H.R. 2995 — Protection from Cumulative Emissions and Underenforcement of Environmental Law Act of 2025

This section directs the EPA Administrator to publish, not later than 180 days after enactment, a proposed protocol for assessing and addressing cumulative public health risks associated with multiple environmental stressors—including climate change impacts (e.g., extreme heat, drought, wildfires, sea level rise), pollutants regulated under major EPA statutes (e.g., Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act), and other stressors determined by the Administrator. During the 90 days following publication, the Administrator must allow public comment and hold at least four public hearings to maximize input. Not later than one year after enactment, the Administrator must finalize and publish the protocol in the Federal Register, incorporating public comments as appropriate; implementation must occur not later than three years after enactment.

This section directs the EPA Administrator, in consultation with state and local agencies, to identify at least 100 environmental justice communities (i.e., those disproportionately affected by pollution) with environmental law violations over the prior five years exceeding the national average, not later than 180 days after enactment. Not later than one year after enactment, the Administrator must analyze the conditions and root causes of such violations in each community—through resident engagement—and identify coordinated measures to reduce violations to significantly below the national average; not later than two years after enactment, the Administrator must implement those measures.

This section establishes definitions for terms used in the Act, including (1) Administrator, meaning the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; (2) community of color, meaning a geographically distinct area in a state where the population of specified groups (i.e., Black, African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, other non-White race, Hispanic, Latino, or linguistically isolated individuals) exceeds the state average; (3) environmental justice community, meaning a community with significant representation of communities of color, low-income communities, or Tribal and indigenous communities that experiences or is at risk of higher or more adverse human health or environmental effects; (4) low-income community, meaning a census block group where 30% or more of the population has annual household income equal to or less than the greater of 80% of the area median income or 200% of the federal poverty line; and (5) Tribal and indigenous community, meaning members of federally or state-recognized Indian Tribes, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations, or other indigenous communities in a state.