I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2241 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
to establish a Civilian Climate Corps, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2021 
Mr. NEGUSE (for himself and Ms. SPANBERGER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committees on Agriculture, and Education and Labor, 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 direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
of Agriculture to establish a Civilian Climate Corps, 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 ‘‘Civilian Climate Corps 
Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
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(1) the United States has a strong history of 
citizen response to national calls to service in order 
to help the United States recover during a crisis; 
(2) more than 80 years ago, the United States 
rose to the challenge of the Great Depression with 
the creation of citizen service programs, such as the 
Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress 
Administration; 
(3) millions of participants in the Civilian Con-
servation Corps and the Works Progress Administra-
tion program benefitted from paid employment and 
opportunities to develop the skills of the participants 
while constructing units of the National Park Sys-
tem and public land infrastructure and producing 
cultural works still enjoyed today; 
(4) the signature programs of the Corporation 
for National and Community Service, which are the 
AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps Na-
tional 
Civilian 
Community 
Corps, 
AmeriCorps 
VISTA, and National Senior Service Corps pro-
grams, can and should be expanded to meet current 
needs; 
(5) individuals in every State and territory have 
been infected with the COVID–19 virus and killed 
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by COVID–19, with more than 29,000,000 cases 
causing more than 500,000 deaths; 
(6) in response to the COVID–19 pandemic, 
States, Tribal governments, and cities across the 
United States have closed down businesses, schools, 
and public events, leading to a dramatic drop in eco-
nomic activity and a sharp projected decline in the 
United States economy; 
(7) more than 18,000,000 people in the United 
States are receiving unemployment benefits, with 
weekly unemployment filings continuing to increase; 
(8) young workers, women, workers with low 
educational attainment, part-time workers, and ra-
cial and ethnic minorities have experienced high un-
employment rates throughout the COVID–19 pan-
demic; 
(9) the United States and the world are facing 
a profound climate crisis and the impacts of climate 
change will continue to intensify according to cur-
rent trajectories; 
(10) the scientific community has made it clear 
that significant and rapid action is necessary to 
avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate 
change; 
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(11) on January 27, 2021, President Biden 
issued Executive Order 14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7619 
(February 1, 2021)), which calls for the creation of 
a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative in which partici-
pants would work— 
(A) to conserve and restore public land and 
water; 
(B) to increase reforestation; 
(C) to increase carbon sequestration in the 
agricultural sector; 
(D) to protect biodiversity; 
(E) to improve access to recreation; 
(F) to bolster community resilience; and 
(G) to address climate change; 
(12) the Civilian Climate Corps presents a 
unique opportunity for flexible, locally driven re-
sponses to meet State and local employment, envi-
ronmental, and recovery needs; and 
(13) the Civilian Climate Corps would create 
conservation and resilience jobs that emphasize ac-
cessible training opportunities to help a generation 
of workers develop robust professional skills. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committees on Appropriations, 
Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry, and Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and 
(B) the Committees on Appropriations, 
Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Education 
and Labor of the House of Representatives. 
(2) CORPS.—The term ‘‘Corps’’ means the Ci-
vilian Climate Corps established under section 4(a). 
(3) DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED COMMU-
NITY.—The term ‘‘disproportionately impacted com-
munity’’ means a community with significant rep-
resentation of communities of color, low-income com-
munities, or Tribal and Native American commu-
nities, that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing 
higher or more adverse human health or environ-
mental effects. 
(4) QUALIFIED YOUTH SERVICE OR CONSERVA-
TION CORPS.—The term ‘‘qualified youth service or 
conservation corps’’ means— 
(A) a program authorized under— 
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(i) the National and Community Serv-
ice Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.); 
(ii) title I of Public Law 91–378 
(commonly known as the ‘‘Youth Conserva-
tion Corps Act of 1970’’) (16 U.S.C. 1701 
et seq.); or 
(iii) the Public Lands Corps Act of 
1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.), including 
the Indian Youth Service Corps authorized 
under section 210 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 
1727b); and 
(B) the Urban Youth Corps authorized 
under section 106 of the National and Commu-
nity Service Trust Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 
12656). 
(5) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, acting jointly. 
(6) TRIBAL
AND
NATIVE
AMERICAN
COMMU-
NITY.—The term ‘‘Tribal and Native American com-
munity’’ means a population of people who are mem-
bers of— 
(A) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); 
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(B) an urban Indian (as defined in section 
4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act 
(25 U.S.C. 1603)) community; 
(C) a Native Hawaiian (as defined in sec-
tion 815 of the Native American Programs Act 
of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2992c)) community; or 
(D) a Native American Pacific Islander (as 
defined in section 815 of the Native American 
Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 2992c)) com-
munity. 
