Sec. 7. Financial assistance for resilience in addressing extreme heat and health risks
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Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Integrated Heat Health Information System may, in coordination with the National Integrated Heat Health Information System Interagency Committee, establish and administer a community heat resilience program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to carry out projects described in subsection
(e)to ameliorate human health impacts of extreme heat events. Upon completion of the strategic plan required by section 4(e)(1), the Committee may revise the community heat resilience program to ensure the program aligns with the strategic plan and is administered in accordance with the plan. The purpose of the financial assistance provided under this section is to improve community resilience to heat and heat-health impacts and further scientific research to address adaptation gaps and priorities. Financial assistance provided under this section may be in the form of prizes, contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. Entities eligible to receive financial assistance under this section to carry out projects described in subsection
(e)include— nonprofit entities; States; Tribal governments; local governments; local workforce development boards; and academic institutions. Projects described in this subsection include the following: Projects to reduce heat-health risks, including sustainable heat reduction and mitigation solutions such as for cool roofs, cool pavements, urban forestry or tree plantings and maintenance, the provision of shade, cooling and resilience centers, retrofitting buildings for cooling, improving the resilience of the power grid to ensure reliable air conditioning, energy efficiency, acquisitions or upgrades of filtration systems or high-efficiency air conditioning systems, and strategies to improve community level response before and during a heat event. Training programs to support the development and integration of education and training programs for identifying and addressing risks associated with climate change for vulnerable individuals. Projects focusing on being responsive to heat-related needs from communities heard from engagements at different geographic scales (national to regional to local) including— to expand public awareness of heat risks; to conduct community-based climate and health observational campaigns; to conduct scientific research to assess gaps and priorities regarding the risks of extreme heat in communities; to communicate risks and warnings to isolated communities; to support the establishment of workplace policies and practices to reduce the risk of extreme heat illness among workers; to educate such communities about how to respond to extreme heat events; and to establish local, city, and county heat planning and heat-related emergency action plans. Other projects that the Director determines will achieve a significant reduction in heat exposure or increased resilience to increased heat or extreme heat events. In selecting eligible entities to receive financial assistance under this section, the Director shall prioritize entities that will carry out projects that provide benefits for historically disadvantaged communities and communities with significant heat disparities associated with race, ethnicity, or income. Not less than 40 percent of the amount of financial assistance provided under this section in any fiscal year shall be provided to eligible entities to implement projects described in subsection
(e)in communities with environmental justice concerns or low-income communities. The Director shall seek to equitably distribute financial assistance provided under this section based on geographic location or such other factors as the Director determines appropriate.