additional foundation, nonprofit, private- 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
21:08 Nov 16, 2011
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3424.IH
H3424
jlentini on DSK4TPTVN1PROD with BILLS