To require Executive Order 12898 to remain in force until changed by law, to expand the definition of environmental justice, to direct each Federal agency to establish an Environmental Justice Office, and for other purposes.

Bill: 109-hr-1648
Sponsor: Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-23]
Introduced: 2005-04-14 in the House
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Arts, Culture, Religion
Asthma
Black colleges
Cancer
Child health
Commerce
Community centers
Community organization
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation
Department of the Interior
Depressed areas
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Elementary education
Employee training
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental assessment
Environmental education
Environmental health
Environmental justice
Environmental protection groups
Executive Office of the President
Executive orders
Executive reorganization
Exhibitions
Families
Federal aid to education
Federal employees
Federal-Indian relations
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Government Operations and Politics
Government internships
Government publicity
Grants-in-aid
Hazardous wastes
Health
Higher education
Hispanic Americans
Housing and Community Development
Indian education
Infant mortality
Infrastructure
Labor and Employment
Law
Lead poisoning
Low birth weight
Medical statistics
Minorities
Minority education
Mortality
Museums
Nonprofit organizations
Office of Management and Budget
Office of Science and Technology Policy
Planning
Pollution
Pollution control
Public meetings
Public-private partnerships
Scholarships
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Surveys
Transportation and Public Works
Trucking
Urban affairs

Summary:
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: 
States that Executive Order 12898 (pertaining to Federal actions to address environmental justice in minority and low-income populations) shall remain in force until changed by law. Makes the provisions of this Act applicable to such Executive Order.
 
Defines environmental justice. Establishes criteria for defining an environmental justice community.
 
Requires specified Federal agencies and offices to establish an Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ).
 
Requires Federal agencies to integrate the environmental justice strategy developed under the Executive Order into the operation and mission of the agency and to address compliance with this Act in specified activities.
 
Directs the interagency Federal Working Group on Environmental Justice to: (1) coordinate an integrated environmental justice training plan for those Federal agencies and offices required to establish OEJs; (2) formalize public participation efforts; (3) survey Federal agencies and offices with regard to outreach efforts; (4) develop a strategy for allocating responsibilities and ensuring participation; and (5) coordinate plans to communicate research results.
 
Requires: (1) each Federal agency and office with an OEJ to undertake outreach activities and report such activities to the Working Group; and (2) Federal agencies and the Working Group to develop ways to enhance partnerships and coordination with stakeholders.
 
Directs Federal agencies to fund community technology centers to provide assistance relating to environmental justice.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-04-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Resources, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E652)
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-04-14
text: Introduced in House