Civilian Climate Corps Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2241 | Sponsor: Rep. Neguse, Joe (D-CO)
Policy area: Labor and Employment

Summary:
Civilian Climate Corps Act of 2021
This bill requires the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, in coordination with other relevant federal agencies, to enter into an interagency agreement establishing a Civilian Climate Corps, to be operated in accordance with the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.
A project carried out by the corps must (1) prioritize efforts to assist disproportionately impacted communities, or be carried out in partnership with a qualified youth service or conservation corps; (2) be coordinated with tribal and Native American communities to protect natural cultural resources; and (3) accomplish one or more of particular objectives such as conserving, monitoring, and restoring public land and water to help mitigate and adapt to climate change.

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 Representatives 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--
            (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 Conservation 
        Corps and the Works Progress Administration program benefitted 
        from paid employment and opportunities to develop the skills of 
        the participants while constructing units of the National Park 
        System 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 National Civilian Community Corps, 
        AmeriCorps VISTA, and National Senior Service Corps programs, 
        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 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 economic 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 racial and ethnic minorities 
        have experienced high unemployment rates throughout the COVID-
        19 pandemic;
            (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 current 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;
            (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 participants 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 responses to meet 
        State and local employment, environmental, and recovery needs; 
        and
            (13) the Civilian Climate Corps would create conservation 
        and resilience jobs that emphasize accessible training 
        opportunities to help a generation of workers develop robust 
        professional skills.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committees on Appropriations, Energy and 
                Natural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry, and Health, Education, 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 Civilian Climate 
        Corps established under section 4(a).
            (3) Disproportionately impacted community.--The term 
        ``disproportionately impacted community'' means a community 
        with significant representation of communities of color, low-
        income communities, or Tribal and Native American communities, 
        that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing higher or more 
        adverse human health or environmental effects.
            (4) Qualified youth service or conservation corps.--The 
        term ``qualified youth service or conservation corps'' means--
                    (A) a program authorized under--
                            (i) the National and Community Service Act 
                        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.);
                            (ii) title I of Public Law 91-378 (commonly 
                        known as the ``Youth Conservation 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 Community Service Trust Act of 
                1993 (42 U.S.C. 12656).
            (5) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the 
        Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, 
        acting jointly.
            (6) Tribal and native american community.--The term 
        ``Tribal and Native American community'' means a population of 
        people who are members of--
                    (A) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the 
                Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
                (25 U.S.C. 5304));
                    (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 section 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)) community.

SEC. 4. CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretaries, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development, the Secretary of Energy, 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 Management and Budget, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of 
other relevant Federal 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 Volunteer Service Act of 1973 
(42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.).
    (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 Energy, 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 Management and Budget, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other relevant 
Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
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 ensure that--
            (1) members are from economically, geographically, and 
        ethnically diverse backgrounds; and
            (2) veterans, individuals with disabilities, and people of 
        various sexes, sexual orientations, and gender 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 disproportionately 
        impacted communities; or
            (B) be carried out in partnership with a qualified 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 objectives:
                    (A) Conserving, monitoring, and restoring public 
                land and water to help mitigate and adapt to climate 
                change.
                    (B) Addressing the needs of frontline communities 
                experiencing the worst effects of climate change.
                    (C) Building resilience to climate change through 
                nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines, 
                wetlands, green stormwater infrastructure, and 
                sustainable forest management, to appropriately manage 
                natural systems that buffer human communities from 
                environmental harm.
                    (D) Assisting natural disaster-prone communities 
                and disproportionately impacted communities by 
                replacing aging infrastructure with climate-ready 
                upgrades, such as improved stream crossings and 
                enhanced energy efficiency for community facilities and 
                housing.
                    (E) Promoting traditional ecological knowledge 
                natural climate solutions, such as ecologically 
                appropriate reforestation and sequestration and 
                techniques, such as aquaponics and regenerative 
                practices, in the agricultural sector, to help mitigate 
                climate change by reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas 
                concentrations.
                    (F) Supporting the resilience of natural systems to 
                climate change by protecting biodiversity through 
                targeted conservation efforts and eradication of 
                invasive species.
                    (G) Increasing education of the general public on 
                climate adaptation and mitigation, including ways in 
                which private landowners can initiate similar efforts 
                on private land.
                    (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 agricultural and 
                food supply systems to ensure reliable and equitable 
                access to nutritious foods, particularly 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 greening 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.

SEC. 6. MATCHING FUNDS WAIVER.

    Any otherwise applicable matching funds requirements, 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 appropriated 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 appropriated 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 Secretaries 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.
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