[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6461 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6461

    To require the Federal Government to produce a national climate 
      adaptation and resilience strategy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 20, 2022

    Mr. Peters (for himself, Ms. Salazar, Mr. Curtis, and Ms. Blunt 
  Rochester) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Federal Government to produce a national climate 
      adaptation and resilience strategy, and for other purposes.

    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 ``National Climate Adaptation and 
Resilience Strategy Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Adaptation.--The term ``adaptation'' means an 
        adjustment in a natural or human system in response to a new or 
        changing environmental condition, including such an adjustment 
        associated with climate change, that exploits beneficial 
        opportunities or moderates negative effects.
            (2) Adaptive capacity.--The term ``adaptive capacity'' 
        means the ability of a system--
                    (A) to adjust to climate vulnerabilities to 
                moderate potential damage or harm;
                    (B) to take advantage of new, and potentially 
                beneficial, opportunities; or
                    (C) to cope with change.
            (3) Cascading climate hazards.--The term ``cascading 
        climate hazards'' means a series of successive environmental 
        hazards triggered by an initial hazard that is driven or 
        exacerbated by climate change, such that the impacts to 
        vulnerable systems are amplified.
            (4) Chief resilience officer.--The term ``Chief Resilience 
        Officer'' means the Chief Resilience Officer of the United 
        States appointed by the President under section 3(a)(1).
            (5) Climate change.--The term ``climate change'' means 
        changes in average atmospheric and oceanic conditions that 
        persist over multiple decades or longer and are natural or 
        anthropogenic in origin, including--
                    (A) both increases and decreases in temperature;
                    (B) shifts in precipitation;
                    (C) shifts in ecoregion or biome geography and 
                phenology, as applicable;
                    (D) changing risk from certain types of rapid-onset 
                climate hazards and slow-onset climate hazards; and
                    (E) changes to other features of the climate 
                system.
            (6) Climate information.--The term ``climate information'' 
        means information, data, or products that enhance knowledge and 
        understanding of climate science, risk, conditions, 
        vulnerability, or impact, including--
                    (A) climate data products;
                    (B) historic or future climate projections or 
                scenarios;
                    (C) climate risk or vulnerability information;
                    (D) data or information related to climate 
                adaptation and mitigation; and
                    (E) other best available climate science.
            (7) Compound climate hazards.--The term ``compound climate 
        hazards'' means 2 or more environmental hazards driven or 
        exacerbated by climate change that occur simultaneously or 
        successively, such that the impacts to vulnerable systems are 
        amplified.
            (8) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the Partners 
        Council on Climate Adaptation and Resilience established by 
        section 4(a).
            (9) Freely associated state.--The term ``Freely Associated 
        State'' means--
                    (A) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                Islands;
                    (B) the Federated States of Micronesia;
                    (C) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
                    (D) the Republic of Palau; and
                    (E) the United States Virgin Islands.
            (10) Frontline communities.--The term ``frontline 
        communities'' means human communities that--
                    (A) are highly vulnerable to climate change or 
                exposed to climate risk;
                    (B) experience the earliest, most adverse impacts 
                of climate change; and
                    (C) may have a reduced ability to adapt to climate 
                change due to a lack of resources, political power, or 
                adaptive capacity.
            (11) Implementation plan.--The term ``Implementation Plan'' 
        means the Implementation Plan jointly developed by the Chief 
        Resilience Officer and the Working Groups under section 6(b).
            (12) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (13) National climate assessment.--The term ``National 
        Climate Assessment'' means the assessment delivered to Congress 
        and the President pursuant to section 106 of the Global Change 
        Research Act of 1990 (15 U.S.C. 2936).
