119-hr3703

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3703 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3703

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish 
 an excess urban heat mitigation grant program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 4, 2025

 Ms. Ansari (for herself, Mr. Bell, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Dexter, Mrs. 
 Dingell, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Horsford, Mr. 
 Huffman, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Liccardo, Mr. Magaziner, Mrs. 
 McClain Delaney, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Norton, Ms. Omar, Ms. 
Rivas, Mr. Stanton, Ms. Titus, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Whitesides, Ms. 
 Williams of Georgia, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial 
 Services

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to establish 
 an excess urban heat mitigation grant program, 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 ``Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Heat stress is a leading weather-related cause of death 
 in the United States, with more than 600 people killed in the 
 United States by extreme heat every year, and many more 
 experiencing respiratory problems and heat-related illness.

    (2) Urban areas are likely to experience higher 
 temperatures than surrounding areas due to design-related 
 attributes of the built environment, including manmade factors 
 such as low solar reflectance, low vegetation and tree cover, 
 high building density, high impervious surface cover, and waste 
 heat emissions.

    (3) Underserved communities are disproportionately impacted 
 by extreme heat. In the United States, low-income census blocks 
 have 15.2 percent less tree cover and an average land surface 
 temperature that is 1.5 degrees Celsius hotter than high-income 
 blocks.

    (4) Studies show that in 97 percent of the largest 
 urbanized areas in the United States, people of color live in 
 census tracts with higher surface urban heat intensity than 
 non-Hispanic Whites, indicating that heat exposure is unequally 
 distributed by race.

    (5) Urban heat is not only a public health threat but also 
 an economic one, as rising heat leads to increased roadway 
 maintenance costs, higher residential and commercial summer 
 energy costs, and lost labor productivity, as well as the cost 
 to patients and health care infrastructure for heat-related 
 hospitalizations and emergency department visits.

    (6) Excess urban heat causes increased energy consumption, 
 elevated emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, and 
 impaired water quality.

    (7) Heat waves are expected to not only occur more 
 frequently in the United States but also be of longer duration, 
 lasting 10 to 20 days longer by the end of the century.

    (8) Solutions exist that communities can implement now to 
 mitigate the challenge of urban heat. One example is the 
 planting of urban trees to offset or reverse the urban heat 
 island effect. Studies in multiple cities in the United States 
 have shown that urban trees can offset projected increases in 
 heat-related mortality in 2050 by 40 to 99 percent.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

 In this Act:

    (1) Covered census tract.--The term ``covered census 
 tract'' means a census tract with a poverty rate of not less 
 than 20 percent, as measured by the 5-year data series 
 available from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of 
 the Census for the period of 2019 through 2023, including such 
 a census tract that includes an area that was designated as 
 ``hazardous'' or ``definitely declining'' in maps drawn by the 
 Home Owners' Loan Corporation.

    (2) Covered grant.--The term ``covered grant'' means a 
 grant awarded under 

section 4

    (a) .

    (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
        (A) a State (as defined in 

section 102 of the 
 Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 
 U.S.C. 5302));
        (B) a metropolitan planning organization;
            (C) a unit of general local government (as defined 
 in 

section 102 of the Housing and Community Development 
 Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302));
            (D) an Indian tribe (as defined in 

section 102 of 
 the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 
 U.S.C. 5302));
        (E) a territorial government;
        (F) a nonprofit organization working in 
 coordination with an entity described in subparagraphs
        (A) through
        (E) ; and
        (G) a consortium of nonprofit organizations.

