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Bill

HR 6615

Climate Justice Grants Act

119th Congress Introduced by Nanette Barragán and 1 co-sponsor

Establish EPA climate justice grants up to $2M to tribal/local governments and nonprofits to fund community-driven clean energy, resilience, and outreach projects.

Introduced in House
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 6615

Summary of H.R. 6615 — Climate Justice Grants Act

Overview

  • Purpose: Establish a federal grant program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support climate justice initiatives in environmental justice communities. The program aims to build capacity, address local climate justice issues, and fund specific projects that align with community priorities.
  • Short title: Climate Justice Grants Act.
  • Status: Introduced in the House of Representatives (Dec. 11, 2025) by Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and, for consideration of provisions within their jurisdiction, to the Committee on Natural Resources.
  • Legislative actions to date: Introduction and referral to committees.

Key Provisions

Section 2 — Climate Justice Grant Program

  • Establishment: EPA Administrator must establish a grant program to provide grants to eligible entities for: 1) Building capacity to address climate justice issues, and 2) Carrying out activities described in subsection (d).
  • Eligible recipients: Tribal governments, local governments, and nonprofit, community-based organizations.
  • Application requirements: Applicants must provide:
    • A plan showing how the project will increase climate justice understanding in the local environmental justice community.
    • How the project will improve the community’s ability to address issues identified.
    • How collaboration among stakeholders will be fostered.
    • How the community can proactively plan and implement climate justice initiatives.
    • A proposed budget, expected outcomes, leveraging strategies to sustain projects beyond grant funding, and evidence that the entity represents the environmental justice community served.

Section 2 — Uses of Funds (subsection (d))

  • Grants may fund culturally and linguistically appropriate projects and activities driven by the needs of the environmental justice community, including:
    • Building partnerships and collaboration.
    • Education and outreach on climate justice.
    • Identification and implementation of projects addressing climate justice concerns, notably:
    • Community solar and wind energy projects,
    • Energy efficiency and weatherization for homes/buildings,
    • Energy storage, microgrids (solar/wind-powered),
    • Electric vehicles and charging infrastructure,
    • Natural infrastructure and climate-resilient infrastructure.
  • Projects must be driven by community needs and opportunities.

Section 2 — Funding Cap

  • Grant size limit: Each grant cannot exceed $2,000,000 per recipient.

Section 2 — Reporting

  • Annual reporting: The EPA Administrator must report within 1 year after enactment and annually thereafter to relevant House and Senate committees on how the program has advanced energy and climate justice, with the reports publicly available (e.g., EPA website).

Section 2 — Authorization of Appropriations

  • Funding level: $1,000,000,000 appropriated for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2035.
  • Administrative expenses limited to no more than 2% of annual appropriations (including outreach and technical assistance).

Definitions (Section 3)

  • Administrator: EPA Administrator.
  • Climate Justice: Fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all communities in policies addressing climate change, acknowledgment of historical responsibility, and ensuring those least responsible for climate change are not disproportionately burdened.
  • Environmental Justice Community: Populations of color, indigenous communities, or low-income communities experiencing disproportionate environmental health burdens.
  • Indigenous Community: Federally or state-recognized tribes, Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian groups, or other indigenous communities (including international communities).
  • Additional definitions cover terms like “low income” (truncated in the provided text but intended to define income thresholds).

Who Is Affected

  • Directly affected recipients: Tribal governments, local governments, and nonprofit, community-based organizations operating in environmental justice communities.
  • Beneficiaries: Environmental justice communities that experience disproportionate environmental or health impacts from pollution or hazards.
  • Broader impact: Potentially larger investment in climate resilience, clean energy projects, and intra-community capacity-building within communities most affected by climate change.

Timelines and Process

  • Introduction date: December 11, 2025.
  • Next steps: Referral to key committees; potential committee markup and floor consideration would follow, subject to rule of the House.
  • Reporting cadence: Annual reporting starting within 1 year after enactment, with public posting.

This bill would create a substantial, multi-year EPA grant program focused on empowering environmental justice communities to plan, implement, and sustain climate justice and clean energy initiatives, with a strong emphasis on local capacity-building, partnership formation, and culturally appropriate engagement.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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