[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2941 Introduced in House (IH)]

  1st Session
                                H. R. 2941

To facilitate the provision of assistance by the Department of Housing 
  and Urban Development for the cleanup and economic redevelopment of 
                              brownfields.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2001

  Mr. Gary G. Miller of California (for himself, Mrs. Maloney of New 
York, Mr. Oxley, and Mrs. Roukema) introduced the following bill; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To facilitate the provision of assistance by the Department of Housing 
  and Urban Development for the cleanup and economic redevelopment of 
                              brownfields.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Brownfields Redevelopment 
Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. BROWNFIELDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.

    Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 
U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 123. BROWNFIELDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants under this 
section, on a competitive basis as specified in section 102 of the 
Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 (42 
U.S.C. 3545), only to eligible public entities (as such term is defined 
in section 108(o) of this title) for projects and activities to assist 
the environmental cleanup and economic development of brownfield sites.
    ``(b) Applications.--Applications for assistance under this section 
shall be in the form and in accordance with procedures as shall be 
established by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Availability of Assistance.--The Secretary may not require, 
for eligibility for a grant under this section, that such grant amounts 
be used only in connection or conjunction with projects and activities 
assisted with a loan guaranteed under section 108.
    ``(d) Selection Criteria and Leveraging.--The Secretary shall 
establish criteria for awarding grants under this section, which may 
include the extent to which the applicant has obtained other Federal, 
State, local, or private funds for the projects and activities to be 
assisted with grant amounts and such other criteria as the Secretary 
considers appropriate.
    ``(e) Brownfield Site.--The Secretary shall, by regulation, define 
the term `brownfield site' for purposes of this section. In 
establishing such definition, the Secretary shall consult with other 
appropriate Federal agencies to ensure that the efforts of the various 
Federal agencies regarding environmental cleanup and economic 
development of brownfield sites are complimentary, coordinated, and not 
inconsistent.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for grants under this section such sums as may be 
necessary for each of fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004.''.

SEC. 3. CDBG LOAN GUARANTEES FOR LOANS FOR BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT 
              ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Increase in Guarantee Limit.--Section 108(b) of the Housing and 
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5308(b)) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``(b)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
    ``(2) Notes and other obligations that are guaranteed under this 
section after the date of the enactment of the Brownfields 
Redevelopment Enhancement Act shall not count for purposes of the 
issuer's limitation under paragraph (1) to the extent that such notes 
or obligations--
            ``(A) are issued for the purpose of financing projects, 
        activities, and costs described in subsection (a)(7); and
            ``(B) do not exceed an amount equal to 5 times the amount 
        of the grant approval for the issuer pursuant to section 106 or 
        107.''.
    (b) Clarification of Brownfields Redevelopment as Eligible 
Activity.--The first sentence of section 108(a) of the Housing and 
Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5308(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``or'' before ``(6)''; and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following: ``; or (7) projects and activities, and costs (as 
        defined by the Secretary) thereof, to assist the environmental 
        cleanup and economic development of brownfield sites (as such 
        term is defined in section 123(e))''.

SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT FUND PILOT PROGRAM.

    Section 108(q) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 5308(q)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(5) Community empowerment fund pilot program.--
                    ``(A) Implementation.--The Secretary shall 
                implement the Community Empowerment Fund Pilot program 
                by reissuing the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 
                for the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) Community 
                Empowerment Fund (CEF) Pilot, Department of Housing and 
                Urban Development, published in the Federal Register of 
                June 30, 2000 (Vol. 65, No. 127, p. 40836). In 
                reissuing such notice of funding availability, the 
                Secretary shall consider revisions that will improve 
                the utilization of the CEF pilot program for 
                brownfields redevelopment purposes.
                    ``(B) Funding.--Any amounts made available for 
                grants under this subsection shall be available for 
                carrying out the Community Empowerment Fund Pilot 
                program referred in subparagraph (A).''.

SEC. 5. HUD BROWNFIELDS STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall conduct a study to review the activities of the Federal 
Government relating to redevelopment of brownfields. Under the study, 
the Secretary shall--
            (1) determine the extent and scope of the redevelopment 
        problems in the United States caused by the existence of 
        brownfields;
            (2) identify existing sources of support and assistance for 
        redevelopment of brownfields and analyze and evaluate the 
        strengths and weaknesses of existing sources of support;
            (3) identify Federal and State technical assistance for 
        redevelopment of brownfields and any shortages or gaps in such 
        assistance;
            (4) identify problems in the existing policies and programs 
        for redevelopment of brownfields that suggest that new policies 
        and programs would be more effective or efficient in achieving 
        such redevelopment;
            (5) recommend new policies and programs to redevelop 
        brownfields in a more effective and efficient manner; and
            (6) identify the circumstances under which former 
        brownfields sites could safely and appropriately be used for 
        residential purposes and specify criteria, standards, and 
        guidelines for redevelopment for such use.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 9 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall submit to the Congress a report describing the study and the 
results of the study, which shall include the information and 
recommendations required under subsection (a).
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