“A bill to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish an excess urban heat mitigation grant program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings on heat stress as a leading weather-related cause of death (more than 600 annually), the urban heat island effect and its disproportionate impacts on underserved and low-income communities (e.g., 15.2% less tree cover and 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter land surface temperatures in low-income areas; higher heat intensity in 97% of the largest urbanized areas for people of color), associated public health, economic, and environmental costs, projected increases in heat wave frequency and duration, and mitigation strategies such as urban tree planting (which can offset 40 to 99% of projected heat-related mortality increases by 2050).
This section establishes definitions for 12 terms used in the Act, including "covered census tract" (i.e., a census tract with a poverty rate of not less than 20 percent per the 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year data series, including tracts designated as "hazardous" or "definitely declining" by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation); "covered grant" (i.e., a grant under section 4(a)); "eligible entity" (e.g., states, units of general local government, Indian tribes, metropolitan planning organizations, territorial governments, nonprofits, or consortia thereof, as cross-referenced to 42 U.S.C. 5302 where applicable); and "eligible project" (i.e., urban heat mitigation or management projects such as tree planting—preferring native, high-shade, or food-producing species—cool pavements or roofs, green roofs, shade structures, cooling centers—preferring those using renewables and collaborating with community spaces—community gardens, urban forestry plans, tree canopy assessments, arboriculture training, or related efforts). The section further defines "Secretary" as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; "urban area" as per 23 U.S.C. 101(a); "nonprofit organization" as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3); and terms such as "environmental justice," "excess urban heat effect," "extreme heat," "urban forestry master plan," and "urban tree canopy assessment."
This section establishes an Urban Heat Mitigation and Management Grant Program, to be administered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), acting through the Office of Community Planning and Development in coordination with the EPA Administrator, Forest Service Chief, and NOAA Climate Program Office Director, with grants awarded not later than one year after enactment to eligible entities (i.e., units of local government, public housing agencies, and certain nonprofits) for eligible projects (i.e., those combating urban heat island effects through tree planting, cool pavements, and related measures). Key features include (1) a set-aside of at least 75% of grants for covered census tracts (i.e., disadvantaged communities per Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool); (2) up to 3% of funds for technical assistance, with priority to covered tracts or high-heat, low-canopy areas; (3) an 80% maximum federal cost share, waivable to 100% for entities demonstrating economic hardship; (4) award priority to such areas; (5) annual reporting to Congress on recipients; and (6) up to 5% of funds for an oversight board with specified federal, nonprofit, and academic members to evaluate project success. The section authorizes $30 million for the program.