            (14) Natural infrastructure.--The term ``natural 
        infrastructure'' means infrastructure that--
                    (A) uses, restores, or emulates natural ecological, 
                geological, or physical processes; and
                    (B)(i) is created through the action of natural 
                physical, geological, biological, and chemical 
                processes over time;
                    (ii) is created by human design, engineering, and 
                construction to emulate or act in concert with natural 
                processes; or
                    (iii) involves the use of plants, soils, and other 
                natural features, including through the creation, 
                restoration, or preservation of natural areas using 
                materials appropriate to the region to manage 
                stormwater and runoff, to attenuate flooding and storm 
                surges, to manage erosion and saltwater intrusion, and 
                for other related purposes.
            (15) Non-federal partner.--The term ``non-Federal partner'' 
        means a member of a unit of State, local, or territorial 
        government, the government of an Indian Tribe, the government 
        of a Freely Associated State, a private sector entity, or 
        another individual or organization not affiliated with the 
        Federal Government.
            (16) Operations report.--The term ``Operations Report'' 
        means the National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Operations 
        Report jointly developed by the Chief Resilience Officer and 
        the Working Groups under section 5.
            (17) Rapid-onset climate hazard.--The term ``rapid-onset 
        climate hazard'' means an abrupt environmental hazard driven or 
        exacerbated by climate change that occurs quickly or 
        unexpectedly and triggers impacts that materialize rapidly and 
        interact with conditions of exposure and vulnerability to 
        result in a disaster.
            (18) Represented agency.--The term ``represented agency'' 
        means each Federal agency from which the Chief Resilience 
        Officer appoints a member to a Working Group under section 
        3(b)(4)(B)(ii).
            (19) Resilience.--The term ``resilience'' means the 
        capacity of a social, physical, economic, or environmental 
        system to cope with an environmental hazard event, trend, or 
        disturbance that is driven or exacerbated by climate change by 
        responding or reorganizing in ways that maintain, to the 
        greatest extent practicable, the essential function, identity, 
        and structure of the system and ensure that, in the event of a 
        rapid-onset climate hazard or a slow-onset climate hazard, 
        basic human needs are met, while also maintaining the capacity 
        for adaptation and transformation.
            (20) Risk.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``risk'' means the 
                potential for consequences in a situation in which--
                            (i) something of value is at stake; and
                            (ii) the outcome is uncertain.
                    (B) Inclusion.--The term ``risk'' includes the 
                potential for consequences described in subparagraph 
                (A) that is evaluated as the product obtained by 
                multiplying--
                            (i) the probability of a hazard occurring; 
                        by
                            (ii) the consequence that would result if 
                        the hazard occurred.
            (21) Slow-onset climate hazard.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``slow-onset climate 
                hazard'' means an environmental hazard driven or 
                exacerbated by climate change that evolves gradually 
                through time due to incremental change or because of an 
                increasing frequency or intensity of recurring climate 
                impacts.
                    (B) Inclusions.--The term ``slow-onset climate 
                hazard'' includes hazards such as--
                            (i) sea level rise;
                            (ii) desertification;
                            (iii) biodiversity loss or the alteration 
                        of or shift in habitat range of individual 
                        species or entire biomes;
                            (iv) increasing temperatures;
                            (v) ocean acidification;
                            (vi) saltwater intrusion;
                            (vii) soil salinization;
                            (viii) drought and water scarcity;
                            (ix) reduced snow pack;
                            (x) sea ice retreat;
                            (xi) glacial ice treat;
                            (xii) permafrost thaw; and
                            (xiii) coastal and river bank erosion.
            (22) Strategy.--The term ``Strategy'' means the National 
        Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy required to be 
        developed jointly by the Chief Resilience Officer and the 
        Working Groups under section 6(a).
            (23) Vulnerability.--The term ``vulnerability'' means the 
        propensity or predisposition of a human individual or community 
        or physical, biological, or socioeconomic system to be 
        susceptible to and adversely affected by the impacts of climate 
        change.
            (24) Working group.--The term ``Working Group'' means a 
        National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Working Group 
        established by the Chief Resilience Officer under section 3(b).

SEC. 3. CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER AND NATIONAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND 
              RESILIENCE WORKING GROUPS.