    (4) Eligible project.--The term ``eligible project''--
        (A) means a project designed to mitigate or manage 
 heat in an urban area by--
            (i) working to mitigate the causes of 
 higher temperatures; or
            (ii) managing the impacts of higher 
 temperatures or other extreme weather events; 
 and
        (B) includes the implementation, construction, or 
 maintenance of--
            (i) tree planting and maintenance with, 
 wherever possible, preference for--
            (I) native tree species;
            (II) tree species with high shade 
 production and carbon sequestration; 
 and
            (III) tree species that are 
 valuable for food production;
            (ii) cool pavements;
            (iii) cool roofs;
            (iv) green roofs;
            (v) bus and other transit stop shelters;
            (vi) shade structures;
            (vii) cooling centers with, wherever 
 possible, preference for--
            (I) cooling centers that 
 collaborate with existing community 
 centers and spaces;
            (II) cooling centers with year-
 round accessibility; and
            (III) cooling centers that utilize 
 renewable energy;
            (viii) community gardens, including 
 agroforestry practices;
            (ix) outreach to communities about 
 resources available under this section;
            (x) local heat mitigation and management 
 education efforts;
            (xi) urban forestry master plans;
            (xii) urban tree canopy assessments;
            (xiii) arboriculture training;
            (xiv) maintenance of existing urban trees; 
 or
            (xv) other actions the Secretary determines 
 appropriate to mitigate or manage excess urban 
 heat.

    (5) Environmental justice.--The term ``environmental 
 justice'' means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement 
 of all people regardless of race, color, culture, national 
 origin, income, and educational levels with respect to the 
 development, implementation, and enforcement of protective 
 environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

    (6) Excess urban heat effect.--The term ``excess urban heat 
 effect'' means the phenomenon of local urban warming, resulting 
 from manmade factors such as low solar reflectance, low tree 
 cover, high building density, high impervious surface cover, 
 and waste heat emissions.

    (7) Extreme heat.--The term ``extreme heat'' means a 
 prolonged period of excessively hot weather, with temperatures 
 well above climatological normals for a given location and 
 season.

    (8) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
 organization'' means an organization described in 

section 501
            (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
 taxation under 

section 501

    (a) of such Code.

    (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Housing and Urban Development.

    (10) Urban area.--The term ``urban area'' has the meaning 
 given the term in 

section 101

    (a) of title 23, United States 
 Code.

    (11) Urban forestry master plan.--The term ``urban forestry 
 master plan'' means a strategic plan that establishes the 
 overall vision, goals, objectives, and implementation tools to 
 evaluate, maintain and expand the urban tree canopy with the 
 intention of building resilience to extreme weather events, 
 reducing the urban heat island effect, mitigating stormwater 
 runoff, reducing nutrient runoff, addressing air quality, and 
 preserving biodiversity.

    (12) Urban tree canopy assessment.--The term ``urban tree 
 canopy assessment'' means a measure of a community's tree 
 canopy coverage as a percentage of the total land area that 
 serves as a baseline for setting community tree canopy goals 
 and measuring progress.

SEC. 4. URBAN HEAT MITIGATION AND MANAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Office of Community 
Planning and Development, in coordination with the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, the Chief of the Forest Service, and 
the Director of the Climate Program Office of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, shall establish an urban heat mitigation 
and management grant program to award grants to eligible entities to 
implement eligible projects.

    (b) Set-Aside.--Not less than 75 percent of the amounts of covered 
grants awarded for a fiscal year shall be awarded to eligible entities 
to implement projects in a covered census tract.
            (c) Technical Assistance.--

    (1) In general.--Not more than 3 percent of amounts 
 appropriated to carry out this section may be used to provide 
 technical assistance to eligible entities applying for or 
 implementing a covered grant.

    (2) Preference.--In providing technical assistance under 
 paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall give preference to eligible 
 entities that intend to serve communities--
        (A) located in a covered census tract; or
        (B) with lower-tree canopy and higher maximum 
 daytime summer temperatures compared to surrounding 
 communities, as determined by the Secretary, based on 
 publicly available information.

