Bill > HR6815

This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and publish a geospatial mapping tool called the "Environmental Justice Screening Tool" within one year of enactment, which will identify communities that are disproportionately burdened by various environmental, climate, health, economic, and social factors. The tool will establish specific thresholds for each category of factors, including air quality, access to safe drinking water, proximity to environmental hazards, frequency of natural disasters, health conditions like asthma and diabetes, poverty rates, unemployment, demographic characteristics, and other relevant indicators. The EPA must solicit feedback from universities, nonprofits, community organizations, and government officials when developing these thresholds. The agency will conduct annual reviews of the tool, update it as needed, and submit reports to congressional committees detailing any changes and newly identified disproportionately burdened census tracts. Additionally, the bill mandates that federal departments and agencies adopt the tool to help prioritize funding and resources for these identified communities, thereby promoting environmental justice across the government.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6815/all-info