PARIS Climate Act

Bill: 115-hr-7220
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. McEachin, A. Donald [D-VA-4]
Introduced: 2018-12-06
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Air quality

Atmospheric science and weather

Climate change and greenhouse gases

Congressional oversight

Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad

Economic performance and conditions

Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Fires

Floods and storm protection

Government information and archives

Infectious and parasitic diseases

International law and treaties

International organizations and cooperation

Poverty and welfare assistance

Racial and ethnic relations

Water use and supply
Latest action: action_date: 2018-12-06
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-12-06
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Produce All Relevant Information to Safeguard Climate Act or the PARIS Climate Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of State to report quarterly to Congress on whether any parties to the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions have&nbsp;indicated intention to withdraw from the agreement, and whether the United States has established specific terms for reengagement with the agreement. The report shall be publicly available on the State Department's website. <br /></p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7220 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 6, 2018 Mr. McEachin (for himself and Mr. Schneider ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To require the Secretary of State to publish a quarterly assessment regarding the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Produce All Relevant Information to Safeguard Climate Act or the PARIS Climate Act . 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the policy of the United States should reflect and respond to the findings of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which states that the warming trend observed over the past century can only be explained by the effects that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, have had on the climate , that the evidence of human-caused climate change is overwhelming , that climate-related threats to Americans’ physical, social, and economic well-being are rising , and that without substantial and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions … annual losses in some economic sectors are projected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century , in some scenarios reducing gross domestic product by as much as 10 percent; (2) the President and Congress, in formulating a policy response to the findings of the National Climate Assessment, should fully address all of the threats contemplated in such Assessment, including the increasing frequency of heat waves, floods, wildfires, and other extreme weather events, increasing scarcity of water, expanded territory for certain infectious diseases, and diminishing air quality, and should be mindful of low-income communities, communities of color, or other vulnerable populations that are disproportionately impacted by climate change; and (3) in order to best minimize or prevent the harms of which the National Climate Assessment warns, the Federal Government must join with other governments in a concerted global effort to swiftly curtail greenhouse gas and meet the goals established by the Paris Agreement. 3. Quarterly assessments regarding the Paris Agreement (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and quarterly thereafter, the Secretary of State shall publish on a publicly available website of the Department of State and submit to the appropriate congressional committees an assessment that addresses each of the following matters regarding the Paris Agreement: (1) How many parties to the Paris Agreement have formally indicated an intent to withdraw from such Agreement. (2) Whether the Department has a reasonable expectation that any of the parties referred to in paragraph (1) may pursue withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in the next year, and if so, an identification of such parties and the motives for such withdrawal. (3) Whether the United States has established specific terms for re-engagement with the Paris Agreement, per stated Administration policy at the United Nations (C.N.464.2017.TREATIES–XXVII.7.d) on August 4, 2017. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Appropriate congressional committees The term appropriate congressional committees means— (A) in the House of Representatives— (i) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; (ii) the Committee on Armed Services; (iii) the Committee on Natural Resources; (iv) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and (v) the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and (B) in the Senate— (i) the Committee on Foreign Relations; (ii) the Committee on Armed Services; (iii) the Committee on the Environment and Public Works; (iv) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (v) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (2) Paris Agreement The term Paris Agreement means the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 21st Conference of Parties in Paris, France, adopted December 12, 2015.