    (3) Inclusions.--Technical assistance provided under 
 paragraph

    (1) may include--
        (A) assistance developing a complete application;
        (B) financial analysis and budget development;
            (C) support for project integration;
            (D) assessment of project readiness; and
        (E) technical assistance implementing activities 
 once a covered grant is received.
            (d) Application.--

    (1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a covered 
 grant shall submit to the Secretary an application, at such 
 time and in such manner as required by the Secretary in 
 guidance, that includes, at a minimum--
        (A) how the eligible entity will use the covered 
 grant;
        (B) how the eligible projects funded will combat 
 extreme heat or excess urban heat effects and improve 
 quality of life for impacted communities;
            (C) a robust engagement plan that--
            (i) outlines how the eligible entity will 
 meaningfully and inclusively engage with the 
 communities in which the eligible projects take 
 place throughout project implementation; and
            (ii) demonstrates how the eligible entity 
 plans to--
            (I) foster meaningful, reciprocal 
 relationships with community-based 
 organizations;
            (II) engage in respectful, good-
 faith consultation with diverse 
 community stakeholders; and
            (III) empower members of the 
 community to participate in decision 
 making; and
            (D) how the eligible entity will address the 
 intersection between human health, environment, and 
 built environment.

    (2) Guidance.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
 enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue the guidance 
 described in paragraph

    (1) .

    (e) Matching Requirement.--

    (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph

    (2) , the 
 Federal share of the cost of an eligible project carried out 
 with amounts from a covered grant shall be not more than 80 
 percent.

    (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may increase the maximum Federal 
 share described in paragraph

    (1) from 80 percent to 100 percent 
 for an eligible project carried out by an eligible entity that 
 demonstrates economic hardship, as determined by the Secretary.

    (f) Priority.--In awarding covered grants, the Secretary shall give 
priority to an eligible entity that serves--

    (1) a community located in a covered census tract; or

    (2) a community with lower tree canopy and higher maximum 
 daytime summer temperatures compared to surrounding 
 communities, as determined by the Secretary, based on publicly 
 available information.

    (g) Reporting Requirement.--The Secretary shall submit an annual 
report to Congress that identifies the recipients of covered grants and 
the geographic and economic distribution of those recipients.

    (h) Oversight.--

    (1) In general.--In order to ensure the effectiveness of 
 projects that are carried out using covered grants, the 
 Secretary shall use not more than 5 percent of any amounts 
 appropriated to carry out this section to establish an 
 oversight board to help--
        (A) select recipients of covered grants; and
        (B) review the progress made by recipients of 
 covered grants on a yearly basis.

    (2) Evaluation.--The board established under paragraph

    (1) shall--
        (A) develop and apply a rubric to evaluate the 
 success of projects carried out using covered grants in 
 reaching their objective to combat the causes and 
 effects of excess urban heat; and
        (B) serve the Secretary in an advisory capacity.

    (3) Membership.--
        (A) In general.--Members of the board established 
 under paragraph

    (1) may include--
            (i) representatives from the Environmental 
 Protection Agency, particularly from the Heat 
 Island Reduction Program;
            (ii) representatives from the Department of 
 Health and Human Services, particularly from 
 the Office of Climate Change and Health Equity;
            (iii) representatives from the Department 
 of Energy, particularly from the Office of 
 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy;
            (iv) representatives from the Department of 
 Agriculture, particularly from the Urban and 
 Community Forestry Program;
            (v) subject to subparagraph
        (B) , 
 representatives from nonprofit organizations 
 with proven leadership in urban heat mitigation 
 or environmental justice, as determined by the 
 Secretary; and
            (vi) subject to subparagraph
        (B) , 
 representatives from academia and research 
 studying the effects of and mitigation of 
 excess urban heat, environmental justice, or 
 related areas.
        (B) Certification required.--In order to be a 
 member of the board established under paragraph

    (1) , a 
 representative described in clause
            (v) or
            (vi) of 
 subparagraph
        (A) of this paragraph shall certify that 
 the representative does not possess any conflict of 
 interest with respect to projects being considered for 
 a covered grant or being carried out using a covered 
 grant.
            (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2033.
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