[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9951 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9951
To direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency to provide for collaboration between
the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental
Protection Agency to promote economic revitalization efforts of
environmentally contaminated sites, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 8, 2024
Ms. Stevens (for herself and Mr. Mrvan) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Financial
Services, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency to provide for collaboration between
the Economic Development Administration and the Environmental
Protection Agency to promote economic revitalization efforts of
environmentally contaminated sites, 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 ``Revitalization Efforts for
Sustainable Transformation And Remediation for Thriving Communities Act
of 2024'' or the ``RESTART Communities Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY REVITALIZATION COORDINATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development (in this Act
referred to as the ``Assistant Secretary''), and the Administrator of
the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act referred to as the
``Administrator'') shall carry out interagency activities to promote
the economic revitalization of eligible sites before, during, and after
environmental remediation.
(b) Memorandum of Understanding.--The Assistant Secretary and the
Administrator may coordinate the activities under subsection (a)
through the establishment of a memorandum of understanding, or other
appropriate interagency agreement.
(c) Interagency Activities.--In carrying out the activities under
subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator may
engage in any interagency activity, including any of the following:
(1) Establish any interagency process to promote the
economic revitalization of an eligible site, including--
(A) any process that--
(i) promotes timely action by the Assistant
Secretary or the Administrator in supporting
the economic revitalization activities of an
eligible site;
(ii) supports access by site stakeholders
to technical assistance resources and services
available at or through the Economic
Development Administration or the Environmental
Protection Agency;
(iii) subject to policies promoting fair
and open competition, supports access by site
stakeholders to relevant Federal grant and loan
programs, including such programs at or through
the Economic Development Administration or the
Environmental Protection Agency, to promote
economic revitalization after environmental
remediation activities; and
(iv) supports access by site stakeholders
to best practices, frameworks, and other
information, as appropriate, for the
development of economic revitalization plans
that focus on community engagement,
environmental justice, and the benefit of
economically distressed communities; and
(B) any other interagency process as determined
necessary by the Assistant Secretary and the
Administrator.
(2) Support the collection of public input by site
stakeholders and surrounding communities of an eligible site to
promote community support for economic revitalization
activities at the Economic Development Administration or the
Environmental Protection Agency.
(3) Support the development and dissemination of best
practices, frameworks, and other tools, metrics, and resources
to promote the success of economic revitalization of an
eligible site.
(4) Support data collection and data sharing practices, as
determined by the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator, to
monitor and report on the success of economic revitalization at
an eligible site.
(5) Support education, training, and workforce development
activities for site stakeholders to increase the success of
economic revitalization before, during, and after environmental
remediation at an eligible site, including--
(A) internships, fellowships, and other work-based
learning opportunities at the Economic Development
Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency,
subject to the availability of appropriations;
(B) development of postsecondary or credential
curriculum, experiential learning, or other project-
based learning opportunities through collaboration with
stakeholders that support the activities of this
section; and
(C) professional development opportunities for site
stakeholders in professional fields relevant to
environmental remediation or economic revitalization.
(d) Collaboration.--In carrying out the activities under subsection
(a), the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator are authorized to
consult other Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial
governmental entities.
(e) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of
this section, the Assistant Secretary and the Administrator shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing
the following:
(1) Interagency activities between the Economic Development
Administration and Environmental Protection Agency carried out
under this section.
(2) Collaborative economic revitalization achievements at
eligible sites and supporting communities as appropriate,
including the engagement of site stakeholders in supporting the
activities carried out under this section.
(3) Interagency education, training, and workforce
development activities for site stakeholders, including the
dissemination of best practices and engagement of students to
establish a robust future workforce for economic revitalization
and environmental remediation.
(4) Potential opportunities to expand the interagency
activities of the Economic Development Administration and
Environmental Protection Agency.
(f) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Environment and Public Works
of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives; and
(C) the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
(2) Economic revitalization.--The term ``economic
revitalization'' means any effort by a site stakeholder, the
Assistant Secretary, and the Administrator to establish
favorable conditions for the creation of new, or retention of
existing, long-term private sector job opportunities in a
community, including the expansion or upgrade of existing
physical infrastructure at an eligible site.
(3) Eligible site.--The term ``eligible site'' means any
site of current or former environmental contamination,
including any current or former manufacturing facility, at
which the Assistant Secretary or the Administrator plans to do,
currently is doing, or has previously done any of the
following:
(A) Engage with site stakeholders.
(B) Provide Federal funding or resources.
(C) Provide technical assistance.
(4) Environmental contamination.--The term ``environmental
contamination'' means any hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant that harms public safety or the surrounding
environment.
(5) Site stakeholder.--The term ``site stakeholder'' means
any entity other than the Department of Commerce or the
Environmental Protection Agency that is engaged in the economic
revitalization of an eligible site.
(6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory,
or possession of the United States, and each federally
recognized Indian Tribe.
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