[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 8, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5445-S5446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. DURBIN:
S. 4538. A bill to establish a Restore Employment in Natural and
Environmental Work Conservation Corps in the Department of the Interior
and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 4538
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 ``Restore Employment in
Natural and Environmental Work Conservation Corps Act'' or
the ``RENEW Conservation Corps Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) as a result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic, more than 40,000,000 people in the United States
have filed claims for unemployment benefits since March 2020,
which is a level of unemployment not seen since the Great
Depression;
(2) investments in fish, wildlife, and habitat restoration
and outdoor recreation infrastructure generate as many as 33
jobs per $1,000,000 invested, as demonstrated by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5; 123
Stat. 115);
(3) the outdoor recreation economy--
(A) generates $887,000,000,000 in economic activity each
year, which is 2.2 percent of the gross domestic product of
the United States, according to the Bureau of Economic
Analysis; and
(B) was 1 of the fastest growing sectors of the United
States economy before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
pandemic;
(4) the Federal Government and State and local governments
and agencies have many ``shovel-ready'' projects and green
infrastructure maintenance backlog projects that would
improve the quality of life, outdoor experiences, and access
to outdoor recreation opportunities of people of the United
States on completion of the projects;
(5) many facilities and natural resources located on
dedicated conservation land are in disrepair or degraded and
in need of labor-intensive rehabilitation, restoration, and
enhancement work that cannot be carried out at existing
staffing levels;
(6) enhancing and maintaining environmentally and
recreationally important land and waters through the
participation of unemployed individuals in the United States
in a conservation corps could--
(A) provide critical employment, education, and skill
development opportunities to the individuals;
(B) prepare the individuals for permanent jobs in the
conservation field; and
(C) benefit the economy and environment of the United
States; and
(7) existing networks of conservation corps are in place
but need additional resources in order to scale up the
activities of the conservation corps to meet growing deferred
maintenance needs on public land.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to employ, during the 5-year period beginning on the
date of enactment of this Act, a total of 1,000,000 people in
the United States in dedicated conservation land projects to
support the growing backlog of deferred conservation land
projects;
(2) to expose Participants to public service while
furthering the understanding and appreciation of the
Participants of the natural and cultural resources of the
United States;
(3) to stimulate interest among Participants in
conservation careers by exposing the Participants to
conservation professionals in land management agencies; and
(4) to build on the existing network of conservation corps
organizations working across the United States while
providing for expanded participation in urban centers.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Corps.--The term ``Corps'' means the Restore Employment
in Natural and Environmental Work Conservation Corps
established by section 4(a).
(2) Council.--The term ``Council'' means the National
Council on the Restore Employment in Natural and
Environmental Work Conservation Corps established under
section 6(a).
(3) Eligible local agency.--The term ``eligible local
agency'' means a unit of local government, land trust, or
similar conservation nonprofit organization.
(4) Eligible participant.--The term ``eligible
participant'' means an individual who--
(A) is 16 years of age or older at the time the individual
begins the term of service as a Participant; and
(B) is a citizen or national of the United States or lawful
permanent resident alien of the United States.
(5) Eligible project.--The term ``eligible project'' means
any of the following:
(A) A project to plant trees.
(B) A project for the restoration and management of
wildlife habitat.
(C) A project to control invasive species.
(D) A project for the conduct of prescribed burns.
(E) A project for the restoration of streams, wetlands, and
other aquatic ecosystems.
(F) A project to monitor water quality in streams and
lakes.
(G) A project to assist with the conduct of fish and
wildlife surveys.
(H) A project for the construction or maintenance of
trails, bridges, campgrounds, picnic shelters, or other
recreational amenities for use by the public.
(I) A project for the construction or maintenance of parks
and playgrounds.
(J) A project to restore brownfield sites (as defined in
section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601)) in
urban areas.
(K) A project to construct rain gardens, grass waterways,
pollinator gardens, or green schoolyards.
(L) A project for the development of urban gardens and
farms.
(M) A project to plant native grasslands.
(N) A project to provide environmental interpretation or
outdoor education.
(O) Any other project determined to be appropriate by the
Secretaries.
(6) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term ``Indian tribe'' in section 4 of the
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25
U.S.C. 5304).
(7) Participant.--The term ``Participant'' means an
eligible participant enrolled in the Corps.
(8) Program partner.--The term ``Program partner'' means--
(A) a State or Indian Tribe administering a program for
eligible projects or a grant program under subsection (a) or
(b) of section 5, as applicable; and
(B) an eligible local agency carrying out eligible projects
under section 5(a)(3)(B).
(9) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means the
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior,
acting jointly.
(10) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, and any other territory or possession of the United
States.
SEC. 4. RESTORE EMPLOYMENT IN NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORK
CONSERVATION CORPS.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department
of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture the Restore
Employment in Natural and Environmental Work Conservation
Corps program under which Participants shall carry out--
(1) eligible projects administered by the Secretaries under
this section; and
(2) eligible projects administered by Program partners
under subsection (a) or (b) of section 5.
(b) Participants.--
(1) In general.--The Corps shall consist of--
(A) eligible participants who are enrolled in the Corps by
the Secretaries; and
(B) eligible participants who are enrolled in the Corps by
Program partners.
(2) Requirement.--In enrolling eligible participants in the
Corps under paragraph (1), the Secretaries and Program
partners shall ensure that Participants reflect the
demographics of the area in which the Participants are
carrying out an eligible project.
