Short title

This Act may be cited as the

Metro Economies Green Act

or MEGA.

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Green jobs

The term green jobs means well-paying, high-skill, career-track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality and promote energy efficiency and energy technology deployment, including jobs involving— (A)energy-efficient construction; (B)retrofitting public and private buildings; (C)installing solar panels, wind turbines, and other low-carbon or carbon-neutral power sources; (D)constructing transit lines; (E)environmental remediation activities; (F)installation of low-carbon infrastructure; (G)landscaping; and (H)developing or deploying— (i)sustainable energy technologies; (ii)low-carbon electricity technologies; (iii)advanced bio-fuels; (iv)carbon dioxide capture and storage systems; (v)electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; and (vi)high-efficiency consumer products. (2)

Green industry

The term green industry means existing or emerging industry sectors, small businesses, and micro-enterprise initiatives that create or involve green jobs. (3)

High needs

The term high needs means, with respect to an individual, an individual who is— (A)unemployed, with a high school degree or lesser educational attainment; (B)working full-time, but living in poverty, as determined by national poverty indicators; or (C) marginally employed, as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor. (4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (5)

Unit of general local government

The term unit of general local government has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5302).

Findings

The Congress makes the following findings: (1)

Workforce Trends

(A)The U.S. Conference of Mayors in its report U.S. Metro Economies: Engines of America’s Growth states that the metropolitan areas of the United States generated 85.9 percent of jobs in the United States, 90.1 percent of labor income, and 89.9 percent of gross domestic product in 2007. Since 2000, United States metropolitan economies contributed 90.5 percent, or more than $4 trillion, of the growth in the national economy. In 2007, such communities accounted for 92 percent of national economic growth. In sum, the gross metropolitan product of the 10 largest metropolitan areas in 2007 ($4.72 trillion) exceeded the combined output of 36 States. (B)Similarly, in its report MetroNation: How U.S. Metropolitan Areas Fuel American Prosperity, the Brookings Institution states that the 100 largest metropolitan economies gather significant shares of innovative activity (78 percent of patent activity in the United States), educated workers (75 percent of graduate degree holders), and critical infrastructure (79 percent of air cargo in the United States). (C)The American workforce is diversifying at a time when many minority and urban communities continue to encounter barriers to gainful employment. Projections from the Census Bureau show that non-Hispanic Whites will represent less than half of the Nation’s prime working-age (25 to 64) population by 2050. Between 2008 and 2050, Blacks and Hispanics will grow from about 25 percent to nearly 40 percent of the working-age population, and will account for more than 90 percent of total growth in that age range. Individuals from minority communities are largely concentrated in metropolitan areas. Furthermore, such communities remain disproportionately affected by numerous challenges related to education, employment, and incarceration. (D)In its report Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century American the American Solar Energy Society estimates that, in 2006, more than 8 million Americans worked in green industries, generating $933 billion of revenue. By 2030, the Society further estimates that green industries will account for more than 40 million American jobs, generating over $4.5 trillion in annual revenue. (E)As indicated in Green-Collar Jobs in American Cities, issued jointly by Green for All and the Apollo Alliance, green industries promote employment opportunities that are necessarily local. Therefore, jobs in emerging green industries will offer sustainable employment opportunities to Americans for decades to come. (2)

Challenges and opportunities in the Nation’s Metro Communities

(A)According to the report Cities in Crisis: A Special Analytic Report on High School Graduation, of the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, nearly 40 percent of the Nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas suffer high school graduation rates below 50 percent. Metropolitan communities with historical ties to traditional manufacturing industries are among those demonstrating particularly discouraging high school graduation rates. The dual challenges associated with contracting labor markets and fledgling academic capacities have left these, and many other metropolitan communities, with compounding barriers to job creation and economic development. (B)According to the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, nearly 650,000 people are released from Federal and State incarceration into communities nationwide each year, about 1,600 a day, with the majority of these individuals returning to the Nation’s metropolitan communities. (C)Transitional jobs programs have been proven to help people with criminal records to successfully return to the workplace and to the community, and therefore can reduce recidivism. Such programs, along with traditional technical training programs provide at-risk individuals in our Nation’s metropolitan communities with concrete opportunities for long-term economic self-sufficiency.

