Title: Renew America’s Schools Act of 2019
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Renew America’s Schools Act of 2019
This bill establishes a program under which the Department of Energy must award grants for energy improvements (e.g., renovations to install energy efficiency or renewable energy technologies, repairs to improve indoor air quality, or purchases of zero-emission vehicles) at public school facilities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1890 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1890

To provide for grants for energy efficiency improvements and renewable 
            energy improvements at public school facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 18, 2019

    Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. 
Stabenow, and Ms. Harris) introduced the following bill; which was read 
  twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for grants for energy efficiency improvements and renewable 
            energy improvements at public school facilities.

    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 ``Renew America's Schools Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY 
              IMPROVEMENTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        consortium of--
                    (A) one local educational agency; and
                    (B) one or more--
                            (i) schools;
                            (ii) nonprofit organizations;
                            (iii) for-profit organizations; or
                            (iv) community partners that have the 
                        knowledge and capacity to partner and assist 
                        with energy improvements.
            (2) Energy improvement.--The term ``energy improvement'' 
        means--
                    (A) any improvement, repair, or renovation, to a 
                school that will result in a direct reduction in school 
                energy costs, including improvements to building 
                envelope, air conditioning, ventilation, heating 
                system, domestic hot water heating, compressed air 
                systems, distribution systems, lighting, power systems, 
                and controls;
                    (B) any improvement, repair, renovation, or 
                installation that leads to an improvement in teacher 
                and student health, including indoor air quality, 
                daylighting, ventilation, electrical lighting, green 
                roofs, outdoor gardens, and acoustics;
                    (C) the installation of renewable energy 
                technologies (such as wind power, photovoltaics, solar 
                thermal systems, geothermal energy, hydrogen-fueled 
                systems, biomass-based systems, biofuels, anaerobic 
                digesters, and hydropower) involved in the improvement, 
                repair, or renovation of a school;
                    (D) the installation of zero-emissions vehicle 
                infrastructure on school grounds for exclusive use of 
                school buses, school fleets, or students, or for the 
                general public; and
                    (E) the purchase or lease of zero-emissions 
                vehicles, including school buses, fleet vehicles, and 
                other operational vehicles.
            (3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            (4) Partnering local educational agency.--The term 
        ``partnering local educational agency'', when used with respect 
        to an eligible entity, means the local educational agency 
        participating in the eligible entity.
            (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (6) Zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure.--The term 
        ``zero-emissions vehicle infrastructure'' means infrastructure 
        used to charge or fuel--
                    (A) a zero-emission vehicle (as defined in section 
                88.102-94 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
                successor regulation)); or
                    (B) a vehicle that produces zero exhaust emissions 
                of any criteria pollutant (or precursor pollutant) or 
                greenhouse gas under any possible operational modes or 
                conditions.
    (b) Authority.--From amounts made available for grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall award competitive grants to eligible 
entities to make energy improvements authorized by this section.
    (c) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under 
        this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the Secretary may require.
            (2) Contents.--The application submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall include each of the following:
                    (A) A needs assessment of the current condition of 
                the school and facilities that are to receive the 
                energy improvements.
                    (B) A draft work plan of what the eligible entity 
                hopes to achieve at the school and a description of the 
                energy improvements to be carried out.
                    (C) A description of the capacity of the eligible 
                entity to provide services and comprehensive support to 
                make the energy improvements.
                    (D) An assessment of the applicant's expected needs 
                of the eligible entity for operation and maintenance 
                training funds, and a plan for use of those funds, if 
                any.
                    (E) An assessment of the expected energy efficiency 
                and safety benefits of the energy improvements.
                    (F) A cost estimate of the proposed energy 
                improvements.
                    (G) An identification of other resources that are 
                available to carry out the activities for which funds 
                are requested under this section, including the 
                availability of utility programs and public benefit 
                funds.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall give a priority to eligible entities--
            (1) that have renovation, repair, and improvement funding 
        needs; and
            (2)(A) that serve a high percentage, as determined by the 
        Secretary, of students who are eligible for a free or reduced 
        price lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.) (which may be calculated for 
        students in a high school (as defined by section 8101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801)) using data from the schools that feed into the high 
        school); or
            (B) with a participating local educational agency 
        designated with a school district locale code of 41, 42, or 43, 
        as determined by the National Center for Education Statistics 
        in consultation with the Bureau of the Census.
    (e) Competitive Criteria.--The competitive criteria used by the 
Secretary to award grants under this section shall include the 
following:
            (1) The difference between the fiscal capacity of the 
        eligible entity to carry out, and the needs of the partnering 
        local educational agency for, energy improvements at school 
        facilities, including--
                    (A) the current and historic ability of the 
                partnering local educational agency to raise funds for 
                construction, renovation, modernization, and major 
                repair projects for schools;
                    (B) whether the partnering local educational agency 
                has been able to issue bonds or receive other funds to 
                support current infrastructure needs of the partnering 
                local educational agency; and
                    (C) the bond rating of the partnering local 
                educational agency.
            (2) The likelihood that the partnering local educational 
        agency or eligible entity will maintain, in good condition, any 
        facility whose improvement is assisted.
            (3) The potential energy efficiency and safety benefits 
        from the proposed energy improvements.
    (f) Use of Grant Amounts.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under 
        this section shall use the grant amounts only to make the 
        energy improvements described in the application, subject to 
        the other provisions of this subsection.
            (2) Operation and maintenance training.--An eligible entity 
        receiving a grant under this section may use not more than 5 
        percent of the grant amounts for operation and maintenance 
        training for energy efficiency and renewable energy 
        improvements (such as maintenance staff and teacher training, 
        education, and preventative maintenance training).
            (3) Audit.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this 
        section may use funds under the grant for a third-party 
        investigation and analysis for energy improvements (such as 
        energy audits and existing building commissioning).
            (4) Continuing education.--An eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this section may use not more than 3 percent of the 
        grant amounts to develop a continuing education curriculum 
        relating to energy improvements.
    (g) Contracting Requirements.--
            (1) Davis-bacon.--Any laborer or mechanic employed by any 
        contractor or subcontractor in the performance of work on any 
        energy improvements funded by a grant under this section shall 
        be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on 
        similar construction in the locality as determined by the 
        Secretary of Labor under subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 
        40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ``Davis-
        Bacon Act'').
            (2) Competition.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant 
        under this section shall ensure that, if the eligible entity 
        uses grant funds to carry out repair or renovation through a 
        contract, any such contract process--
                    (A) ensures the maximum number of qualified 
                bidders, including small, minority, and women-owned 
                businesses, through full and open competition; and
                    (B) gives priority to businesses located in, or 
                resources common to, the State or the geographical area 
                in which the project is carried out.
    (h) Reporting.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretary, at such time as the Secretary 
may require, a report describing the use of such funds for energy 
improvements, the estimated cost savings realized by those energy 
improvements, the results of any audit, the use of any utility programs 
and public benefit funds, and the use of performance tracking for 
energy improvements (such as the Energy Star program established under 
section 324A of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 
6294a) or the United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy 
and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system for 
existing buildings).
    (i) Best Practices.--The Secretary shall develop and publish 
guidelines and best practices for activities carried out under this 
section.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 through 2025.
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