,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ffib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #a1 #bjbj,mr4   
,ruiz 7for himself and ,mr4 ,mc,eachin7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 and in addition to the   
,committee on ,natural ,resources1 for a
 period to be subsequently determined by
 the ,speaker1 in each case for         
consideration of such provisions as fall
 within the jurisdiction of the         
committee concerned  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
require the ,administrator of the       
,environmental ,protection ,agency to   
continue to carry out certain programs  
relating to environmental justice1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,findings      
,congress finds the following3 7#a7     
,communities of color1 low-income       
communities1 ,tribal and indigenous     
communities1 fossil fuel-dependent      
communities1 and other vulnerable       
populations1 such as persons with       
disabilities1 children1 and the elderly1

 are disproportionately burdened by     
environmental hazards that include      
exposure to polluted air1 waterways1 and
 landscapes4  7#b7 ,environmental       
justice disparities are also exhibited  
through a lack of equitable access to   
information and data on potential       
exposure to environmental hazards4  7#c7
 ,communities experiencing environmental
 injustice have been subjected to       
systemic racial1 social1 and economic   
injustices and face a disproportionate  
burden of adverse human health or       
environmental effects1 a higher risk of 
intentional1 unconscious1 and structural
 discrimination1 and disproportionate   
energy burdens4  7#d7 ,these            
disproportionate burdens are being      
exacerbated by the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4
  7#e7 ,the ,environmental ,protection  
,agency has announced a nonenforcement  
policy under all environmental laws     
during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic for     
monitoring and recordkeeping            
requirements4  7#f7 ,this policy is     

likely to increase the pollution burden 
in environmental justice communities and
 decrease access to monitoring data and 
information4  7#g7 ,citizen science will
 be essential for environmental justice 
communities to protect themselves during
 this pandemic4  #b4 ,environmental     
justice grant programs  7a7             
,environmental ,justice grants ,the     
,administrator of the ,environmental    
,protection ,agency shall continue to   
carry out-- 7#a7 the ,environmental     
,justice ,small ,grants ,program and the
 ,environmental ,justice ,collaborative 
,problem-,solving ,cooperative          
,agreement ,program1 as those programs  
are in existence on the date of         
enactment of this ,act2 and  7#b7 the   
,community ,action for a ,renewed       
,environment grant programs ,i and ,,ii1
 as in existence on ,january #a1 #bjab4 
7b7 ,authorization for ,grants in       
,response to ,,covid-#ai ,emergency     
7#a7 ,authorization of appropriations   
,there is authorized to be appropriated 

to carry out the programs described in  
subsection 7a7 #ej1jjj1jjj for fiscal   
year #bjbj4  7#b7 ,priority for funds   
,in awarding grants under the programs  
described in subsection 7a7 pursuant to 
this section1 the ,administrator shall  
prioritize projects that will-- 7,a7    
monitor pollution in or near            
environmental justice communities2 or   
7,b7 investigate or address the         
disproportionate impacts of the         
,,covid-#ai pandemic in environmental   
justice communities4  7c7 ,distribution 
,not later than #cj days after amounts  
are made available pursuant to          
subsection 7b77#a71 the ,administrator  
of the ,environmental ,protection       
,agency shall make awards of grants     
under each of the programs described in 
subsection 7a74