[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1057 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1057
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to establish a Civilian Climate Corps, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 25, 2021
Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Heinrich, and Mr. Lujan) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture to establish a Civilian Climate Corps, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Civilian Climate Corps Act of
2021''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) the United States has a strong history of citizen
response to national calls to service in order to help the
United States recover during a crisis;
(2) more than 80 years ago, the United States rose to the
challenge of the Great Depression with the creation of citizen
service programs, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and
the Works Progress Administration;
(3) millions of participants in the Civilian Conservation
Corps and the Works Progress Administration program benefitted
from paid employment and opportunities to develop the skills of
the participants while constructing units of the National Park
System and public land infrastructure and producing cultural
works still enjoyed today;
(4) the signature programs of the Corporation for National
and Community Service, which are the AmeriCorps State and
National, AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps,
AmeriCorps VISTA, and National Senior Service Corps programs,
can and should be expanded to meet current needs;
(5) individuals in every State and territory have been
infected with the COVID-19 virus and killed by COVID-19, with
more than 29,000,000 cases causing more than 500,000 deaths;
(6) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, States, Tribal
governments, and cities across the United States have closed
down businesses, schools, and public events, leading to a
dramatic drop in economic activity and a sharp projected
decline in the United States economy;
(7) more than 18,000,000 people in the United States are
receiving unemployment benefits, with weekly unemployment
filings continuing to increase;
(8) young workers, women, workers with low educational
attainment, part-time workers, and racial and ethnic minorities
have experienced high unemployment rates throughout the COVID-
19 pandemic;
(9) the United States and the world are facing a profound
climate crisis and the impacts of climate change will continue
to intensify according to current trajectories;
(10) the scientific community has made it clear that
significant and rapid action is necessary to avoid the most
catastrophic impacts of climate change;
(11) on January 27, 2021, President Biden issued Executive
Order 14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7619 (February 1, 2021)), which calls
for the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative in
which participants would work--
(A) to conserve and restore public land and water;
(B) to increase reforestation;
(C) to increase carbon sequestration in the
agricultural sector;
(D) to protect biodiversity;
(E) to improve access to recreation;
(F) to bolster community resilience; and
(G) to address climate change;
(12) the Civilian Climate Corps presents a unique
opportunity for flexible, locally driven responses to meet
State and local employment, environmental, and recovery needs;
and
(13) the Civilian Climate Corps would create conservation
and resilience jobs that emphasize accessible training
opportunities to help a generation of workers develop robust
professional skills.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committees on Appropriations, Energy and
Natural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry, and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of
the Senate; and
(B) the Committees on Appropriations, Natural
Resources, Agriculture, and Education and Labor of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Corps.--The term ``Corps'' means the Civilian Climate
Corps established under section 4(a).
(3) Disproportionately impacted community.--The term
``disproportionately impacted community'' means a community
with significant representation of communities of color, low-
income communities, or Tribal and Native American communities,
that experiences, or is at risk of experiencing higher or more
adverse human health or environmental effects.
(4) Qualified youth service or conservation corps.--The
term ``qualified youth service or conservation corps'' means--
(A) a program authorized under--
(i) the National and Community Service Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.);
(ii) title I of Public Law 91-378 (commonly
known as the ``Youth Conservation Corps Act of
1970'') (16 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or
(iii) the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993
(16 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.), including the Indian
Youth Service Corps authorized under section
210 of that Act (16 U.S.C. 1727b); and
(B) the Urban Youth Corps authorized under section
106 of the National and Community Service Trust Act of
1993 (42 U.S.C. 12656).
(5) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture,
acting jointly.
(6) Tribal and native american community.--The term
``Tribal and Native American community'' means a population of
people who are members of--
(A) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
(25 U.S.C. 5304));
(B) an urban Indian (as defined in section 4 of the
Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603))
community;
(C) a Native Hawaiian (as defined in section 815 of
the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C.
2992c)) community; or
(D) a Native American Pacific Islander (as defined
in section 815 of the Native American Programs Act of
1974 (42 U.S.C. 2992c)) community.
