This bill establishes a new Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Justice to address environmental and health risks that disproportionately affect low-income communities, communities of color, Tribal nations, and Indigenous populations. The office will be led by a Director and will develop enforcement strategies, coordinate cases across the Justice Department, provide training to attorneys on environmental justice matters, and create a Senior Advisory Council to advise on policy initiatives. Additionally, the bill creates a $50 million grant program (fiscal years 2026-2035) to help state, local, and tribal governments enforce environmental laws related to environmental justice issues by funding training, hiring staff, and establishing community assistance programs. The office must develop an environmental justice strategy within five years and update it regularly, hold bimonthly meetings with environmental justice organizations, and submit annual reports to Congress on grant recipients and activities. The bill aims to ensure that marginalized communities have meaningful involvement in environmental decisions that affect their health and receive equal protection from pollution and environmental hazards.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.