Sec. 20. Public meetings
367 words·~2 min read·
/bill/117/hr/2021/ih/section-20A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the Administrator shall hold public meetings on environmental justice issues in each region of the Environmental Protection Agency to gather public input with respect to the implementation and updating of environmental justice strategies and efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Administrator, in advance of the meetings described in subsection (a), shall to the extent practicable hold multiple meetings in environmental justice communities in each region to provide meaningful community involvement opportunities. Notice for the meetings described in subsections
(a)and
(b)shall be provided— to applicable representative entities or organizations present in the environmental justice community, including— local religious organizations; civic associations and organizations; business associations of people of color; environmental and environmental justice organizations; homeowners’, tenants’, and neighborhood watch groups; local and Tribal Governments; rural cooperatives; business and trade organizations; community and social service organizations; universities, colleges, and vocational schools; labor organizations; civil rights organizations; senior citizens’ groups; and public health agencies and clinics; through communication methods that are accessible in the applicable environmental justice community, which may include electronic media, newspapers, radio, and other media particularly targeted at communities of color, low-income communities, and Tribal and Indigenous communities; and at least 30 days before any such meeting. The Administrator shall— provide translations of any documents made available to the public pursuant to this section in any language spoken by more than 5 percent of the population residing within the applicable environmental justice community, and make available translation services for meetings upon request; and not require members of the public to produce a form of identification or register their names, provide other information, complete a questionnaire, or otherwise fulfill any condition precedent to attending a meeting, but if an attendance list, register, questionnaire, or other similar document is utilized during meetings, it shall state clearly that the signing, registering, or completion of the document is voluntary. In holding a public meeting under subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure that at least 1 employee of the Environmental Protection Agency at the level of Assistant Administrator is present at the meeting to serve as a representative of the Environmental Protection Agency.