A bill to establish a Green New Deal for Health to prepare and empower the health care sector to protect the health and well-being of our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate crisis, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · July 27, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
# Summary of S. 5134 - Green New Deal for Health Act
This legislation establishes a comprehensive federal approach to preparing the health care system for climate change impacts while reducing the sector's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The bill creates a new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity within the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate federal efforts, develop a national strategic action plan, and oversee implementation across agencies. It requires hospitals to provide 90 days' notice before closing or discontinuing essential services and establishes processes for the federal government to work with affected communities on mitigation plans.
The bill directs significant funding toward making health care infrastructure more resilient to climate disasters. It authorizes $100 billion for grants to modernize hospitals and medical facilities with climate-resistant features like renewable energy systems, heat pumps, green infrastructure, and backup power supplies. Additionally, it establishes a $5 billion planning and evaluation grant program to help eligible entities develop sustainability and resilience plans for medical facilities.
The legislation invests heavily in health care workforce development, allocating $9 billion for education programs training health professionals to address climate-related health risks and $10 billion annually through 2036 to expand the community health workforce by 150,000 workers. It includes funding for mental health resilience programs in communities, research into extreme heat risks, Medicare coverage for climate-related home modifications like heat pumps for vulnerable patients, and support for health care workers during emergencies.
The bill also requires the health care supply chain to become more sustainable, establishing regulations for drug and device manufacturers to disclose climate-related emissions and working toward a domestic, zero-emission medical supply chain. Funding extends through fiscal year 2036, with total authorizations reaching hundreds of billions of dollars across multiple initiatives focused on equity, environmental justice communities, and vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by climate change.
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