[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4823-S4824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. PADILLA:
  S. 4879. A bill to amend the Federal Credit Union Act to permit 
credit unions to serve certain underserved areas, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the 
Expanding Financial Access for Underserved Communities Act, which I 
introduced today.
  Over the past decade, affordable banking services have become more 
difficult for many Americans to access due to the closure of physical 
bank branches. Addressing banking deserts is an important element to 
promoting equity across our entire economy.
  I believe that credit unions can play a significant role in improving 
access to affordable banking services in underserved communities 
throughout our Nation.
  That is why I am proud to introduce this legislation to allow all 
federally chartered credit unions to expand their field of membership 
to underserved areas. The bill would exempt business loans made to 
borrowers located in underserved areas from the credit union member 
business lending cap.
  I am proud to join Chairwoman Maxine Waters in this effort. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in support of this bill to promote economic 
opportunity in low-income communities and communities of color.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. HIRONO:
  S. 4883. A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to partner 
and collaborate with the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of 
Hawaii to address Rapid Ohia Death, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill, the 
Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act of 2022. This bill requires the 
Secretary of the Interior to continue partnering and collaborating with 
the Secretary of Agriculture and the State of Hawaii to address Rapid 
Ohia Death, ROD. ROD is a fungus, Ceratocystis, that was first found in 
Hawaii in 2014 and has since killed over a million native Ohia trees. 
Since then, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has 
partnered with the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of the 
Interior in efforts to detect and respond to the spread of ROD. 
Sustained efforts, such as those supported by this bill, are necessary 
to protect Ohia trees, which comprise 80 percent of Hawaii's native 
forests.
  Over the past 8 years, ROD has been detected on Hawaii Island, Kauai, 
Maui, and Oahu. Efforts are currently underway to educate the public to 
reduce the spread, research transmission vectors of ROD such as humans, 
beetles, ungulates, and weather events, and test ROD resistant 
varieties of Ohia. This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior, 
acting through the U.S. Geological Survey, to continue providing 
resources for the purposes of researching ROD vectors and transmission. 
It also requires the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, to work with the State of Hawaii and other 
local stakeholders on ungulate management in control areas on Federal, 
State, and private land. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, to 
continue providing resources to prevent the spread of ROD and restore 
the native forests in Hawaii and to also continue to provide financial 
and staff resources to the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, IPIF, 
located in Hilo, to continue research on ROD.
  The bill authorizes $5 million in appropriations for each fiscal year 
from 2023 through 2033 for both the Secretaries of Agriculture and 
Interior to carry out these actions, which are necessary to protect and 
restore Hawaii's most abundant native tree--Ohia--for future 
generations.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Ms. HIRONO:
  S. 4884. A bill to require the Secretary of the Interior, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, to establish a joint 
natural infrastructure science program, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a bill, the 
Natural Infrastructure Act of 2022. This bill requires the Secretary of 
the Interior, in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, to 
establish a Joint Natural Infrastructure Science Program. This program, 
which would be a joint effort by the U.S. Forest Service FS and the 
U.S. Geological Survey USGS, would

[[Page S4824]]

seek to further research on the use of natural solutions to address 
evolving infrastructure needs across the country. The bill also 
requires the Secretary of the Interior to assess the costs and 
effectiveness of select natural infrastructure projects on an annual 
basis.
  The bill defines natural infrastructure as constructed landscape 
features and systems that employ nature-based solutions that promote, 
use, restore, or emulate natural ecological processes. These features, 
when compared to grey infrastructure solutions, are often more cost-
effective, increase community resilience to climate change impacts, and 
attract community support. The American Society of Civil Engineers 
estimates that our country's need for infrastructure repairs through 
2025 totals over $4 trillion. In order to meet our country's short- and 
long-term infrastructure needs, research is needed to inform the 
decisions being made by the people charged with addressing these 
infrastructure needs--civil engineers, local governments, developers, 
and the construction industry. The Joint Natural Infrastructure Science 
Program established by this bill directs USGS and FS to work with 
colleges and universities to advance ongoing natural infrastructure 
research efforts to inform future infrastructure projects. The bill 
also establishes a stakeholder advisory group to inform the Secretary 
of the Interior on appropriate research topics to be assessed by the 
Joint Natural Infrastructure Science Program.
  The bill authorizes $4 million in appropriations for each fiscal year 
from 2023 through 2033 for both the Secretaries of Agriculture and 
Interior to implement the Joint Natural Infrastructure Program. 
Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to 
publish an annual report on no fewer than 30 natural infrastructure 
projects across the country to assess the cost and effectiveness of the 
projects as well as provide recommendations on ways to improve future 
natural infrastructure projects in terms of construction, costs, and 
effectiveness. The selected projects should be diverse in terms of both 
geographic location as well as project type. These reports, coupled 
with the research generated by the Joint Natural Infrastructure Science 
Program, will help inform future infrastructure projects as we seek out 
cost-effective solutions all across the country that maximize human and 
environmental benefits in the face of evolving challenges, including 
the increasing impacts of climate change.

                          ____________________