    (a) Chief Resilience Officer.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the President shall identify or appoint 
        a Chief Resilience Officer of the United States to serve in the 
        Executive Office of the President.
            (2) Duties.--The Chief Resilience Officer shall--
                    (A) serve the President by directing a whole-of-
                government effort to build resilience to climate change 
                vulnerabilities in the United States (as described in 
                the National Climate Assessment or other relevant 
                analyses identified by the Chief Resilience Officer) in 
                collaboration with existing Federal initiatives and 
                interagency adaptation efforts; and
                    (B) establish Working Groups in accordance with 
                subsection (b) to facilitate interagency coordination 
                with respect to climate resilience and adaptation.
    (b) Working Groups.--
            (1) Establishment.--
                    (A)  In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                Chief Resilience Officer shall establish the minimum 
                number of National Climate Adaptation and Resilience 
                Working Groups that is necessary to carry out the 
                duties and purposes described in paragraph (3).
                    (B) Limitation.--The Chief Resilience Officer shall 
                not establish more than 5 Working Groups.
            (2) Focus.--Each Working Group shall focus on a topic or 
        series of related topics with respect to climate adaptation and 
        resilience, as determined by the Chief Resilience Officer.
            (3) Duties and purpose.--Each Working Group shall, under 
        the leadership of the Chief Resilience Officer, with respect to 
        the focus of the Working Group--
                    (A) coordinate a whole-of-government plan to build 
                resilience to the applicable climate change 
                vulnerabilities described in the National Climate 
                Assessment or other relevant analyses identified by the 
                Chief Resilience Officer; and
                    (B) assist in the development of the applicable 
                portions of--
                            (i) the Operations Report;
                            (ii) the Strategy; and
                            (iii) the Implementation Plan.
            (4) Structure.--
                    (A) Chairperson.--
                            (i) In general.--The Chief Resilience 
                        Officer shall serve as chairperson of each 
                        Working Group.
                            (ii) Temporary chairperson.--The President 
                        or the Chief Resilience Officer may designate 
                        another staff member or member of a Working 
                        Group to act temporarily as the chairperson of 
                        that Working Group in the absence of the Chief 
                        Resilience Officer.
                    (B) Membership.--In establishing a Working Group, 
                the Chief Resilience Officer shall--
                            (i) identify each Federal agency with 
                        operations or organizational units that are 
                        relevant to the focus of the Working Group; and
                            (ii) appoint 1 member of each Federal 
                        agency identified under clause (i) to represent 
                        that Federal agency on the Working Group.
                    (C) Requirement.--In appointing a member of a 
                Working Group under subparagraph (B)(ii), the Chief 
                Resilience Officer shall, to the maximum extent 
                practicable, appoint the head of the portion of the 
                represented agency that is most relevant to the focus 
                of the Working Group.
                    (D) Duties of members.--Each member of a Working 
                Group--
                            (i) shall attend meetings of the Working 
                        Group; and
                            (ii) work to support the duties of the 
                        Working Group.
            (5) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--Each Working Group shall meet not 
                less frequently than once every 180 days.
                    (B) Quorum.--\3/4\ of the members of a Working 
                Group shall constitute a quorum of the Working Group.
                    (C) Remote participation.--A member of a Working 
                Group may participate in a meeting of that Working 
                Group through teleconference or similar means.
            (6) Support personnel.--
                    (A) Executive secretary.--
                            (i) In general.--The Chief Resilience 
                        Officer shall appoint a permanent employee of a 
                        represented agency to serve as Executive 
                        Secretary of the Working Groups.
                            (ii) Employment.--The employee appointed as 
                        Executive Secretary under clause (i) shall 
                        remain an employee of the agency, department, 
                        or program from which the employee was 
                        appointed.