Metro Area Green Zones

(a)

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to empower communities to provide stable employment in green industries, so such communities may become self-sufficient and gain long-term economic stability. (b)

Metro Area Green Zone Grant program

The Secretary may establish a competitive program to make grants to units of general local government to support and establish green job programs that— (1)target low-income, difficult-to-employ, and formerly incarcerated persons residing in the area or community served by such unit of general local government; and (2)involve local business, academia, trade associations, nonprofits, and other stakeholders in energy-efficient economic development and green job training and creation. (c)

Eligibility

Grants may be made only to units of general local government that— (1)have a population in excess of 300,000; and (2)submit to the Secretary a multi-year implementation plan that provides assurances to the Secretary that such unit of general local government will use such grant amounts to carry out the activities under subsection (e). (d)

Priority

In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary may give priority to any applicant unit of general local government that provides assurances to the Secretary, or demonstrates to the Secretary, as applicable, that such unit of general local government— (1)has entered, or will enter into partnership agreements with local nonprofit organizations, community and technical colleges, organized labor organizations, and local economic development boards to develop and implement a coordinated, systemic, and sustainable strategy to promote economic development through efforts to increase green jobs and technologies in low-income communities; (2)has engaged and consulted, or will engage and consult with relevant county and State agencies to help develop and implement a strategy to promote economic development through efforts to increase green jobs and technologies in low-income communities; (3)has the ability to complement and contribute to national, regional, and State goals related to green jobs and green industries; (4)has a demonstrable commitment to green economic and workforce development; (5)has the ability to coordinate with activities identified in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) and other federally sponsored programs; (6)has a plan to engage local industry and small business in creating green jobs both locally and regionally; (7)is located within a 50 mile radius of a Department of Energy National Energy Laboratory and technology centers or a research-intensive institution of higher education engaged in energy research or green job creation; (8)has a local unemployment rate at least 1.5 times greater than the national rate; (9)has at least 20 percent of the local workforce employed in the lowest-paying economic sectors; (10)has not less than 35 percent of households that have female head-of-households; (11)has more than 20 parolees, probationers, or parolees and probationers per 1,000 residents; (12)serves individuals in families that meet the lower living standard income level, as defined by the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration; (13)has a local population of which at least 8 percent are classified as high-need with regard to employment opportunities; and (14)meets any other criteria the Secretary determines appropriate. (e)

Eligible Activities

A unit of general local government receiving a grant under this section may use grant funds to— (1)create model curricula, education, and training opportunities to provide low-income, underserved, or otherwise displaced program participants with skills necessary to acquire long-term green jobs; (2)provide job placement services, in partnership with local green industries; (3)support program partners, subdivisions of municipal government, small business, and nonprofits for further coordination with national, State, and regional efforts, local industry, local small business, and nationally sponsored activities in the Metro Area Green Zone to support overall program enhancement and expand local and regional green employment opportunities, including providing— (A) stipends; (B) tax credits; (C) financing mechanisms; and (D)technical and other assistance; (4)provide green job creation incentives through support of local businesses and industry sectors to create green jobs; (5)provide services such as childcare, alcohol and drug dependence treatment, and mental health services, as necessary, to underserved, low-income, displaced, hard-to-employ, and formerly incarcerated individuals to facilitate the use of the training and job placement services provided by paragraphs (1) and (2); (6)provide underserved, low-income, displaced, hard-to-employ, and formerly incarcerated individuals with green jobs and business opportunities; and (7)carry out any other activity the Secretary considers appropriate. (f)

Number and amount of grants

(1)

Number

The Secretary may make grants under this section to not more than 10 units of general local government. (2)

Amount

Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall make a grant to each unit of general local government selected of not more than $15,000,000 each fiscal year for 5 years. (g)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section $150,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2014.

Mini-Metro Green Grant Program

(a)

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to ensure the participation of smaller, developing municipalities that are ineligible by population to receive grants under section 4 in activities such as the activities authorized under such section. (b)

Establishment

The Secretary may establish a competitive program to make grants to units of general local government eligible under subsection (c) to support and establish programs that engage smaller communities in green economic and workforce development. (c)

Eligibility

Grants may be made only to units of general local government that— (1)have a population of not less than 50,000 and not more than 125,000; and (2)submit to the Secretary a multi-year implementation plan that provides assurances to the Secretary that such unit of general local government will use such grant amounts to carry out the activities under subsection (e). (d)

Priority

Eligible activities

A unit of general local government receiving a grant under this section may use grant funds to— (1)participate in programs and activities provided by the Metro Area Green Institute established under section 6; (2)provide job placement services, in partnership with local green industries; (3)provide higher level job skills, and higher paying employment opportunities (including micro-enterprise business in underserved communities) to low-income and formerly incarcerated individuals; (4)provide incentives for further coordination with local industry and small business to expand local and regional green jobs; (5)provide services such as childcare, alcohol and drug dependence treatment, and mental health services, as necessary, to underserved, low-income, displaced, hard-to-employ, and formerly incarcerated individuals to facilitate the use of the training, job placement, and employment services provided by paragraphs (3) and (4); and (6)carry out any other activity the Secretary considers appropriate. (f)

Number and Amount of grants

(1)

Number

The Secretary may make grants under this section to not more than 10 units of general local government. (2)

Amount

Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall make a grant to each unit of general local government selected of not more than $1,000,000 each fiscal year for 5 years. (g)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2014.

