,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ddbj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ae1 #bjbe,ms4 ,strickland 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,lawler1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,mr4 ,thanedar1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,mr4 ,stanton1 ,ms4 ,ansari1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,scanlon1 ,mr4 ,ruiz1 ,mr4 ,kennedy of ,new ,york1 and ,mr4 ,harder of ,california7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure ,a ,,bill ,to reauthorize and amend the ,healthy ,streets program to enhance the resilience1 accessibility1 and safety of the ,nation's transportation corridors by supporting strategic investments in tree canopy1 shade infrastructure1 and other nature-based cooling strategies along pedestrian1 bicycle1 and transit routes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,cool ,corridors ,act of #bjbe4 #b4 ,findings2 purpose 7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,extreme heat is a growing public health and infrastructure challenge4 7#b7 ,tree canopy and green infrastructure reduce surface and air temperatures1 improve safety and usability along transportation corridors1 and protect infrastructure from heat-related degradation4 7#c7 ,communities with limited infrastructure investment often lack sufficient tree cover and face increased exposure to extreme heat and limited transportation access4 7#d7 ,federal programs such as the ,healthy ,streets program and the ,urban and ,community ,forestry ,program have demonstrated both high demand and the effectiveness of locally driven1 community-scale interventions4 7#e7 ,locally driven efforts to plant and maintain trees along key walking1 biking1 and transit corridors are under-resourced1 despite proven benefits to heat mitigation1 public safety1 and community health4 7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to-- 7#a7 promote the deployment of cooling infrastructure along transportation corridors2 7#b7 enhance resilience and safety of transportation systems in the face of extreme heat and improve air quality2 7#c7 improve safety1 accessibility1 and usability for pedestrians1 cyclists1 and transit users2 7#d7 extend the useful life of infrastructure2 and 7#e7 prioritize investment in communities facing disproportionate heat and access challenges4 #c4 ,reauthorization of ,healthy ,streets program ,section #aaaja7;b77#b77;,c7 of the ,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#bc ,u4,s4,c4 #aja note7b77#b77;,c77 is amended by striking through #bjbf and inserting through #bjcj4 #d4 ,healthy ,streets program 7a7 ,in general ,section #aadjf of the ,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#bc ,u4,s4,c4 #aja note7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#b7-- 7i7 in subparagraph 7,d7 by striking and at the end2 7ii7 in subparagraph 7,e7 by striking the period and inserting a semicolon2 and 7iii7 by adding at the end the following3 7,f7 ,state and local transit agencies2 7,g7 ,state departments of transportation2 7,h7 local educational agencies2 and 7,i7 tree and greenspace stewardship organizations1 environmental asset management groups1 or infrastructure resilience partners with experience in protecting and sustaining green infrastructure and shade assets4 2 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7#h7 ,cool corridor ,the term cool corridor means-- 7,a7 a designated transportation route enhanced through linear greening strategies1 including tree canopy1 shade infrastructure1 and other nature-based solutions designed to reduce surface and ambient temperatures2 and 7,b7 incorporates planning and stewardship measures to ensure the long-term functionality1 protection1 and climate resilience of the activities described in subparagraph 7,a74 7#i7 ,heat mitigation strategies ,the term heat mitigation strategies means activities that result in the mitigation of heat in public spaces1 including tree planting1 vegetative infrastructure1 cool or reflective surfaces1 shade structures1 and other evidence-based practices1 including the maintenance and preservation of already existing green infrastructure1 roadside vegetations and trees4 2 7#b7 in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 by inserting for demonstration projects in geographically and climatically diverse regions1 including both urban and rural communities with historically low tree canopy or high heat vulnerability before to eligible entities2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#a7 by striking and at the end2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#b7 by striking the period and inserting 1 including the integration of shade structures1 bus stop shelters1 and climate-resilient streetscape elements1 which may include the strategic planting of trees for shade22 and 7,d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 to plan1 design1 construction1 and maintain tree canopy and green infrastructure along public transportation corridors1 including alongside transportation right of ways1 at bus stops1 near transit hubs1 and within designated public-school zones and properties2 7#d7 to deploy smart sensors and data tools to monitor heat exposure and performance2 7#e7 for community engagement1 planning1 and workforce development activities relating to heat mitigation1 tree planting and maintenance2 and 7#f7 to integrate cooling infrastructure into existing or planned multimodal corridors or new and existing transportation projects2 particularly school zones1 and neighborhood-scale corridors where pedestrian mobility is high to create cool corridors 2 7#c7 in subsection 7d77#b7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a7 by striking and at the end2 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,b7 by striking the period at the end and inserting 2 and2 and 7,c7 by adding at the end the following3 7,c7 plans to undergo review and seek approval from the ,state or local agency of jurisdiction prior to project implementation to ensure projects do not interfere or hinder any ongoing or future developments4 2 7#d7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a7 by inserting that is impacted by high heat or low tree canopy coverage after disadvantaged community2 7,b7 in paragraph 7#b7 by striking or at the end2 7,c7 in paragraph 7#c7 by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon2 and 7,d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 that improves access to transit1 schools1 jobs1 or essential services2 7#e7 that incorporates maintenance and long-term sustainability plans2 7#f7 that leverages additional funding through public private or interagency coordination2 7#g7 that aims to preserve and maintain existing green infrastructure and vegetation alongside transportation corridors and transit routes2 7#h7 that incorporates the use of vegetation or tree species that require minimal maintenance2 or 7#i7 that integrates workforce training and urban forestry job creation strategies4 2 and 7#e7 by adding at the end the following3 7i7 ,interagency coordination ,in carrying out the program under this section1 the ,secretary shall coordinate with the following1 as appropriate3 7#a7 ,the ,administrator of the ,environmental ,protection ,agency4 7#b7 ,the ,secretary of ,energy4 7#c7 ,the ,secretary of ,housing and ,urban ,development4 7#d7 ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 particularly the ,chief of the ,forest ,service4 7#e7 ,the ,director of the ,united ,states ,climate ,resilience ,toolkit and ,united ,states ,global ,change ,research ,program4 7j7 ,technical assistance and guidance ,the ,secretary1 in coordination with relevant ,federal agencies1 shall provide-- 7#a7 technical assistance1 model project templates1 and guidance to grantees to promote cost-effective and evidence-based project delivery under this section2 and 7#b7 guidance on tree species selection1 short and long term stewardship plans1 and integration with local forestry plans4 7k7 ,specifications for tree planting ,if the recipient of a grant under this section uses grant funding for tree planting-- 7#a7 such planting shall be done in a manner that does not obstruct traffic views or hinder public safety1 as determined by the ,secretary2 and 7#b7 the recipient shall be responsible for tree maintenance1 including watering and upkeep1 as needed4 7l7 ,reporting ,a recipient of a grant under this section shall submit to the ,secretary an annual report on-- 7#a7 temperature reduction and environmental performance metrics2 7#b7 infrastructure resilience improvements2 7#c7 public health and equity outcomes2 7#d7 cost-benefit analyses2 and 7#e7 community engagement practices4 4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #e years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation shall submit to ,congress a report evaluating the outcomes of the program under section #aadjf of the ,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#bc ,u4,s4,c4 #aja note7 and making recommendations for permanent authorization and integration of the program into the surface transportation block grant program under section #acc of title #bc1 ,united ,states ,code4