                    (B) Necessary assistance.--To carry out the 
                purposes of each Working Group, as described in 
                paragraph (3), each represented agency with a member on 
                the Working Group shall furnish necessary assistance to 
                that Working Group, such as--
                            (i) the detail of employees to the Working 
                        Group to perform such functions, consistent 
                        with the purposes of the Working Group 
                        described in paragraph (3), as the Chief 
                        Resilience Officer may assign, including 
                        support staff for the Executive Secretary 
                        appointed under subparagraph (A)(i); and
                            (ii) on request of the Chief Resilience 
                        Officer, undertaking special studies for the 
                        Working Group as may be appropriate to carry 
                        out the functions of the Working Group.

SEC. 4. PARTNERS COUNCIL ON CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a council, to be known as 
the ``Partners Council on Climate Adaptation and Resilience''.
    (b) Mission and Function.--The Council shall work to improve the 
climate adaptation and resilience operations of the Federal Government 
by providing recommendations through the Chief Resilience Officer, 
including those recommendations contained in the report required under 
subsection (c), that identify how the Federal Government can better 
support non-Federal partners with equitable resources, technical 
assistance, improved policies, and other assistance to help frontline 
communities build resilience to climate change.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 16 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Council, acting through 
the Chief Resilience Officer, shall submit to the President and the 
Working Groups a report that includes--
            (1) an analysis of the deficiencies or gaps in the climate 
        resilience operations of the Federal Government that reduce or 
        fail to increase the capacity of non-Federal partners to adapt 
        to climate change;
            (2) an identification of the resources, including Federal 
        funding, necessary for non-Federal partners to adequately adapt 
        to climate change; and
            (3) recommendations with respect to how the Federal 
        Government could better support efforts by non-Federal partners 
        to expeditiously address vulnerabilities associated with 
        climate change and build climate resilience.
    (d) Chair and Vice-Chair.--The Chief Resilience Officer shall serve 
as chairperson of the Council and shall appoint a vice-chairperson from 
among the members of the Council appointed pursuant to subsection (e).
    (e) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--In addition to the Chief Resilience 
        Officer, the Council shall consist of 20 non-Federal partner 
        members appointed by the Chief Resilience Officer.
            (2) Appointment.--
                    (A) In general.--The Chief Resilience Officer shall 
                appoint members of the Council who can support the 
                Working Groups by articulating how the Federal 
                Government can better support State, local, and 
                territorial governments, the governments of Indian 
                Tribes, the governments of Freely Associated States, 
                nonprofit organizations, or private sector entities to 
                build resilience to climate change.
                    (B) Requirements.--In appointing members of the 
                Council, the Chief Resilience Officer shall appoint--
                            (i) 12 members who are employees of State, 
                        local, or territorial governments, the 
                        governments of Indian Tribes, or the 
                        governments of Freely Associated States, of 
                        which--
                                    (I) not fewer than 2 shall be 
                                employees of a State government;
                                    (II) not fewer than 2 shall be 
                                employees of a unit of local 
                                government;
                                    (III) not fewer than 2 shall be 
                                employees of the government of an 
                                Indian Tribe; and
                                    (IV) not fewer than 2 shall be 
                                employees of a territorial government 
                                or the government of a Freely 
                                Associated State; and
                            (ii) 8 members who represent 
                        nongovernmental organizations and the private 
                        sector, of which--
                                    (I) 3 shall represent 
                                nongovernmental organizations;
                                    (II) 3 shall represent the private 
                                sector; and
                                    (III) 2 shall represent academic 
                                institutions.
                    (C) Selection.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
                the Chief Resilience Officer shall seek to select 
                members of the Council who--
                            (i) possess firsthand, lived experience of 
                        climate vulnerability in the United States, 
                        including direct experience working with, or as 
                        members of, frontline communities; and
                            (ii) represent a diversity of--
                                    (I) perspectives;
                                    (II) demographics;
                                    (III) geographies;
                                    (IV) political affiliations; and
                                    (V) institution sizes, including 
                                representatives of both small and large 
                                units of government and businesses.
                    (D) Term.--Members appointed to the Council shall 
                serve a single term of not more than 3 years, except 
                that--
                            (i) of the initial members appointed to the 
                        Council, the Chief Resilience Officer shall 
                        appoint--
                                    (I) \1/2\ of the members to serve 
                                for a term of 18 months; and
                                    (II) \1/2\ of the members to serve 
                                a term of 3 years; and
                            (ii) the Chief Resilience Officer may 
                        extend the term of any member of the Council by 
                        a period of not more than 1 year on a one-time 
                        basis, if the Chief Resilience Officer 
                        determines it necessary to support the work of 
                        the Council.
                    (E) Vacancies.--
                            (i) In general.--A vacancy in the Council 
                        shall be filled in the same manner in which the 
                        original selection was made.
                            (ii) Appointment of new members.--After the 
                        expiration of the term for which a member of 
                        the Council is appointed, the member may 
                        continue to serve until a successor is 
                        appointed.
    (f) Meetings.--
            (1) In general.--The Council shall meet not less frequently 
        than once every 180 days.
            (2) Quorum.--\3/4\ of the members of the Council shall 
        constitute a quorum of the Council.
            (3) Remote participation.--A member of the Council may 
        participate in a meeting of the Council through teleconference 
        or similar means.
    (g) Applicability of FACA.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Council.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE OPERATIONS REPORT.

    Not later than 16 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and every 3 years thereafter, the Chief Resilience Officer and the 
Working Groups shall jointly submit to the President and Congress a 
National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Operations Report that 
includes--
            (1) a summary of the existing climate resilience operations 
        of each represented agency that includes--
                    (A) the roles and responsibilities of each 
                represented agency in building national resilience to 
                the climate vulnerabilities described in the National 
                Climate Assessment or other analyses relevant to each 
                represented agency;
                    (B) the major findings and conclusions from climate 
                adaptation plans or risk or vulnerability assessments 
                prepared by each represented agency;
                    (C) the mechanisms by which each represented agency 
                supports the resilience efforts of non-Federal 
                partners, such as by providing funding, resources, and 
                technical assistance; and
                    (D) an assessment of how each represented agency is 
                working to ensure equitable adaptation outcomes; and
            (2) a cross-agency analysis of the resilience operations 
        identified under paragraph (1) that--
                    (A) identifies--
                            (i) the challenges, barriers, or 
                        disincentives for the Federal Government to 
                        build resilience to climate change in the 
                        United States;
                            (ii) the inconsistencies in goals, 
                        priorities, or strategies underlying climate 
                        resilience operations and policy across 
                        represented agencies that may inhibit effective 
                        interagency coordination to support national 
                        climate resilience, including--
                                    (I) the areas of necessary 
                                differences in those goals, priorities, 
                                or strategies; and
                                    (II) the justifications for those 
                                inconsistencies;
                            (iii) areas of overlap or redundant use of 
                        resources between or among represented 
                        agencies, including recommendations to 
                        eliminate any unnecessary or unintentional 
                        redundancy;
                            (iv) gaps or deficiencies in resilience 
                        operations and policy that need to be addressed 
                        in the context of the Strategy;
                            (v) opportunities for greater collaboration 
                        between or among represented agencies to 
                        improve Federal Government resilience 
                        operations and policy; and
                            (vi) opportunities for greater 
                        collaboration between the Federal Government 
                        and non-Federal partners to build local-level 
                        adaptive capacity and resilience; and
                    (B) includes a review and summary of all available 
                Federal funding from represented agencies that is 
                specifically allocated for climate adaptation 
                activities to be undertaken by non-Federal partners, 
                including--
                            (i) a summary of Federal funding available 
                        in appropriations accounts and subaccounts;
                            (ii) disparities between the supply and 
                        demand for adaptation funding available to non-
                        Federal partners; and
                            (iii) existing mechanisms to ensure Federal 
                        funding allocations are being directed to 
                        frontline communities with the greatest level 
                        of vulnerability.

SEC. 6. NATIONAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE STRATEGY.

    (a) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Chief Resilience Officer and the 
        Working Groups shall jointly submit to the President and 
        Congress a National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy.
            (2) Updates.--Not later than the date that is 3 years after 
        the date on which the Chief Resilience Officer and the Working 
        Groups jointly submit the Strategy to the President and 
        Congress under paragraph (1), and every 3 years thereafter, the 
        Chief Resilience Officer and the Working Groups shall jointly 
        submit an updated version of the Strategy to the President and 
        Congress to account for--
                    (A) new science related to climate change, 
                resilience, and adaptation;
                    (B) relevant changes in Federal Government 
                structure, congressional authorities, or 
                appropriations; and
                    (C) any other necessary improvements or changes 
                identified by the Chief Resilience Officer.
            (3) Purpose and scope.--The Strategy shall describe 
        strategies for the Federal Government, in partnership with non-
        Federal partners, to address the vulnerabilities of the United 
        States to climate change described in the National Climate 
        Assessment or other relevant analyses identified by the Chief 
        Resilience Officer to ensure that--
                    (A) the United States has an overarching strategic 
                vision to respond to climate change that--
                            (i) identifies national climate resilience 
                        goals and guides national climate adaptation 
                        efforts;
                            (ii) facilitates the incorporation of the 
                        climate resilience goals identified under 
                        clause (i) into relevant national programs, 
                        operations, and strategies;
                            (iii) develops proactive, long-term, 
                        scenario-based strategies to plan for and 
                        respond to current and future climate impacts 
                        to human communities, natural resources and 
                        public land, and infrastructure and other 
                        physical assets;
                            (iv) emphasizes forward-thinking adaptation 
                        strategies that seek to overcome repeated 
                        climate impacts to vulnerable systems and 
                        communities;
                            (v) prioritizes climate resilience efforts 
                        to support the most vulnerable human 
                        communities and the most urgent national 
                        resilience challenges, as determined by the 
                        Chief Resilience Officer in consultation with 
                        the Working Groups;
                            (vi) avoids unnecessary redundancies and 
                        inefficiencies in the national planning for and 
                        response to climate change; and
                            (vii) recognizes the vulnerability of 
                        natural systems to climate change and 
                        underscores the importance of promoting 
                        ecosystem resilience to preserve the intrinsic 
                        value of nature and support ecosystem services 
                        relied on by human beings;
                    (B) Federal investments in Federal and non-Federal 
                infrastructure and assets promote climate resilience to 
                the maximum extent practicable; and
                    (C) the adaptive capacity and resilience of State, 
                local, and territorial governments, governments of 
                Indian Tribes, and governments of Freely Associated 
                States are maximized to the maximum extent practicable.
            (4) Council recommendations.--In developing the Strategy, 
        the Chief Resilience Officer and Working Groups shall consider 
        the recommendations of the Council.
            (5) Inclusions.--In addition to the overarching strategies 
        developed in accordance with paragraph (3), the Strategy shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) Direct federal government response to climate 
                change.--
                            (i) Strategies to address the limitations, 
                        redundancies, and opportunities for improved 
                        resilience operations of the Federal Government 
                        that are identified in the Operations Report.
                            (ii) Strategies to better prepare the 
                        United States for the adverse impacts 
                        experienced or anticipated to be experienced as 
                        a result of--
                                    (I) rapid-onset climate hazards;
                                    (II) slow-onset climate hazards;
                                    (III) compound climate hazards; and
                                    (IV) cascading climate hazards.
                            (iii) 1 or more strategies to educate, 
                        engage, or develop the skills of the workforce 
                        of the represented agencies with respect to 
                        topics related to climate change vulnerability 
                        and resilience to promote effective Federal 
                        resilience operations.
                            (iv) An identification of opportunities and 
                        appropriate circumstances for represented 
                        agencies to better utilize natural 
                        infrastructure as an adaptation strategy.
                    (B) Support of non-federal partners' response to 
                climate change.--
                            (i) 1 or more strategies for represented 
                        agencies to better collaborate and work 
                        directly with non-Federal partners to increase 
                        the resilience and adaptive capacity of State, 
                        local, and territorial governments, the 
                        governments of Indian Tribes, the governments 
                        of Freely Associated States, and other non-
                        Federal partners.
