SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Action Now 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) In Paris, on December 12, 2015, parties to 
the United Nations Framework Convention on Cli-
mate Change (UNFCCC) reached a landmark agree-
ment to combat climate change and to accelerate 
and intensify the actions and investments needed for 
a sustainable low carbon future. 
(2) The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to 
strengthen the global response to the threat of cli-
mate change by keeping a global temperature rise 
well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial lev-
els and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature in-
crease even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. 
(3) The Paris Agreement specifies the need for 
a strong global response to climate change and when 
taking action, the need to respect, promote, and 
safeguard the right to health now and for future 
generations. 
(4) The Paris Agreement acknowledges that all 
‘‘Parties should, when taking action to address cli-
mate change, respect, promote and consider their re-
spective obligations on human rights, the right to
health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local com-
munities, migrants, children, persons with disabil-
ities and people in vulnerable situations and the 
right to development, as well as gender equality, em-
powerment of women and intergenerational equity’’. 
(5) The Paris Agreement notes the importance 
of ‘‘climate justice’’ when mitigating and adapting to 
climate change and recognizes ‘‘the need for an ef-
fective and progressive response to the urgent threat 
of climate change’’. 
(6) The Paris Agreement requires all parties to 
put forward their best efforts through nationally de-
termined contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen 
these efforts in the years ahead. 
(7) The Paris Agreement further requires each 
party to update its nationally determined contribu-
tion every 5 years, with each successive nationally 
determined contribution representing a progression 
beyond the previous nationally determined contribu-
tion, and reflecting the party’s highest possible am-
bition. 
(8) The Paris Agreement recognizes that the 
ocean ecosystems covering more than 70 percent of 
the Earth’s surface have an integral role in climate 
balance. Seventy percent of nationally determined
contributions under the Paris Agreement are ocean- 
inclusive, and 39 Paris Agreement signatories are 
focused on the inclusion of ocean action in nationally 
determined contributions through the Because the 
Ocean Initiative. 
(9) The United States communicated its nation-
ally determined contribution to achieve an economy- 
wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 
by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025 and 
to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28 
percent. 
(10) A number of existing laws, regulations, 
and other mandatory measures in the United States 
are relevant to achieving this target, including the 
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), the Energy 
Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–486), and the 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 
(Public Law 110–140). 
(11) Essential in achieving this target is a 
thriving clean energy industry in the United States, 
which currently employs over 500,000 Americans. 
(12) On June 1, 2017, President Trump an-
nounced his intention to withdraw the United States 
from the Paris Agreement, which would leave the
United States as the only UNFCCC member state 
that is not a signatory to the Paris Agreement. 
(13) Article 8 of the Paris Agreement notes 
Parties recognize the importance of averting, mini-
mizing and addressing loss and damage associated 
with the adverse effects of climate change, including 
extreme weather events and slow onset events, and 
the role of sustainable development in reducing the 
risk of loss and damage such as strong winds from 
hurricanes and tropical storms, and flooding from 
storm surges and heavy rain, that inflict losses on 
various sectors of the United States economy. 
(14) Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, 
the earliest possible effective withdrawal date by the 
United States is November 4, 2020. However, the 
United States is still obligated to maintain certain 
commitments under the Paris Agreement, such as 
continuing to report its emissions to the United Na-
tions. 
(15) The Paris Agreement further requires that 
parties ‘‘should strengthen their cooperation on en-
hancing action on adaptation, taking into account 
the Cancun Adaptation Framework’’, which includes 
‘‘measures to enhance understanding, coordination 
and cooperation with regard to climate change in-
duced displacement, migration and planned reloca-
tion, where appropriate, at the national, regional 
and international levels’’. 
(16) Article 8 of the Paris Agreement states 
that ‘‘Parties recognize the importance of averting, 
minimizing and addressing loss and damage associ-
ated with the adverse effects of climate change, in-
cluding extreme weather events and slow onset 
events’’, such as sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, 
and flooding. 
