116 HR 9 IH: Climate Action Now Act U.S. House of Representatives 2019-03-27 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I116th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 9IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESMarch 27, 2019Ms. Castor of Florida (for herself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Engel, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Mr. Neal, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Brownley of California, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Levin of California, Mr. Huffman, Mr. McEachin, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Casten of Illinois, Mr. Luján, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Porter, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Soto, Mr. Gallego, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Cisneros, Mr. Crist, Ms. Norton, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Rouda, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Panetta, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Courtney, Ms. Frankel, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Welch, Ms. Barragán, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Higgins of New York, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Kilmer, Ms. Spanberger, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Rose of New York, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. McNerney, Ms. Dean, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Levin of Michigan, Mrs. Trahan, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Lynch, Ms. Haaland, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Ruppersberger, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Schrier, and Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedA BILLTo direct the President to develop a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Climate Action Now Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)In Paris, on December 12, 2015, parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. (2)The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. (3)The Paris Agreement requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead. (4)The Paris Agreement further requires each party to update its nationally determined contribution every 5 years, with each successive nationally determined contribution representing a progression beyond the previous nationally determined contribution, and reflecting the party’s highest possible ambition. (5)The United States communicated its nationally determined contribution to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28 percent. (6)A number of existing laws, regulations, and other mandatory measures in the United States are relevant to achieving this target, including the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–486), and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110–140). (7)On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, which would leave the United States as the only UNFCCC member state that is not a signatory to the Paris Agreement. (8)Under the terms of the Paris Agreement, the earliest possible effective withdrawal date by the United States is November 4, 2020. However, the United States is still obligated to maintain certain commitments under the Paris Agreement, such as continuing to report its emissions to the United Nations.

3.

Prohibition on use of funds to advance the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended to take any action to advance the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement.

4.

Plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement

(a)

In general

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public a plan for the United States to meet its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement that describes— (1)how the United States will achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 percent below its 2005 level by 2025; and (2)how the United States will use the Paris Agreement’s transparency provisions to confirm that other parties to the Agreement with major economies are fulfilling their announced contributions to the Agreement. (b)

Updates to plan

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to the public an updated plan under subsection (a). (c)

Appropriate congressional committees defined

In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1)the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and (2)the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

5.

Paris Agreement defined

In this Act, the term Paris Agreement means the decision by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 21st Conference of Parties in Paris, France, adopted December 12, 2015.