                            (ii) 1 or more strategies to educate non-
                        Federal partners about the availability of 
                        Federal funding opportunities identified in the 
                        Operations Report under section 5(2)(B), 
                        including the development of a centralized, 
                        cross-agency portal that allows non-Federal 
                        partners to easily identify and apply for 
                        appropriate Federal funding opportunities for 
                        the specific resilience needs of those non-
                        Federal partners.
                            (iii) 1 or more strategies to clarify, 
                        simplify, and harmonize the planning 
                        requirements and application processes for 
                        State, local, and territorial governments, the 
                        governments of Indian Tribes, and the 
                        governments of Freely Associated States to 
                        access Federal funds for climate adaptation and 
                        resilience efforts across represented agencies.
                            (iv) 1 or more strategies to identify 
                        under-resourced communities and communities 
                        with low adaptive capacity and resilience and 
                        to directly support those communities in 
                        applying for Federal funds for climate 
                        adaptation and resilience efforts.
                            (v) 1 or more strategies to support the 
                        retreat or relocation of human communities in 
                        areas that are at increasing risk from climate 
                        change, in particular from slow-onset climate 
                        hazards, including strategies to better manage 
                        equitable property buyouts, managed retreat, or 
                        relocation options for communities in those 
                        areas.
                    (C) Climate information.--
                            (i) 1 or more strategies to increase the 
                        accessibility and utility of climate 
                        information that is produced, published, or 
                        hosted by the Federal Government, including 
                        strategies to better collaborate across the 
                        represented agencies and work with non-Federal 
                        partners--
                                    (I) to provide the high-quality, 
                                locally relevant climate information 
                                and, where practicable and useful, 
                                transparent and replicable downscaled 
                                climate projections that are necessary 
                                to support local-level adaptation 
                                efforts;
                                    (II) to establish improved methods 
                                of communicating climate risk and other 
                                relevant climate information;
                                    (III) to better educate non-Federal 
                                partners about the available resources 
                                for climate information; and
                                    (IV) to assist non-Federal partners 
                                in selecting and using appropriate 
                                climate information or related tools.
                            (ii) Standardized procedures to synthesize, 
                        align, and update climate information produced, 
                        published, or hosted by the Federal Government 
                        to create arrays of standardized national, 
                        regional, and, where applicable, local climate 
                        information for adaptation planning.
                            (iii) An assessment of the necessity and 
                        utility of developing or improving a 
                        centralized clearinghouse and dedicated Federal 
                        program for climate information to better 
                        provide climate information to end users.
                            (iv) 1 or more strategies to develop the 
                        centralized clearinghouse or dedicated Federal 
                        program described in clause (iii), if such an 
                        effort is determined to be necessary by the 
                        Chief Resilience Officer.
                    (D) Resilience metrics and indicators.--At the 
                discretion of the Chief Resilience Officer, 1 or more 
                strategies to develop or improve resilience metrics and 
                indicators to assist the Federal Government and non-
                Federal partners--
                            (i) to the maximum extent practicable, to 
                        consistently measure the resilience of human 
                        communities, natural systems, and physical 
                        assets to climate change;
                            (ii) to set baselines and targets to 
                        measurably increase climate resilience over 
                        time; and
                            (iii) to better monitor and assess the 
                        effectiveness of various resilience-building 
                        activities after implementation.
                    (E) Funding climate adaptation.--
                            (i) 1 or more strategies to help prioritize 
                        Federal funding expenditures for adaptation and 
                        resilience in consideration of the greatest 
                        vulnerabilities.
                            (ii) 1 or more strategies to create 
                        financial incentives for adaptation and 
                        resilience efforts.
                            (iii) A review of the cost-benefit analysis 
                        methodologies and discount rates used by 
                        represented agencies for all Federal 
                        investments, including a review of the 
                        implications of those methodologies and 
                        discount rates for climate adaptation and 
                        resilience.
