,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehdb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #aa1       
#bjbj,mr4 ,kennedy 7for himself1 ,ms4   
,barragn1 and ,mr4 ,ruiz7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was referred to  
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the            
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency to award grants to  
entities to enable such entities to     
participate in decisions impacting the  
health and safety of their communities  
in connection with the release of       
certain hazardous air pollutants and the
 permitting of solid waste disposal     
facilities and hazardous waste          
facilities1 and for other purposes4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,voices for ,environmental ,justice
 ,act4  #b4 ,environmental justice      
community technical assistance grants   
,title ,,iii of the ,clean ,air ,act    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #gfja et seq47 is amended
 by adding at the end the following new 

section3  #ccj4 ,environmental justice  
community technical assistance grants   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator may 
award grants to eligible entities to    
enable such entities to participate in  
decisions impacting the health and      
safety of their communities in          
connection with an actual or potential  
release of a covered hazardous air      
pollutant4  7b7 ,timing  7#a7 ,guidance 
,not later than #ab months after the    
date of enactment of this section1 the  
,administrator shall publish guidance   
describing the process for eligible     
entities to apply for a grant under this
 section1 including the required content
 and form of applications1 the manner in
 which applications must be submitted1  
and any applicable deadlines4  7#b7     
,first grant ,not later than #ahj days  
after the issuance of guidance under    
paragraph 7#a71 the ,administrator shall
 award the first grant under this       
section4  7c7 ,eligible entity ,to be   
eligible for a grant under this section1

 an applicant shall be a group of       
individuals who reside in a community   
that--  7#a7 is a population of color1 a
 community of color1 an indigenous      
community1 or a low-income community2   
and  7#b7 is in close proximity to the  
site of an actual or potential release  
of a covered hazardous air pollutant4   
7d7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity   
receiving a grant under this section    
shall use the grant to participate in   
decisions impacting the health and      
safety of the community involved in     
connection with an actual or potential  
release of a covered hazardous air      
pollutant1 including-- 7#a7 interpreting
 information with regard to the nature  
of the hazard1 cumulative impacts       
studies1 health impacts studies1        
remedial investigation and feasibility  
studies1 agency decisions1 remedial     
design1 and operation and maintenance of
 necessary monitors2 and  7#b7          
performing additional air pollution     
monitoring4  7e7 ,limitations on amount2

 renewal  7#a7 ,amount  7,a7 ,in general
 ,the amount of a grant under this      
section 7excluding any renewals of the  
grant7 may not exceed #ej1jjj for any   
grant recipient4  7,b7 ,exception ,the  
,administrator may waive the limitation 
in subparagraph 7,a7 with respect to an 
applicant in any case where the         
,administrator determines that such     
waiver is necessary for the community   
involved to obtain the necessary        
technical assistance4  7#b7 ,renewal    
,grants may be renewed for each step in 
the regulatory1 removal1 or remediation 
process in connection with a facility   
with the potential to release a covered 
hazardous air pollutant4  7f7           
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term community of color means any      
geographically distinct area the        
population of color of which is higher  
than the average population of color of 
the ,state in which the community is    
located4  7#b7 ,the term covered        
hazardous air pollutant means a         

hazardous air pollutant 7as defined in  
section #aab of the ,clean ,air ,act7   
that-- 7,a7 is listed on the toxics     
release inventory under section #cac7;c7
 of the ,emergency ,planning and        
,community ,right-,to-,know ,act of     
#aihf2 or  7,b7 is identified as        
carcinogenic by an assessment under the 
,integrated ,risk ,information ,system  
7,,iris7 of the ,environmental          
,protection ,agency4  7#c7 ,the term    
indigenous community means--  7,a7 a    
federally recognized ,indian ,tribe2    
7,b7 a ,state-recognized ,indian ,tribe2
  7,c7 an ,alaska ,native or ,native    
,hawaiian community or organization2 and
  7,d7 any other community of indigenous
 people1 including communities in other 
countries4  7#d7 ,the term low income   
means an annual household income equal  
to1 or less than1 the greater of-- 7,a7 
an amount equal to #hj percent of the   
median income of the area in which the  
household is located1 as reported by the
 ,department of ,housing and ,urban     

