113 HR 2780 RH: Insular Area Climate Change Act U.S. House of Representatives 2022-12-30 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.

IBUnion Calendar No. 503117th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 2780[Report No. 117–686, Part I]IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESApril 22, 2021Mr. Grijalva (for himself, Mr. Sablan, Mr. San Nicolas, Ms. Plaskett, Mr. Soto, and Ms. Velázquez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space, and Technology, 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 concernedDecember 30, 2022Additional sponsors: Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Cohen, Mr. McEachin, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Torres of New York, Ms. Stansbury, and Mr. NeguseDecember 30, 2022Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendmentStrike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italicDecember 30, 2022 Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space, and Technology discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printedFor text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 22, 2021A BILLTo provide for climate change planning, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in the United States Territories and Freely Associated States, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Insular Area Climate Change Act.

2.

Table of contents

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title.Sec. 2. Table of contents.Sec. 3. Definitions.Sec. 4. Findings.Title I—General Provisions Sec. 101. Insular Area Climate Change Interagency Task Force.Sec. 102. Non-Federal cost-share waiver.Sec. 103. Coral reefs prize competitions.Title II—Department of the InteriorSec. 201. Office of Insular Affairs Technical Assistance Program.Sec. 202. Runit Dome report and monitoring activities.Title III—National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationSec. 301. Climate Change Insular Research Grant Program.Sec. 302. Coastal management technical assistance and report.Sec. 303. National Weather Service technical assistance and grants.Sec. 304. Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act.Title IV—Department of EnergySec. 401. Office of Insular Area Energy Policy and Programs.Sec. 402. Comprehensive energy plans.Sec. 403. Energy Efficient Product Rebate Program.Sec. 404. Renewable Energy Grant Program.Sec. 405. Offshore wind for the territories.Sec. 406. State Energy Program non-Federal cost-share waiver.Title V—Environmental Protection AgencySec. 501. Definitions.Sec. 502. Insular Area National Program Office.Sec. 503. Insular Area Sustainable Infrastructure Grant Program.Sec. 504. Insular Area Renewable Energy Grant Program.Sec. 505. Insular Area Technical Assistance Program.Title VI—Emergency ManagementSec. 601. Community disaster loans repayment cancellation.Sec. 602. Disaster relief non-Federal cost-share waiver.

3.

Definitions

In this Act, the following definitions apply:(1)

Adaptation

The term Adaptation means the capacity of natural and human systems to adjust to climate change or its impacts in a matter that will reduce damage or take advantage of any beneficial aspects.(2)

Freely associated states

The term Freely Associated States means the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.(3)

Insular areas

The term Insular Areas means the territories and Freely Associated States.(4)

Mitigation

The term Mitigation means measures and initiatives that would limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions.(5)

Resilience

The term Resilience means the capacity of natural and human systems to resist, assimilate, and recover from the effects of climate change in an efficient and timely manner, maintaining or restoring basic structures and essential functions.(6)

Renewable energy

The term renewable energy means energy that has been derived from Earth’s natural resources that are not finite or exhaustible, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and ocean (thermal and mechanics).(7)

Renewable energy system

The term renewable energy system includes off-grid or stand-alone systems, microgrids, nano grids, and virtual power plants systems based on renewable energy sources, including storage and other related ancillary equipment. These may also be referred to as eligible projects. Waste to energy are not considered as eligible projects. (8)

Territories

The term territories means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands of the United States.(9)

Territory

The term territory means American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands of the United States.

4.

Findings

Congress finds as follows:(1)The Insular Areas are topographically and environmentally diverse and treasured by millions of individuals who call them home.(2)The territories in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States) and the territories in the Pacific (American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam) face many of the same climate change-related challenges. Freely Associated States face similar climate change-related vulnerabilities.(3)Insular Areas are experiencing sea level rise, coastal erosion, and increasing storm impacts that threaten lives, critical infrastructure, ecosystems, and livelihood security.(4)Temperature increases are likely to further create and intensify the length of droughts, reduce water supply, impact public health, and increase demand of freshwater in Insular Areas. In addition, temperature increases will drive coral reefs to extinction, eliminating a natural barrier against storm surge, increasing destruction of infrastructure, and threatening lives of the inhabitants of the islands.(5)In 2017, two major storms, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, impacted Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States. Hurricane Maria caused thousands of deaths in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States and significant damage to their infrastructure, including Puerto Rico’s energy system. Hurricane Maria destroyed millions of trees in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States, which has significantly increased erosion and sediment transport. As a result, reservoirs have lost significant storage capacity and coral reefs are severely impacted.(6)In 2018, Typhoon Yutu impacted the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, causing catastrophic destruction in those territories.

December 30, 2022Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendmentDecember 30, 2022 Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space, and Technology discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed