Environmental Justice Act of 2017
Latest action · Oct 24, 2017 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedOct 24, 2017
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Environmental Justice Act of 2017
This bill requires agencies to address the disproportionate impact of environmental and human health hazards on communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities resulting from agencies' programs and policies.
This bill provides statutory authority for:
- the interagency Federal Working Group on Environmental Justice,
- certain environmental justice requirements established under Executive Order 12898,
- a guidance titled "Environmental Justice Guidance Under the National Environmental Policy Act,"
- a guidance titled "EPA Policy on Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribes: Guidance for Discussing Tribal Treaty Rights,"
- the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council,
- the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program,
- the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, and
- the Community Action for a Renewed Environment grant programs.
The bill amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address potential cumulative impacts of pollutant discharges when issuing or renewing permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program. The bill amends the Clean Air Act to require the EPA to address potential cumulative impacts of a major stationary source of air pollutants when issuing or renewing permits for those sources.
The bill states that the authorization to bring citizen suits under certain environmental laws does not preclude the right of an individual to bring a civil action for deprivation of implied rights under those laws or common law. The bill amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to allow a person aggrieved by the failure of a covered entity to comply with the Act to bring an action against the entity in a federal or state court for discriminatory practices.
Cosponsors 15
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Oct 24, 2017 to Nov 13, 2018, with 11 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-VT | Bernard Sanders | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-HI | Brian Schatz | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-MA | Edward J. Markey | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-MA | Elizabeth Warren | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-CA | Kamala D. Harris | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-DE | Thomas R. Carper | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-NM | Tom Udall | Original | Oct 24, 2017 |
| D-MD | Chris Van Hollen | Nov 28, 2017 | |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Mar 22, 2018 | |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | May 21, 2018 | |
| D-IL | Tammy Duckworth | Nov 13, 2018 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 24, 2017Introduced in Senate
- Oct 24, 2017Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 4114 | Environmental Justice Act of 2017 | Identical bill | Oct 27, 2017 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Environmental Protection.
- Advisory bodies
- Air quality
- Civil actions and liability
- Climate change and greenhouse gases
- Disaster relief and insurance
- Due process and equal protection
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Environmental health
- Environmental Protection
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Environmental regulatory procedures
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Executive Office of the President
- Food supply, safety, and labeling
- Government information and archives
- Indian lands and resources rights
- Infrastructure development
- Land use and conservation
- Licensing and registrations
- Medical research
- Mining
- Minority health
- Performance measurement
- Poverty and welfare assistance
- Public participation and lobbying
- Racial and ethnic relations
- Research administration and funding
- Soil pollution
- Solid waste and recycling
- Water quality
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 24, 2017Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.