,development2 and  7,b7 #bjj percent of 
the ,federal poverty line4  7#e7 ,the   
term population of color means a        
population of individuals who identify  
as--  7,a7 ,black2  7,b7 ,african       
,american2  7,c7 ,asian2  7,d7 ,pacific 
,islander2  7,e7 another non-,white     
race2  7,f7 ,hispanic2  7,g7 ,latino2 or
  7,h7 linguistically isolated4  4  #c4 
,environmental justice community solid  
waste disposal technical assistance     
grants  7a7 ,grants ,subtitle ,d of the 
,solid ,waste ,disposal ,act 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #fida et seq47 is amended by  
adding at the end the following new     
section3  #djaa4 ,environmental justice 
community technical assistance grants   
7a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator may 
award grants to eligible entities to    
enable such entities to participate in  
decisions impacting the health and      
safety of their communities relating to 
the permitting or permit renewal of a   
solid waste disposal facility or        
hazardous waste facility4  7b7 ,timing  

7#a7 ,guidance ,not later than #ab      
months after the date of enactment of   
this section1 the ,administrator shall  
publish guidance describing the process 
for eligible entities to apply for a    
grant under this section1 including the 
required content and form of            
applications1 the manner in which       
applications must be submitted1 and any 
applicable deadlines4  7#b7 ,first grant
 ,not later than #ahj days after the    
issuance of guidance under paragraph    
7#a71 the ,administrator shall award the
 first grant under this section4  7c7   
,eligible entity ,to be eligible for a  
grant under this section1 an applicant  
shall be a group of individuals who     
reside in a community that-- 7#a7 is a  
population of color1 a community of     
color1 an indigenous community1 or a    
low-income community2 and  7#b7 is in   
close proximity to a facility described 
in subsection 7a7 for which a decision  
relating to a permit or permit renewal  
for such facility is required4  7d7 ,use

 of funds ,an eligible entity receiving 
a grant under this section shall use the
 grant to participate in decisions      
impacting the health and safety of the  
community involved that are related to  
the permitting or permit renewal of a   
solid waste disposal facility or        
hazardous waste facility1 including--   
7#a7 interpreting information with      
regard to-- 7,a7 cumulative impacts     
studies2  7,b7 health impacts studies2  
7,c7 relevant agency decisions2 and     
7,d7 operation and maintenance of       
necessary monitors2 and  7#b7 performing
 environmental monitoring4  7e7         
,limitations on amount2 renewal  7#a7   
,amount  7,a7 ,in general ,the amount of
 a grant under this section 7excluding  
any renewals of the grant7 may not      
exceed #ej1jjj for any grant recipient4 
7,b7 ,exception ,the ,administrator may 
waive the limitation in subparagraph    
7,a7 with respect to an applicant in any
 case where the ,administrator          
determines that such waiver is necessary

 for the community involved to obtain   
the necessary technical assistance4     
7#b7 ,renewal ,grants may be renewed for
 each step in the process for the       
permitting or permit renewal of a solid 
waste disposal facility or hazardous    
waste facility4  7f7 ,definitions ,in   
this section3  7#a7 ,the term community 
of color means any geographically       
distinct area the population of color of
 which is higher than the average       
population of color of the ,state in    
which the community is located4  7#b7   
,the term indigenous community means--  
7,a7 a federally recognized ,indian     
,tribe2  7,b7 a ,state-recognized       
,indian ,tribe2  7,c7 an ,alaska ,native
 or ,native ,hawaiian community or      
organization2 and  7,d7 any other       
community of indigenous people1         
including communities in other          
countries4  7#c7 ,the term low income   
means an annual household income equal  
to1 or less than1 the greater of-- 7,a7 
an amount equal to #hj percent of the   

median income of the area in which the  
household is located1 as reported by the
 ,department of ,housing and ,urban     
,development2 and  7,b7 #bjj percent of 
the ,federal poverty line4  7#d7 ,the   
term population of color means a        
population of individuals who identify  
as--  7,a7 ,black2  7,b7 ,african       
,american2  7,c7 ,asian2  7,d7 ,pacific 
,islander2  7,e7 another non-,white     
race2  7,f7 ,hispanic2  7,g7 ,latino2 or
  7,h7 linguistically isolated4  4  7b7 
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
contents for the ,solid ,waste ,disposal
 ,act is amended by adding after the    
item relating to section #djaj the      
following3  ,sec4 #djaa4 ,environmental 
justice community technical assistance  
grants4  4  #d4 ,authorization of       
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out section    
#ccj of the ,clean ,air ,act 7as added  
by section #b of this ,act7 and section 
#djaa of the ,solid ,waste ,disposal    
,act 7as added by section #c of this    

,act7 #e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal     
years #bjba through #bjbe4