                            (iv) Recommendations to improve the 
                        methodologies described in clause (iii) to 
                        reflect--
                                    (I) the added value of resilience 
                                planning and construction methodologies 
                                over the lifetime of a project or unit 
                                of infrastructure;
                                    (II) the benefits of natural 
                                infrastructure investments;
                                    (III) the potential value of 
                                retreat and relocation as adaptation 
                                solutions; and
                                    (IV) to what extent existing cost-
                                benefit analysis methodologies lead to 
                                inequitable outcomes or outcomes that 
                                increase climate vulnerability.
                    (F) Social equity.--
                            (i) Strategies to ensure that the costs, 
                        benefits, and risks resulting from climate 
                        resilience efforts, including funding 
                        allocations, the methodologies for determining 
                        funding allocations, and existing and future 
                        policies, are equitably distributed among 
                        sectors of society, types of communities, and 
                        geographies.
                            (ii) Strategies to ensure that federally 
                        supported climate resilience efforts are--
                                    (I) designed in consultation with 
                                the communities that will be affected 
                                by those efforts; and
                                    (II) centered on the needs of those 
                                communities.
                            (iii) To the greatest extent practicable, 1 
                        or more strategies to integrate social equity 
                        considerations across all aspects of the 
                        Strategy.
    (b) Implementation Plan.--Concurrently with the Strategy and each 
update of the Strategy, the Chief Resilience Officer and the Working 
Groups shall jointly submit to the President and Congress an 
Implementation Plan that describes how represented agencies intend to 
carry out the Strategy, which shall include--
            (1) a description of the roles and responsibilities of each 
        represented agency in carrying out each element of the Strategy 
        described in subsection (a);
            (2) a plan to enter into such interagency agreements 
        between and among represented agencies, partnerships with non-
        Federal entities, and other agreements for coordination between 
        and among the Federal Government and non-Federal partners as 
        may be necessary to facilitate a unified national plan to build 
        resilience to climate change; and
            (3) the use of any relevant metrics and indicators 
        described in subsection (a)(5)(D).
    (c) Assessment.--Not later than 2 years following the completion of 
each Strategy under subsection (a)(1) and each Implementation Plan, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the President 
and Congress a report that assesses--
            (1) the extent to which the Strategy and Implementation 
        Plan have been carried out by the Federal Government, which 
        shall be judged, as appropriate, based on any metrics and 
        indicators developed to track progress in increasing resilience 
        under subsection (a)(5)(D);
            (2) the effectiveness of the actions taken under the 
        Strategy and Implementation Plan and the resulting outcomes of 
        those actions in building national resilience to climate 
        change; and
            (3) the progress made towards the development of an 
        effective whole-of-government effort to build resilience to the 
        climate vulnerabilities described in the National Climate 
        Assessment or other relevant analyses identified by the Chief 
        Resilience Officer, including recommendations for additional 
        steps necessary to reach this goal.
    (d) Public Comment.--The Chief Resilience Officer shall--
            (1) publish draft and final versions of the Strategy and 
        Implementation Plan, and each update to the Strategy and 
        Implementation Plan; and
            (2) through publication in the Federal Register, solicit 
        comments from the public on the draft versions of the documents 
        published under paragraph (1) for a period of 60 days, which 
        the Chief Resilience Officer and the Working Groups shall 
        consider before submitting final versions of the Strategy and 
        Implementation Plan, and updates to the Strategy and 
        Implementation Plan, to the President and Congress.

SEC. 7. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

    (a) Sunset.--This Act ceases to be effective on the date that is 
the earlier of--
            (1) the date on which the Comptroller General of the United 
        States submits to the President and Congress the third 
        assessment report under section 6(c); and
            (2) the date that is the last day of fiscal year 2032.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Executive Office of the President to carry out this 
Act $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through the fiscal year in 
which this Act ceases to be effective under subsection (a).
                                 <all>