To establish a Global Climate Change Resilience Strategy, to authorize the admission of climate-displaced persons, and for other purposes.

Bill: 117-hr-2826
Sponsor: Rep. Velazquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
Introduced: 2021-04-22 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Air quality
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional oversight
Department of State
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Disaster relief and insurance
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Foreign aid and international relief
Government information and archives
Human rights
Immigration status and procedures
International organizations and cooperation
Military assistance, sales, and agreements
Public-private cooperation
Refugees, asylum, displaced persons

Summary:
action_date: 2021-04-22
text: 
This bill generally addresses the adverse effects of climate change with a particular focus on immigration.
 
Specifically, the bill establishes an immigration pathway to admit 
climate-displaced persons
 into the United States. These are individuals (1) who need durable resettlement because of an environmental change that adversely affects their living conditions, and (2) whose government cannot or will not provide a resettlement solution. Persons admitted to the United States under this pathway are entitled to the same resettlement assistance and benefits available to refugees.
 
Additionally, the bill authorizes the President to provide foreign assistance for promoting resilience and reducing vulnerability among communities facing adverse effects of climate change. It also creates the position of Coordinator of Climate Change Resiliency in the Department of State.
 
Moreover, the State Department must implement, and periodically report on, a strategy to mitigate the impact of climate change on displacement and humanitarian emergencies. The State Department must also provide (1) training on climate displacement to foreign service officers assigned to countries from which climate-displaced persons originated, and (2) guidance on the humanitarian impacts associated with climate change to all U.S. diplomatic missions.
 
The bill also requires the President to report on displacement caused by climate change. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-10-19
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.
action_date: 2021-04-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change.
action_date: 2021-04-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2021-04-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2021-04-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, 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: 2021-04-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2021-04-22
text: Introduced in House