(17) The Paris Agreement is an example of 
multilateral, international cooperation needed to 
overcome challenges facing the international commu-
nity, such as reducing emissions, promoting eco-
nomic growth, and deploying clean energy tech-
nologies. 
(18) The Paris Agreement recognizes ‘‘the fun-
damental priority of safeguarding food security and 
ending hunger, and the particular vulnerabilities of 
food production systems to the adverse impacts of 
climate change.’’. 
(19) The Paris Agreement recognizes that ad-
aptation is a global challenge faced by all with local, 
subnational, national, regional and international di-
mensions, and that it is a key component of and
makes a contribution to the long-term global re-
sponse to climate change to protect people, liveli-
hoods, and ecosystems. 
(20) American leadership encouraged wide-
spread international participation in the Paris 
Agreement. 
(21) American cities, States, and businesses are 
stepping up and pledging to meet the Paris Agree-
ment goals in the wake of absent and uncertain 
United States Federal leadership. 
(22) Article 8 of the Paris Agreement states 
that ‘‘Parties recognize the importance of averting, 
minimizing and addressing loss and damage associ-
ated with the adverse effects of climate change, in-
cluding extreme weather events and slow onset 
events’’ such as drought conditions and water scar-
city. 
(23) The Paris Agreement has driven innova-
tion in developing cleaner, more reliable, and more 
affordable forms of energy, demonstrating that ad-
dressing climate change and providing affordable en-
ergy to American consumers are not mutually exclu-
sive. The Paris Agreement encouraged the United 
States to develop a Mid-Century Strategy for Deep 
Decarbonization, which was submitted on November
16, 2016. The Mid-Century Strategy for Deep 
Decarbonization stated that ‘‘energy efficiency im-
provements enable the energy system to provide the 
services we need with fewer resources and emissions. 
Over the past several years, the United States has 
demonstrated that programs and standards to im-
prove the energy efficiency of buildings, appliances 
and vehicles can cost-effectively cut carbon pollution 
and lower energy bills, while maintaining significant 
support from U.S. industry and consumers.’’. 
(24) In its nationally determined contribution, 
the United States notes that pursuant to Executive 
Order No. 13693 (2015), the Federal Government 
has committed to reduce emissions 40 percent below 
2005 levels by 2025, and reaffirmed the Department 
of Defense’s goal to procure renewable energy across 
military installations and operations ‘‘to drive na-
tional greenhouse gas reductions and support prep-
arations for the impacts of climate change’’. 
(25) Article 10 of the Paris Agreement states 
that ‘‘Parties, noting the importance of technology 
for the implementation of mitigation and adaptation 
actions under this Agreement and recognizing exist-
ing technology deployment and dissemination efforts,
shall strengthen cooperative action on technology de-
velopment and transfer.’’. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO ADVANCE THE 
WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED STATES FROM 
THE PARIS AGREEMENT. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds 
are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended 
to take any action to advance the withdrawal of the United 
States from the Paris Agreement. 
SEC. 4. PLAN FOR THE UNITED STATES TO MEET ITS NA-
TIONALLY 
DETERMINED 
CONTRIBUTION 
UNDER THE PARIS AGREEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall de-
velop and submit to the appropriate congressional commit-
tees and make available to the public a plan for the United 
States to meet its nationally determined contribution 
under the Paris Agreement that describes— 
(1) how the United States will achieve an econ-
omy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas 
emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level 
by 2025; 
(2) how the United States will use the Paris 
Agreement’s transparency provisions to confirm that 
other parties to the Agreement with major econo-
mies are fulfilling their announced contributions to 
the Agreement; 
(3) how the United States may use multilateral 
and bilateral diplomatic tools, in addition to the ex-
pert committee established under Article 15 of the 
Paris Agreement, to encourage and assist other par-
ties to the Agreement to fulfill their announced con-
tributions; 
(4) how the Paris Agreement’s loss and damage 
provisions would affect infrastructure resiliency in 
the United States; and 
(5) how the plan takes into consideration popu-
lations, regions, industries, and constituencies that 
could be affected by nationally determined contribu-
tion under the Paris Agreement, and the failure to 
meet such contribution, including but not limited 
to— 
(A) American jobs, wage, and pay; 
(B) the cost of energy, such as electricity 
and gasoline, for consumers; and 
(C) the ability to develop and deploy new, 
innovative, domestically-produced technologies. 
