Policy Resolution ETE-23-34

WHEREAS, President Biden, in a historical signing, made a commitment, setting as a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal Investments flow to disadvantaged Communities that are marginalized, underprivileged, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.

WHEREAS, that commitment is contained in Executive Order 14008, signed on January 27, 2021. The categories of investment include, climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation, and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of clean water and wastewater infrastructure.

WHEREAS, President Biden’s One trillion-dollar Infrastructure Legislation which passed November 6, 2021, is directed to invest 55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools, and centers across the country. The investment is to cover rural towns to struggling cities, and address water infrastructure and eliminate lead service pipes, including in Tribal Nations and disadvantaged communities that need it most,

WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Infrastructure deal will deliver $65 billion to help ensure that every American has access to high-speed internet through a historic investment in broadband infrastructure and deployment.

WHEREAS, the legislation includes $39 billion of new investment to modernize transit, in addition to continuing the existing transit programs for the next five years as part of the surface transportation reauthorization. In total the Bipartisan Infrastructure deal provides 89.9 billion in guaranteed funding for public transit over the next five years.

WHEREAS, $65 billion will be invested in clean energy which will include building thousands of miles of new resilient transmission lines to facilitate the expansion of renewable and clean energy while lowering cost. The bill includes funding for new programs to support the development and demonstration, and deployment of cutting-edge clean energy technologies to accelerate our nation’s transition to a zero-emission economy.

WHEREAS, the bipartisan Infrastructure bill will provide an investment of over $50 billion to protect against droughts, heat, floods, and wildfires, in addition to a major investment in weatherization

WHEREAS, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation will deliver $21 billion, the largest investment in tackling legacy pollution by cleaning up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaiming abandoned mines, and capping orphaned oil and gas wells, these projects will remediate environmental harm and address legacy pollution that harms the public health of communities and advance long overdue environmental justice.

WHEREAS, this investment will benefit communities of color, as it has been found that 29% of Hispanic Communities, and 26 % of Black Americans live within 3 miles of Superfund sites.

WHEREAS, through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, The Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan federal agencies are making historic levels of investment to advance environmental justice which will confront decades of underinvestment in disadvantaged communities and bring critical resources to communities that have been overburdened by legacy pollution and environmental hazards.

WHEREAS, the over 70 Legislators of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) reign from 47 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands represent over 60 million people;

WHEREAS, climate change has impacted the health and quality of life for residents NBCSL represents,

WHEREAS, Infrastructures are crumbling in neighborhoods, communities, counties, cities and states that NBCSL members represents, and these areas continue to be plagued by failing infrastructures including the presence of lead pipes, failing water systems which continue to be compromised, affordable housing which is unavailable, and social, economic and environmental conditions which continue to exist…

WHEREAS, federal funds through the passage of these historical legislative mandates by Congress can address the social, economic, and environmental conditions of constituents represented by NBCSL.

WHEREAS, this resolution encourages NBCSL members to set up through legislation Oversight Committees that comply with President Biden’s Justice 40 Initiative at state and local levels to come together in each state to focus on obtaining the federal dollars available.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the members of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) are encouraged to and have the power, through legislation, to establish Oversight Committees to interact with the federal agencies listed under Justice 40 and coordinate with local and state agencies to assure maximum benefits for NBCSL constituents.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of

the United States, the Vice President of the Unites States, members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and other federal and state government officials and agencies as appropriate.

• Resolution ID: ETE-23-34
• Sponsored by: Rep. Gilda Cobb Hunter (SC) and Sen. Antonio Hayes (MD)
• Policy Committee: Energy, Transportation, and Environment (ETE)