SEC. 4. CIVILIAN CLIMATE CORPS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretaries, in coordination with the
Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Commerce, the
Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and Community
Service, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of
other relevant Federal agencies, shall enter into an interagency
agreement establishing a Civilian Climate Corps, to be operated in
accordance with the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42
U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973
(42 U.S.C. 4950 et seq.).
(b) Consultation.--The Secretaries shall consult with the National
Association of Service and Conservation Corps and other relevant
national service organizations for the purpose of identifying
appropriate projects, activities, and workforce development outcomes
for the Corps.
(c) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the Secretary of
Transportation, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the
Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor,
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Chief Executive Officer
of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other relevant
Federal agencies, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report that the describes--
(1) the proposed number of Corps members; and
(2) the recommended amount of funding for the Corps for
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025.
(d) Diverse Backgrounds of Participants.--In selecting members for
the Corps, the Secretaries shall ensure that--
(1) members are from economically, geographically, and
ethnically diverse backgrounds; and
(2) veterans, individuals with disabilities, and people of
various sexes, sexual orientations, and gender identities are
represented.
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR CORPS SERVICE PROJECTS.
A service project carried out by the Corps shall--
(1)(A) prioritize efforts to assist disproportionately
impacted communities; or
(B) be carried out in partnership with a qualified youth
service or conservation corps;
(2) be coordinated with Tribal and Native American
communities to protect natural cultural resources; and
(3) accomplish 1 or more of the following objectives:
(A) Conserving, monitoring, and restoring public
land and water to help mitigate and adapt to climate
change.
(B) Addressing the needs of frontline communities
experiencing the worst effects of climate change.
(C) Building resilience to climate change through
nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines,
wetlands, green stormwater infrastructure, and
sustainable forest management, to appropriately manage
natural systems that buffer human communities from
environmental harm.
(D) Assisting natural disaster-prone communities
and disproportionately impacted communities by
replacing aging infrastructure with climate-ready
upgrades, such as improved stream crossings and
enhanced energy efficiency for community facilities and
housing.
(E) Promoting traditional ecological knowledge
natural climate solutions, such as ecologically
appropriate reforestation and sequestration and
techniques, such as aquaponics and regenerative
practices, in the agricultural sector, to help mitigate
climate change by reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas
concentrations.
(F) Supporting the resilience of natural systems to
climate change by protecting biodiversity through
targeted conservation efforts and eradication of
invasive species.
(G) Increasing education of the general public on
climate adaptation and mitigation, including ways in
which private landowners can initiate similar efforts
on private land.
(H) Improving access to outdoor recreation to
promote a continued national appreciation for the
natural environment.
(I) Addressing environmental degradation in
disproportionately impacted communities.
(J) Supporting the resilience of agricultural and
food supply systems to ensure reliable and equitable
access to nutritious foods, particularly among
disproportionately impacted communities.
(K) Advancing the resiliency and carbon emission
reductions of participating agencies through
installation of small-scale clean energy equipment or
facility weatherization projects on public land.
(L) Addressing urban and suburban greening and
revitalization, including--
(i) the preservation, restoration, and
expansion of open spaces;
(ii) the conversion of blacktops;
(iii) the installations of green roofs; and
(iv) the planting of trees.
SEC. 6. MATCHING FUNDS WAIVER.
Any otherwise applicable matching funds requirements, including
under section 212(a)(1) of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16
U.S.C. 1729(a)(1)), shall be waived for projects carried out using
amounts made available under this Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as are necessary to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years 2022
through 2025.
(b) Reservation of Funds for Indian Tribal and Native American
Communities.--
(1) In general.--Of the amounts appropriated to carry out
this Act for any fiscal year, the Secretaries shall reserve not
less than 5 percent for projects carried out in Tribal and
Native American communities.
(2) Consultation required.--The Secretaries shall consult
with each applicable Tribal and Native American community with
respect to any projects carried out with funds reserved for use
in Tribal and Native American communities under this
subsection.
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