(b) UPDATES TO PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually there-
after, the President shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees and make available to the public an 
updated plan under subsection (a). 
(c) EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The plan under this section 
shall be consistent with Article 12 of the Paris 
Agreement, which states ‘‘Parties shall cooperate in 
taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate 
change education, training, public awareness, public 
participation and public access to information, rec-
ognizing the importance of these steps with respect 
to enhancing actions under this Agreement.’’. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
Act may be construed to require or prohibit the 
President from including in the plan under this sec-
tion, consistent with the prohibition described in sec-
tion 438 of the General Education Provisions Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1232a), recommendations to support 
State and local educational agencies, in integrating 
instruction on human-caused climate change and the 
societal, environmental, and economic effects of such 
climate change into curricula taught in elementary 
and secondary schools under the control of such 
State and local educational agencies, in order to 
meet the goals and ambitions of the Paris Agree-
ment to ensure climate education and awareness in 
schools. 
(d) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con-
gressional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works, and 
the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate. 
(e) STATE AND LOCAL ACTIONS.—Nothing in this 
Act shall be construed to prohibit States and cities from 
taking more ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions than the actions described in the plan developed 
and updated under this section. 
(f) PUBLIC COMMENT.—The President shall— 
(1) in making the plan under subsection (a), 
and updates under subsection (b), available to the 
public, and before submitting such plan and updates 
to the appropriate congressional committees— 
(A) publish the plan or update, as applica-
ble, in the Federal Register; and
(B) provide a period of at least 90 days for 
public comment; and 
(2) after each such period for public comment, 
continue to make the proposed plan or update, as 
well as the comments received, available to the pub-
lic on regulations.gov (or any successor website). 
(g) TECHNOLOGY NEUTRAL.—Nothing in this Act 
may be construed to require or prohibit the inclusion of 
a specific energy technology or technologies in the plan 
required by this section. 
(h) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to require or prohibit the President 
from including or considering voluntary agricultural prac-
tices to be undertaken by farmers and ranchers, thereby 
contributing to the development of soil organic matter, in-
creasing carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gas 
emissions, and contributing to meeting the goals and am-
bitions of the Paris Agreement. 
SEC. 5. REPORT. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall produce a report that 
examines the effect of the Paris Agreement on clean en-
ergy job development in rural communities.
SEC. 6. REPORT. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall enter into a contract 
with the National Academy of Sciences to produce a report 
that examines the potential impacts of a withdrawal by 
the United States from the Paris Agreement on the global 
economic competitiveness of the United States economy 
and on workers in the United States. 
SEC. 7. PARIS AGREEMENT DEFINED. 
In this Act, the term ‘‘Paris Agreement’’ means the 
decision by the United Nations Framework Convention on 
Climate Change’s 21st Conference of Parties in Paris, 
France, adopted December 12, 2015. 
SEC. 8. STUDY AND REPORT. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall complete a study and submit a report to the Con-
gress on the impact of the plan under subsection (a) on 
the United States territories, including the potential posi-
tive and negative impacts on their economies, taking into 
consideration their unique energy needs and systems and
the climate change vulnerabilities faced by communities in 
these jurisdictions. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 2, 2019. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 9 
AN ACT 
To direct the President to develop a plan for the 
United States to meet its nationally determined 
contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for 
other purposes.