(c) Terms and Compensation.--
(1) Term.--Participants shall serve for a term of at least
12 weeks, but not more than 1 year.
(2) Compensation.--
(A) Wages.--Participants shall be compensated at a wage
rate that is appropriate for the type of work performed by
the Participant, but not less than $15 per hour (to be
increased each year based on increases in the Consumer Price
Index for the year).
(B) Educational assistance.--If a Participant completes at
least 1 year of service in the Corps, Participants shall be
eligible for--
(i) an educational credit that may be applied toward a
program of postsecondary education at an institution of
higher education that agrees to award the credit for
participation in the Corps; and
(ii) not more than $5,500 in tuition assistance to the
Participant for purposes of continuing education.
(d) Training; Apprenticeships.--The Secretaries and Program
partners shall--
(1) ensure that Participants are provided at least 2 weeks
of training during each term of the applicable Participant;
and
(2) provide curricula to Participants that improve the
future job prospects of Participants, including through
making available to Participants registered apprenticeships
and other professional licenses or certifications.
SEC. 5. STATE, TRIBAL, AND LOCAL FUNDING PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE
PROJECTS.
(a) Apportionment to States.--
(1) In general.--For each fiscal year, subject to
paragraphs (2) and (3), of the amounts made available for
apportionment to the States for that fiscal year under
section 7(2), the Secretaries shall apportion--
(A) 66 \2/3\ percent among States based on the proportion
that--
[[Page S5446]]
(i) the number of unemployed individuals in each State, as
determined based on the most recent data available; bears to
(ii) the total number of unemployed individuals in all
States as so determined; and
(B) 33 \1/3\ percent among States based on the proportion
that--
(i) the population of each State; bears to
(ii) the population of all States.
(2) Minimum apportionment.--No State shall receive an
apportionment under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year in an
amount less than $42,000,000.
(3) Use of funds.--Of the amounts apportioned to a State
under this subsection for a fiscal year--
(A) 50 percent shall be used by the State to administer a
program for the conduct of eligible projects by Participants
enrolled in the program by the States; and
(B) 50 percent shall be used by the State to administer a
grant program in the State under which the State provides
grants to eligible local agencies in the State for the
conduct of eligible projects by Participants enrolled by the
eligible local agencies.
(b) Tribal Program.--For each fiscal year, the Secretaries
shall apportion, in accordance with a formula established by
the Secretaries, amounts made available under section 7(3) to
Indian Tribes to administer a program for the conduct of
eligible projects by Participants enrolled in the program by
the Indian Tribe.
(c) Use of Funds.--Of the amounts provided to a Program
partner for the conduct of eligible projects under this
section, the Program partner--
(1) may use not more than 20 percent for administrative
costs of administering and carrying out eligible projects
(including costs of recruiting and hiring individuals to
carry out eligible projects);
(2) may use not more than 14 percent to provide continuing
education to individuals administering or carrying out
eligible projects;
(3) may use not more than 8 percent for the cost of
equipment and supplies for eligible projects; and
(4) shall use the remainder of the amounts for the costs of
salaries of individuals administering or carrying out
eligible projects.
(d) Reallocation.--Any funds made available to a State or
Indian Tribe under subsection (a) or (b) that are not
obligated by the State or Indian Tribe at the end of the
third fiscal year beginning after the fiscal year during
which the funds were made available shall be withdrawn from
the State or Indian Tribe and reallocated by the Secretaries
to other States and Indian Tribes on the basis of need, as
determined by the Secretaries, and in amounts that the
Secretaries determine would best accomplish the purposes
described in section 2(b).
SEC. 6. NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE RESTORE EMPLOYMENT IN NATURAL
AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORK CONSERVATION CORPS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Interior, the
Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, the Director
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Chief Executive Officer
of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and
the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, through
the execution of a memorandum of understanding, shall
establish a National Council on the Restore Employment in
Natural and Environmental Work Conservation Corps.
(b) Membership.--
(1) In general.--The Council shall be composed of--
(A) the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(B) the Director of the Bureau of Land Management;
(C) the Commissioner of Reclamation;
(D) the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation
Service;
(E) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service;
(F) the Director of the National Park Service;
(G) the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration;
(H) the Director of the Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement;
(I) the Chief of Engineers;
(J) the Chief of the Forest Service;
(K) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;
(L) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(M) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;
(N) the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for
National and Community Service; and
(O) other members that the signatories to the memorandum of
understanding under subsection (a) determine to be
appropriate for membership on the Council, including--
(i) the Secretary of Labor;
(ii) the Secretary of Education;
(iii) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(iv) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and
(v) the Secretary of Transportation; and the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
(2) Chair.--
(A) In general.--The Council shall select a Chair of the
Council from among the members of the Council described in
subparagraphs (A) through (M) of paragraph (1).
(B) Term.--The Chair of the Council shall serve for a term
of 1 year.
(c) Annual Meeting.--The Chair of the Council shall convene
annual meetings of the Council during which the Council shall
conduct an assessment of--
(1) the Corps; and
(2) eligible projects carried out by the Corps.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
Act $55,800,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021
through 2025, of which--
(1) 37.5 percent shall be made available to the Secretaries
to carry out eligible projects under section 4(a)(1);
(2) 57.5 percent shall be made available to the Secretaries
for apportionment to States under section 5(a); and
(3) 5 percent shall be made available to the Secretaries
for apportionment to Indian Tribes under section 5(b).
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