SEC. 4. CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretaries, in coordina-
tion with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary 
of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of En-
ergy, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Chief 
Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
Community Service, the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, and the heads of other relevant Fed-
eral agencies, shall enter into an interagency agreement 
establishing a Civilian Climate Corps, to be operated in 
accordance with the National and Community Service Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) and the Domestic Vol-
unteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.). 
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(b) CONSULTATION.—The Secretaries shall consult 
with the National Association of Service and Conservation 
Corps and other relevant national service organizations for 
the purpose of identifying appropriate projects, activities, 
and workforce development outcomes for the Corps. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination 
with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of 
Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of En-
ergy, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Chief 
Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
Community Service, the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, and the heads of other relevant Fed-
eral agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a report that describes— 
(1) the proposed number of Corps members; 
and 
(2) the recommended amount of funding for the 
Corps for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025. 
(d) DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS OF PARTICIPANTS.—In 
selecting members for the Corps, the Secretaries shall en-
sure that— 
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(1) members are from economically, geographi-
cally, and ethnically diverse backgrounds; and 
(2) veterans, individuals with disabilities, and 
people of various sexes, sexual orientations, and gen-
der identities are represented. 
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR CORPS SERVICE PROJECTS. 
A service project carried out by the Corps shall— 
(1)(A) prioritize efforts to assist disproportion-
ately impacted communities; or 
(B) be carried out in partnership with a quali-
fied youth service or conservation corps; 
(2) be coordinated with Tribal and Native 
American communities to protect natural cultural 
resources; and 
(3) accomplish 1 or more of the following objec-
tives: 
(A) Conserving, monitoring, and restoring 
public land and water to help mitigate and 
adapt to climate change. 
(B) Addressing the needs of frontline com-
munities experiencing the worst effects of cli-
mate change. 
(C) Building resilience to climate change 
through nature-based solutions, such as living 
shorelines, wetlands, green stormwater infra-
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structure, and sustainable forest management, 
to appropriately manage natural systems that 
buffer human communities from environmental 
harm. 
(D) Assisting natural disaster-prone com-
munities and disproportionately impacted com-
munities by replacing aging infrastructure with 
climate-ready upgrades, such as improved 
stream crossings and enhanced energy effi-
ciency for community facilities and housing. 
(E) Promoting traditional ecological knowl-
edge natural climate solutions, such as eco-
logically appropriate reforestation and seques-
tration and techniques, such as aquaponics and 
regenerative practices, in the agricultural sec-
tor, to help mitigate climate change by reducing 
atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. 
(F) Supporting the resilience of natural 
systems to climate change by protecting bio-
diversity through targeted conservation efforts 
and eradication of invasive species. 
(G) Increasing education of the general 
public on climate adaptation and mitigation, in-
cluding ways in which private landowners can 
initiate similar efforts on private land. 
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(H) Improving access to outdoor recreation 
to promote a continued national appreciation 
for the natural environment. 
(I) Addressing environmental degradation 
in disproportionately impacted communities. 
(J) Supporting the resilience of agricul-
tural and food supply systems to ensure reliable 
and equitable access to nutritious foods, par-
ticularly among disproportionately impacted 
communities. 
(K) Advancing the resiliency and carbon 
emission reductions of participating agencies 
through installation of small-scale clean energy 
equipment or facility weatherization projects on 
public land. 
(L) Addressing urban and suburban green-
ing and revitalization, including— 
(i) the preservation, restoration, and 
expansion of open spaces; 
(ii) the conversion of blacktops; 
(iii) the installations of green roofs; 
and 
(iv) the planting of trees. 
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SEC. 6. MATCHING FUNDS WAIVER. 
Any otherwise applicable matching funds require-
ments, including under section 212(a)(1) of the Public 
Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1729(a)(1)), shall 
be waived for projects carried out using amounts made 
available under this Act. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act 
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025. 
(b) RESERVATION OF FUNDS FOR INDIAN TRIBAL 
AND NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Of the amounts appro-
priated to carry out this Act for any fiscal year, the 
Secretaries shall reserve not less than 5 percent for 
projects carried out in Tribal and Native American 
communities. 
(2) CONSULTATION
REQUIRED.—The Secre-
taries shall consult with each applicable Tribal and 
Native American community with respect to any 
projects carried out with funds reserved for use in 
Tribal and Native American communities under this 
subsection. 
Æ 
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