CLEAR Act of 2022
Bill: H.R.7178 | Sponsor: Rep. Crow, Jason (D-CO)
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience Act of 2022 or the CLEAR Act of 2022
This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to states, Indian tribes, and territories for establishing or maintaining (or both) an office responsible for planning, program implementation, technical assistance, and related efforts to address community resilience (i.e., the ability to rebound, positively adapt to, or thrive amidst changing conditions or challenges, including natural disasters, and maintain quality of life, healthy growth, and economic vitality for present and future generations).

To authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make 
grants to States and Indian tribes to support local resiliency offices, 
                        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 ``Championing Local Efforts to Advance 
Resilience Act of 2022'' or the ``CLEAR Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. RESILIENCY OFFICE GRANTS.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the Interior, 
may make grants under this section to States and Indian tribes that are 
eligible for such grants pursuant to subsection (b) for use in 
accordance with subsection (c).
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this section, a 
State or Indian tribe shall establish and maintain, or maintain, an 
office specifically responsible for issues relating to resilience and 
that has among its duties the following:
            (1) To develop and update, not less frequently than every 5 
        years, a resiliency framework, in consultation with vulnerable 
        and impacted communities, that identifies current and projected 
        risks and vulnerabilities due to climate change and other 
        challenges, in each of the areas of--
                    (A) environmental and natural hazards;
                    (B) the economy and workforce;
                    (C) infrastructure;
                    (D) health and social services; and
                    (E) housing.
            (2) To implement programming to address risks and 
        vulnerabilities identified in the resiliency framework, 
        including--
                    (A) providing technical assistance to local 
                governments for the implementation of resilience 
                planning;
                    (B) assisting State or tribal agencies in the 
                implementation of resilience policies and procedures;
                    (C) integrating resilience criteria into existing 
                competitive grant funding administered by such office 
                or State agencies; and
                    (D) supporting long-term community pre-disaster 
                mitigation and recovery efforts and facilitating access 
                to resources before and after a disaster.
            (3) To improve coordination among State or tribal agencies 
        and regional and local jurisdictions to support community and 
        economic recovery efforts and address risk and vulnerability 
        reduction.
    (c) Use.--Amounts from a grant under this section may be used by 
the grantee, or any unit of local government that is a subgrantee of 
such grantee, only for--
            (1) costs of establishing or maintaining, or both, a 
        resiliency office and implementing resiliency programming, 
        developing resilience planning and analytic tools, enhancing 
        community planning and capacity, and providing technical 
        assistance, in accordance with the requirements of subsection 
        (b); and
            (2) payment of any non-Federal share required in connection 
        with a Federal program undertaken to carry out any of the 
        purposes of subsection (b)(2).
    (d) Applications.--To apply for a grant under this section, a State 
or Indian tribe shall submit an application at such time, in such form, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe.
    (e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section to States, the 
Secretary shall give priority to applications that--
            (1) demonstrate the greatest need for assistance under this 
        section;
            (2) identify vulnerabilities and risks in disadvantaged 
        communities and prioritize projects to benefit such communities 
        and promote equity in resilience;
            (3) demonstrate a broad approach to resilience, as such 
        term is defined in subsection (j)(3);
            (4) provide for the grantee to work collaboratively with 
        multiple stakeholders impacted by the identified risks and 
        vulnerabilities, including the formation of a permanent climate 
        resilience advisory task force that includes individuals--
                    (A) representing each of the areas identified in 
                subsection (b)(1);
                    (B) representing disadvantaged communities;
                    (C) representing labor, worker, and workforce 
                development;
                    (D) representing tribal nations or tribal 
                communities;
                    (E) representing local governments;
                    (F) having experience in climate-related disaster 
                preparedness, response, and recovery; and
                    (G) having public health expertise; and
            (5) provide for subgrants to entities that adhere to 
        prevailing wage provisions as published by the Department of 
        Labor.
    (f) Amount.--The Secretary shall award grants in an amount 
sufficient to provide funding to a grantee to cover a minimum of 24 
months of grant activities.
    (g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall, in consultation 
with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior, and such other 
heads of Federal agencies as the Secretary considers appropriate, 
provide technical assistance to grantees regarding developing 
resiliency frameworks and implementing resiliency strategies.
    (h) Administrative Costs.--Of any amounts made available for grants 
under this section, the Secretary may use 1.0 percent for costs of 
administering the program under this section for such grants and for 
providing technical assistance under subsection (g).
    (i) Reports to HUD.--Not later than 90 days after the end of each 
fiscal year for which a grantee receives a grant under this section, 
the grantee shall submit a report to the Secretary regarding the use of 
such grant amounts, which shall include--
            (1) a description of the activities undertaken by the 
        grantee using such grant amounts;
            (2) identification of the costs of each of the services 
        provided using such grant amounts; and
            (3) assessments of the effectiveness of the grant program 
        under this section and the programs carried out by the 
        resiliency office of the grantee and recommendations for 
        improving such programs.
    (j) Definitions.--
            (1) Disadvantaged community.--The term ``disadvantaged 
        community'' means a community that is determined by the 
        Secretary to meet the interim definition of a disadvantaged 
        community using the indicators and guidelines set forth in the 
        Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies relating 
        to Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 
        Initiative, issued by the Director of the Office of Management 
        and Budget, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, and 
        the National Climate Advisor on July 20, 2021 (M-21-28).
            (2) Grantee.--The term ``grantee'' means a State or Indian 
        tribe to which a grant under this section is made.
            (3) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 4 of the Native American 
        Housing and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4103).
            (4) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means, with 
        respect to a community, the ability to rebound, positively 
        adapt to, or thrive amidst changing conditions or challenges, 
        including human-caused and natural disasters, and to maintain 
        quality of life, healthy growth, durable systems, economic 
        vitality, and conservation of resources for present and future 
        generations.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Housing and Urban Development.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means a State of the United 
        States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 
        Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, 
        and American Samoa.
    (k) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated for grants under this section $200,000,000 
        for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027.
            (2) Set-aside for indian tribes.--Of any amounts 
        appropriated for a fiscal year for grants under this section, 
        the Secretary shall reserve 10 percent for grants to Indian 
        tribes. The Secretary shall allocate such amounts reserved, 
        among Indian tribes having applications for grants under this 
        section for such fiscal year approved by the Secretary, on the 
        basis of a competition conducted pursuant to specific criteria 
        for the selection of Indian tribes to receive such amounts. The 
        criteria shall be contained in a regulation promulgated by the 
        Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, 
        after notice and opportunity for public comment.
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