Summary of HCONRES 44
Bill Information
- Bill Number: HCONRES 44
- Title: Recognizing a health and safety emergency disproportionately affecting the fundamental rights of children due to the Trump administration's directives that unleash fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, while suppressing climate change science.
- Status: Submitted in House
- Introduced: July 16, 2025
- Classification: Resolution
Purpose and Intent
HCONRES 44 aims to address what its sponsors describe as a health and safety emergency impacting children, which they attribute to the policies of the Trump administration. The resolution seeks to highlight the adverse effects of increased fossil fuel production and greenhouse gas emissions on children's rights and well-being, while also calling for a reversal of certain executive orders that hinder progress towards renewable energy and climate change mitigation.
Key Provisions
The resolution includes several significant provisions:
Recognition of Emergency:
- Calls for U.S. leadership to acknowledge the documented health and safety emergency faced by children due to climate change.
Opposition to Executive Orders:
- Expresses opposition to President Trump’s executive orders that:
- Promote fossil fuel production.
- Increase greenhouse gas emissions.
- Block the transition to clean, renewable energy.
- Suppress climate change-related discourse.
Demands for Action:
- Urges the Trump administration to:
- Comply with congressional mandates and reverse harmful executive orders.
- Restore the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to its core mission.
- Reinstate climate science resources on federal websites.
Intergenerational Governance:
- Advocates for a governing system that prioritizes the rights and futures of children, ensuring that government actions do not harm young people's lives.
Long-term Climate Goals:
- Stipulates that all energy and climate laws must protect children's rights and aim to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide to below 350 parts per million by the year 2100.
Affected Parties
The resolution primarily targets:
- Children and Future Generations: Emphasizing their rights to a safe and stable environment.
- Federal Government and Agencies: Specifically the Trump administration and the EPA, which are called upon to change current policies and practices.
Legislative Actions
- July 16, 2025: The resolution was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Sponsors
The resolution has a broad base of support, with numerous cosponsors, including:
- Primary Sponsor: Janice D. Schakowsky
- Notable Cosponsors: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pramila Jayapal, and Rashida Tlaib, among others.
Related Bills
- SCONRES 18: A companion resolution in the Senate addressing similar issues.
This resolution reflects a concerted effort by its sponsors to advocate for children's rights in the context of climate change and to challenge existing policies that they believe undermine those rights.
