[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2536 Introduced in House (IH)]
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115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2536
To provide for grants for energy efficiency improvements and renewable
energy improvements at public school facilities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 18, 2017
Mr. Loebsack introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for grants for energy efficiency improvements and renewable
energy improvements at public school facilities.
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 ``Renew America's Schools Act of
2017''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
IMPROVEMENTS AT PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
consortium of--
(A) one local educational agency; and
(B) one or more--
(i) schools;
(ii) nonprofit organizations;
(iii) for-profit organizations; or
(iv) community partners that have the
knowledge and capacity to partner and assist
with energy improvements.
(2) Energy improvements.--The term ``energy improvements''
means--
(A) any improvement, repair, or renovation, to a
school that will result in a direct reduction in school
energy costs including but not limited to improvements
to building envelope, air conditioning, ventilation,
heating system, domestic hot water heating, compressed
air systems, distribution systems, lighting, power
systems and controls;
(B) any improvement, repair, renovation, or
installation that leads to an improvement in teacher
and student health including but not limited to indoor
air quality, daylighting, ventilation, electrical
lighting, and acoustics; and
(C) the installation of renewable energy
technologies (such as wind power, photovoltaics, solar
thermal systems, geothermal energy, hydrogen-fueled
systems, biomass-based systems, biofuels, anaerobic
digesters, and hydropower) involved in the improvement,
repair, or renovation to a school.
(b) Authority.--From amounts made available for grants under this
section, the Secretary of Energy shall provide competitive grants to
eligible entities to make energy improvements authorized by this
section.
(c) Priority.--In making grants under this subsection, the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that have
renovation, repair, and improvement funding needs and are--
(1) a high-need local educational agency, as defined in
section 2102 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6602); or
(2) a local educational agency designated with a
metrocentric locale code of 41, 42, or 43 as determined by the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in conjunction
with the Bureau of the Census, using the NCES system for
classifying local educational agencies.
(d) Competitive Criteria.--The competitive criteria used by the
Secretary shall include the following:
(1) The fiscal capacity of the eligible entity to meet the
needs for improvements of school facilities without assistance
under this section, including the ability of the eligible
entity to raise funds through the use of local bonding capacity
and otherwise.
(2) The likelihood that the local educational agency or
eligible entity will maintain, in good condition, any facility
whose improvement is assisted.
(3) The potential energy efficiency and safety benefits
from the proposed energy improvements.
(e) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, an applicant must submit to the Secretary an application that
includes each of the following:
(1) A needs assessment of the current condition of the
school and facilities that are to receive the energy
improvements.
(2) A draft work plan of what the applicant hopes to
achieve at the school and a description of the energy
improvements to be carried out.
(3) A description of the applicant's capacity to provide
services and comprehensive support to make the energy
improvements.
(4) An assessment of the applicant's expected needs for
operation and maintenance training funds, and a plan for use of
those funds, if any.
(5) An assessment of the expected energy efficiency and
safety benefits of the energy improvements.
(6) A cost estimate of the proposed energy improvements.
(7) An identification of other resources that are available
to carry out the activities for which funds are requested under
this section, including the availability of utility programs
and public benefit funds.
(f) Use of Grant Amounts.--
(1) In general.--The recipient of a grant under this
section shall use the grant amounts only to make the energy
improvements contemplated in the application, subject to the
other provisions of this subsection.
(2) Operation and maintenance training.--The recipient may
use up to 5 percent for operation and maintenance training for
energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements (such as
maintenance staff and teacher training, education, and
preventative maintenance training).
(3) Audit.--The recipient may use funds for a third-party
investigation and analysis for energy improvements (such as
energy audits and existing building commissioning).
(4) Continuing education.--The recipient may use up to 1
percent of the grant amounts to develop a continuing education
curriculum relating to energy improvements.
(g) Contracting Requirements.--
(1) Davis-bacon.--Any laborer or mechanic employed by any
contractor or subcontractor in the performance of work on any
energy improvements funded by a grant under this section shall
be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on
similar construction in the locality as determined by the
Secretary of Labor under subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title
40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Davis-Bacon
Act).
(2) Competition.--Each applicant that receives funds shall
ensure that, if the applicant carries out repair or renovation
through a contract, any such contract process--
(A) ensures the maximum number of qualified
bidders, including small, minority, and women-owned
businesses, through full and open competition; and
(B) gives priority to businesses located in, or
resources common to, the State or the geographical area
in which the project is carried out.
(h) Reporting.--Each recipient of a grant under this section shall
submit to the Secretary, at such time as the Secretary may require, a
report describing the use of such funds for energy improvements, the
estimated cost savings realized by those energy improvements, the
results of any audit, the use of any utility programs and public
benefit funds and the use of performance tracking for energy
improvements (such as the Department of Energy: Energy Star program or
LEED for Existing Buildings).
(i) Best Practices.--The Secretary shall develop and publish
guidelines and best practices for activities carried out under this
section.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2018 through 2023.
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