Metro Area Green Institute

(a)

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to establish the Metro Area Green Institute to serve as a national center for technical assistance, training, research, information dissemination, and resource center to support municipally based, green economic and workforce development efforts. (b)

Grant or Contract Award

The Secretary shall select one unit of general local government or nonprofit organization designated by a unit of general local government to establish and operate a Metro Area Green Institute in accordance with this section and may make a grant or enter into a contract under this section to provide assistance for such Institute. (c)

Grant or Contract Amount

The amount provided for a grant or contract under this section shall not exceed $5,000,000 each fiscal year for 5 years. (d)

Eligibility

The Secretary may not make a grant or enter into a contract under this section to an applicant unit of general local government or an applicant nonprofit organization designated by a unit of general local government unless the applicant provides assurances to the Secretary, or demonstrates to the Secretary, as applicable, that such unit or designated nonprofit organization— (1)is within a 20-mile radius of at least one Department of Energy National Energy Laboratory and at least one research-intensive institution of higher education; (2)has demonstrable experience with green workforce development and job creation; (3)has an existing green jobs collaborative involving regional, local, county, State, and public and private stakeholders that targets low-income underserved populations residing in metropolitan areas; (4)has entered into or is prepared to enter into a partnership agreement with a Department of Energy National Energy Laboratory and a research-intensive institution of higher education that are within a 20-mile radius of such unit of general local government or the area served by such nonprofit organization designated by a unit of general local government; and (5)is in a community meeting the criteria under paragraphs (8) to (14) of section 4(d) of this Act. (e)

Activities

To carry out the purposes of this section, the Metro Area Green Institute shall— (1)evaluate the efficacy of programs funded under sections 4, 5, and 7; (2)sponsor workshops and conferences on green jobs, technology transfer, business development, green economic development strategies for metropolitan economies seeking to engage low-income under-served and other displaced populations, and any other topics relevant to green industries; (3)compile for dissemination to green workforce development and job creation programs nationally, and so disseminate, information and data related to the programs under sections 4, 5, and 7, and other related national, regional, and local activities related to green workforce development and economic development, including best practice data and green worker training techniques; (4)monitor and investigate green workforce development and job creation programs nationally with a focus on initiatives targeting high-poverty communities and high-need communities; (5)assess the efficacy of green economic and workforce development programs; (6)create and maintain a certification program to train workers in green jobs; (7)encourage local and municipal governments to engage in workforce development and job creation activities in green industry; (8)provide capacity-building and related technical assistance to green workforce development initiatives nationally, with emphasis on communities receiving funding under sections 4 and 5 of this Act; and (9)produce and make available to local governments, nonprofits, academic institutions, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development literature and media tools codifying best practice techniques and supplemental metadata analysis. (f)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated for the grant or contract under this section $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2014.

Alternative Green Academies Program

(a)

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to enable municipalities to partner with nonprofit organizations, local education agencies, community and technical colleges, trade associations, and local businesses to provide green job training, employment opportunities, and other life skills to high school drop-outs, formerly incarcerated youth, and individuals unable to attend traditional institutions of higher education. (b)

Establishment of grant program

The Secretary may establish a competitive program to make grants to units of general local government to support and establish programs that— (1)provide green job training, employment opportunities, and other life skills to high school drop-outs, formerly incarcerated youth, and individuals unable to attend traditional institutions of higher education; and (2)involve collaboration between local or municipal governments, community or technical colleges, local businesses, trade associations and others. (c)

Priority

Eligible activities

A unit of general local government receiving a grant under this section may use grant funds to collaborate with local community and technical colleges and local businesses, trade associations, and other entities to— (1)establish an inclusive education and training center or centers to serve as an alternative academy for high school drop-outs, formerly incarcerated, and other difficult-to-employ individuals; (2)develop curricula to provide program participants with skills necessary to achieve sustainable employment in green industries; (3)establish mentorship programs with local green industries and small businesses to provide program participants with access to on-the-job training; (4)provide job placement services, in partnership with local green industries and small businesses; (5)provide wage stipends to program participants receiving green job training; and (6)provide services such as childcare, alcohol and drug dependence treatment, and mental health services, as necessary, to underserved, low-income, displaced, hard-to-employ, and formerly incarcerated individuals to facilitate the use of the training, job placement, and employment provided by paragraphs (1) to (5). (e)

Number and amount of grants

(1)

Number

The Secretary may make grants under this section to not more than 10 units of general local government. (2)

Amount

Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall make a grant to each unit of general local government selected of $2,000,000 each fiscal year for 5 years. (f)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this section $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2014.